Serving as Editor & Creative Director of Bennington Magazine from 2013-2019, I led a comprehensive reinvention of the magazine—from visual identity to editorial direction—transforming it into the college’s flagship communications platform. Throughout multiple redesigns and two website launches, I oversaw all aspects of production: defining story strategy, directing art, managing freelancers, and aligning stakeholders. In addition to writing and editing, I also served as the magazine’s primary photographer. The magazine became a powerful tool for advancement, admissions, alumni engagement, and a widely requested publication across national networks.
Shaping a New Model
In 2019, I pioneered a new editorial model that centered alumni voices in response to a central question—eschewing the traditional themed issue for one shaped by the lived experience and perspective of graduates. That same year, I launched Headliners, a new front-of-book section that brought high-profile alumni accomplishments into crisp focus, curating major media coverage and accolades to elevate Bennington’s cultural relevance. Together, these shifts underscored a broader strategy to position people, not programs—the institution’s most powerful asset and story. This issue earned top CASE honors and a nomination for the Sibley Award, the industry’s highest recognition, and became a model adopted by peer institutions seeking to modernize alumni engagement through authentic, voice-driven storytelling.
Leading at Bennington
This was the inaugural issue under my editorial leadership of Bennington Magazine. Published to mark the retirement of President Liz Coleman—widely regarded as the most influential leader in the college’s history—this edition honored 25 years of transformational leadership at Bennington and her impact on higher education at large. I was invited to shape both the editorial and creative direction of the issue, writing the sole feature story and editing the entire publication. The result is a deeply reflective and visually compelling meditation on embodied leadership. The issue also marked a complete redesign of the magazine and led to my appointment as Editor and Creative Director. In subsequent editions, I guided the narrative around the presidential transition and the arrival of Dr. Mariko Silver as Bennington’s next president.
This two-issue arc explored how Bennington’s sense of place shapes its identity, culture, and impact on campus and far beyond. The first issue focused on the historic rehabilitation of the Commons building, reintroducing it as the physical and symbolic heart of campus. Through archival storytelling, design essays, and multidisciplinary perspectives, we traced its legacy and reimagined its future. The second issue turned its gaze outward to examine Bennington’s economic, civic, and cultural influence across the town and state, from alumni-led enterprises and student internships to lesser-known contributions to local leadership and regional development. As Creative Director, I expanded our editorial scope and restructured the distribution strategy to engage state and local leaders, media, realtors, and employers, positioning the College not just as an academic institution but as an essential force within the Vermont landscape.
The Education of Free Citizens
These issues were guided by the College’s founding vision: that education is a sensual, ethical, and intellectual process, and that true learning requires freedom, self-direction, and a commitment to both personal and social purpose. As Creative Director, I built a multichannel campaign around this enduring philosophy, with the magazine serving as a centerpiece of a broader content and influencer strategy that reached national education media, peer institutions, and thought leaders.
Town & Gown
Your Life’s Work
This editorial series was part of a larger, multi-platform content and influencer strategy I developed as Creative Director to extend Bennington’s brand position: Your Life’s Work. These issues explored the evolving nature of meaningful work across a lifetime—how it is developed, sustained, and reimagined in response to personal values and societal needs. Through a coordinated campaign spanning print, web, and social, we drew heavily from Bennington’s alumni network of change-makers, culture shapers, groundbreakers, and the college’s signature Field Work Term. The magazines served as cornerstone storytelling vehicles, articulating how work is not a singular destination but a lifelong process of investment and iteration. With editorial strategy tied to audience mapping and influencer targeting, the campaign connected with prospective students, employers, parents, and media outlets, solidifying Bennington’s distinct educational ethos in an era increasingly concerned with the future of work.
Everyone You Need Is Here.
This theme—drawn from Peter Dinklage ’91’s commencement address—anchored a series of issues focused on the extraordinary constellation of individuals who shape the Bennington experience. From faculty and staff to students and alumni, the magazine celebrated the powerful, personal, and often unexpected ways the community fosters both individual growth and collective impact. I used this refrain to spotlight intimate mentorship, intergenerational exchange, and the lifelong creative and professional networks forged at Bennington. Through essays, profiles, and first-person accounts, the issues made a compelling case that Bennington’s greatest asset is the people.