Some of Stephen J. McConnell's work can be found on this portfolio and on his Linkedin profile. You will also find testimonials that speak to his work near the bottom of this page. 

Work Recommendations and Testimonials

Writing

Columns:

• Developed in collaboration with Rock the Earth, a Colorado-based environmental organization.

Forget Star Wars; Get Ready for Water Wars. "A great war looms, one that will rise from the most desperate circumstance: our battle over water." Published,  1/20/2016, Huffington Post. Full article. 

Bees, Foxes and Hens: EPA's Failure to Protect Our Food Supply. "You would think by now that science would halt the use of chemicals that can threaten life on this planet. " Published, 10/9/15, Huffington Post. Full article.

Give Us the Whole Truth About Fracking. "The facts are slippery when it comes to the great fracking debate in America, where truth, lies, and spin often collide and end up leaving us confused and dizzy." Published, 8/25/15, Huffington Post. Full article. 

Climate Change and the True Wealth of Nature and Prosperity. "The world we live in today will not be the world we hand off to future generations." Published, 5/19/15, Huffington Post. Full article.

Bridging the Energy vs. Environment Divide: Colorado's Roan Plateau Case Study. "Can we work together to preserve our nation's bio diverse and increasingly threatened wilderness, and still extract the energy we need to power our economy?" Published, 12/3/14, Huffington Post. Full Article.

Where Profits Aren't Enough. "In developing this commentary on corporate responsibility, I kept thinking about a statement made by one of the most influential CEOs in America." Published, 5/29/14, Huffington Post. Full Article.

Living in a Plastic World. "Grab-and-go, 24-hour quick marts, fast food on the fly, snap open a beverage to quench your thirst in seconds." Published, 4/10/14, Huffington Post. Full Article. 

Paradise Lost: Why Our Desire to Protect U.S. Wilderness Should Not Cease. "An old black and white photograph came to mind recently when I had a moment to think about the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, ironically on a gridlocked highway that offers breathtaking views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains." Published, 2/25/14. Huffington Post. Full Article. 

Tipping the Scales in Our Favor: Carbon Divest/Renewable Invest. "Let’s be honest: We all know why the U.S. Congress won’t pass comprehensive climate change legislation or enact a regulatory framework that accelerates America’s transition to a clean energy economy." Published, 7/10/15, Huffington Post. Full Article.

 Blogs/Website Content:

• Developed for CM Fusion, a Missouri-based construction management software company.

The Pitfalls of Email During Construction Project Management. "Email — You can’t live with it and you can’t live without it. But maybe you can live without it — at least when it comes to your construction project." Published, 3/23/15. Full Article. 

Why Mobile is Critical in Construction Project Management. "Construction project managers are turning to mobile technology in greater numbers because it is, quite simply, making their jobs easier." Published, 5/26/15. Full Article. 

• Developed for My Fed Benefits, a Texas-based financial services company.

Thinking of Retirement? Consider Your Options First. "The federal workforce is bracing for a bit of upheaval as more workers approach retirement eligibility." Published, 4/13/15. Full Article. 

Your Federal Government Annuity: Your Questions, Answered. "Retirement is not an easy decision, especially if you work for the federal government." Published, 3/30/15. Full Article. 

• Developed for Guiding Type, a Colorado-based content development company.

Royal Marketing Concepts: Content Still King. "A few weeks ago, someone called us royalty. We were flattered. And may have spent the rest of the afternoon speaking with British accents." Published, 1/5/2016. Full Article.

Three Keys to Writing Effectively for Digital Media. "Digital media allows us to publish anything we want, whenever we want. But that doesn’t mean it will be read. Writing alone will not persuade a reader to engage with your company." Published, 1/11/2016. Full Article.

To Be Precise Is To Write Well. "It did not take many words for Ernest Hemingway to let the world know he had one more fight left in him." Published, 12/2015. Full Article.

Fear, Loathing, And Rhetoric: To Write With Beauty Or Say Nothing At All. "We are awash in an endless sea of rhetoric. Words telling us what we should do, how we should behave, how we should think, and what we should buy surround us, a deluge of facts, opinions, and absurdities that we’ve come so accustomed to sifting through that we almost always automatically filter it out." Published, 3/2016. Full Article.

How To Demystify the Google Beast: Why Brand and Content Matters, A Simple Approach. "First, let’s demystify Google and try our best to squash all the buzz words you hear associated with the search beast. These words — brand authority, click-through rate, social media signals — confuse more so than inform especially on a topic that doesn’t need any more mystification than we are already subjected to." Published, 3/2016. Full Article.

White Papers:

• Provided research and writing services for a white paper published by Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, a Colorado-based environmental organization.

Rocky Mountain Forests at Risk: Confronting Climate-driven Impacts from Insects, Wildfires, Heat, and Drought. "Americans revere the Rocky Mountains for their aesthetic, environmental, and economic value." Published, 9/2014. Complete White Paper (.pdf). 

• Researched, wrote, and designed layout for white paper for Guiding Type examining how the wine industry can leverage social media to improve sales.

From Vine to Viral: Why Small Wineries Must Utilize Digital Media to Reach the Millennial Generation. "The U.S. wine market is in the midst of a radical departure from its traditional approaches to reaching wine consumers." Published, 12/2015. Complete White Paper (.pdf).   

Professional Reports/Academic Literature:

• Master's thesis for New York University exploring the impact of Twitter in U.S. presidential politics, particularly the 2016 campaign.

Twitter and the 2016 U.S. Presidential Campaign: A Rhetorical Analysis of Tweets and Media Coverage. "The unfettered dissemination of political rhetoric by politicians and the media through Twitter has far-reaching implications, beneficial and adverse. However, it is challenging to determine the truth or falsity of that rhetoric. This thesis presents a new model to subject tweets to empirical truth verification. That model is applied to a corpus of tweets posted on the Twitter accounts of four candidates in the 2016 U.S. presidential race." Published, 12/21/2015. Complete Thesis.

Startup Proposal | Author/Band Media Kit

• Wrote proposal copy for Tips 4 Tuesdays, a Colorado-based charity startup.

Tips 4 Tuesdays Proposal. "Oseola McCarty was born broke, but died rich because she gave the gift of life. During her nearly 86 years washing and ironing clothes in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Ms. McCarthy put aside what many of us would say amounted to insignificant deposits – placing a few extra dollars from time to time into her savings account. Created, 2014. Proposal.

• Wrote and designed author media kit for Conundrum Press, a Colorado-based book publisher. 

Conundrum Press Media Kit. Benjamin Dancer is the author of the literary thriller Patriarch Run, the first book in a series that will include Fidelity and The Story of the Boy. Media Kit. 

The Patient Zeros Media Kit. The Patient Zeros are a Colorado-based band from the U.S. Midwest. Media Kit.

Press Releases:

• Developed for My Fed Benefits, Texas-based financial services company.

Texas company unveils new marketing strategy, "Capital Keystone Group is launching a major rebranding and marketing initiative this month to strengthen its connection with U.S. government workers who need help understanding their employment benefits and charting a secure financial future." Published, 2014. Press Release.

• Developed for Rock the Earth, a Colorado-based environmental organization.

Landmark Settlement Protects Colorado Roan Plateau, "A landmark settlement following years of litigation will restrict natural gas development and protect a wealth of natural resources on the Roan Plateau, a rugged and remote backcountry located in northwestern Colorado." Published, 11/2014. Press Release.

• Developed for Denver Preschool Program, a Colorado-based education organization.

Denver Preschool Program Students Excel on 2014 State Assessment Test, "An analysis of the scores of third-grade students on Colorado’s standardized assessment test in 2014 has validated for the second consecutive year the importance of preschool education and Denver Preschool Program’s initiatives." Created, 2/15. Press Release.

• Wrote copy and designed layout for Servant Partners Press, a California-based Christian book publisher.

Author Examines Wealth in Our Society and How It Divides Us from Our Communities and the Poor.  "Derek W. Engdahl’s book The Great Chasm: How to Stop Our Wealth from Separating Us from the Poor and God invites us on a journey through wealth and poverty, through the middle-class communities of America to the slums of the impoverished throughout the world, a journey that asks us to reexamine wealth and how it is affecting our relationship with our faith and our community." Created, 7/2015. Press Release.

New Book Examines the Challenges and Triumphs of Ministry among the Urban Poor. "T. Aaron Smith’s new book, Thriving in the City: A Guide for Sustainable Incarnational Ministry Among the Urban Poor, is a journey into the heart of poverty and urban ministry. Through his own experiences living and ministering in squatter settlements in Asia, Smith reveals the challenges, triumphs, and complexities of urban poor ministry." Created, 12/15. Press Release.

• Wrote copy and designed layout for The University of Scranton, a Pennsylvania-based private university.

Study Reveals Pervasive Wage and Related Poverty Issues in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties. Nearly half of the households in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties do not earn enough income to provide for all their basic needs and they will also likely fall short of securing a modest and dignified life for their children. Created 4/2016, Press Release. Media Coverage 1. Media Coverage 2. Web Version.

• Wrote copy and designed layout for Conundrum Press, a Colorado-based book publisher. 

Population Media Center and Colorado Publisher Form Partnership. Conundrum Press and Population Media Center (PMC) announce they will be partnering to share PMC’s message about the progressive solutions to global overpopulation with the October 2016 release of Benjamin Dancer’s Patriarch Run. Press Release.

A Journey Into the Wilds of Peru. Join Eugene Buchanan, author of Brothers on the Bashkaus, in his latest tale of travel and adventure. This time he is in South America with a team of Polish explorers on a first descent down the Cruz del Condor section of Peru’s Colca Canyon, the deepest gorge in the world. Press Release. 

Poetry Collection Brings to Life the Lost Voices of Asian Immigrants. Teow Lim Goh’s debut poetry collection Islanders has received heaps of praise and attention from numerous publications prior to the book’s official release July 12, 2016. Press Release. 

Website Copy:

• Developed for WDI, a Mumbai, India-based web and app development company.

WDI. Created new web copy, taglines, and honed brand messaging. Published, 2014. Website. 

• Developed for Rock the Earth, a Colorado-based environmental organization.

Rock the Earth. Edited website copy and provided recommendations to hone messaging. Published, 2015. Website 

• Developed for Servant Partners Press, a California-based Christian book publisher.

Servant Partners Press. Wrote copy, provided copy/brand consultation, and created and designed website using Squarespace platform. Published, 2015. Website.

• Developed for Guiding Type, a Colorado-based content development company.

Guiding Type. Created new web copy and taglines and honed brand messaging; developed site using Squarespace. Published, 2015. Website. 

Profiles

• Wrote story copy for The University of Scranton, a Pennsylvania-based private university.

Scranton Professor/Alumnus Awarded Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant. University of Scranton professor Michael J. Jenkins, Ph.D., is headed to London where he will go on the beat with the city’s Metropolitan Police Service to study how they police their communities and maintain order. Story. 

• Wrote main story copy and student profiles for The University of Scranton, a Pennsylvania-based private university. 

Five University of Scranton students have been awarded Fulbright grants, the esteemed merit-based scholarships, enabling them to spend a year conducting research or teaching abroad during the 2016-2017 academic year. Since 1972, a total of 155 University students have been awarded grants in the competition that includes Fulbrights, administered by the Institute of International Education. Story. 

Journalism:

• Developed and published during my career in newspaper journalism.

The changing of the guards: Bay Minette, election night, "Nearly five years later, the specter of the 2002 Alabama gubernatorial election lives on." Published, 7/2007. Full Article. 

Scranton’s burgeoning Indian community putting down roots and sharing culture, "The chanting of a Hindu prayer could be heard faintly on the streets of Petersburg Corners in Scranton." Published, 9/13. Full Article. 

Gas driller cited for violation after environmentalist takes photos, "A state investigation sparked by a local environmentalist who rented an airplane to gather photographic evidence has revealed an unreported contaminate release at a natural gas drilling site in Wayne County." Published, 12/09. Full Article.

Violence at federal prison in Wayne County nothing new, some blame staffing levels, "Over the past six months, there have been at least seven violent altercations involving weapons at the federal prison in Wayne County, including two in which inmates attacked prison staff." Published, 3/13. Full Article. 

Mystery of Bethany Bones still unresolved, "She was laid to rest in late summer in an old cemetery along the banks of Dyberry Creek." Published, 11/11. Full Article. 

Wealth denied, "Standing on a hilltop above his Wayne County cattle farm, Bob Rutledge surveys rolling hills and a sea of green grass." Published, 6/13. Full Article. 

Carbondale man struggles to rebuild charred family home before judicial sale, "With a hammer and crowbar, Joe Cron puts his back into pulling a dream from the ashes of his worst nightmare." Published, 3/12. Full Article.

Two years later, some normalcy returns to river communities, "Bob Ell built his dream cottage in Exeter Twp. because of the Susquehanna River that usually snakes silently along a bend through this rural Wyoming County community." Published, 9/13. Full Article. 

Small town, big pay: Honesdale code officer draws more than $800,000 in seven years, "Honesdale's full-time zoning and code enforcement officer raked in $804,277 in the past seven years, a Sunday Times review of public records found." Published, 12/10. Full Article. 

Point, click, arrest, "Local law enforcement and the courts are turning to social media to help get inside the minds of criminals. While old-school detective work is not fading away, investigators can now scour a vast storehouse of information about people, often without their knowledge, because of the wide use of popular social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter." Published, 4/13. Full Article.

Blaze rips through Dickson City home; 'I don't know where we are going to live,' victim says, "Sherri Branch had hoped to unwrap presents with her daughter Claudia on Christmas Day." Published, 12/11. Full Article. 

PowerPoint:

• Developed for Guiding Type, a Colorado-based content development company.

Professional Communication: Hiring and Employment Trends. Created, 2014. Full Presentation. 

Websites-Design

• Developed for Servant Partners Press, a California-based Christian book publisher.

Servant Partners Press. Created website using Squarespace platform. Published, 2015. Website.

Designed site layout, built wireframes, developed information architecture, created graphics, optimized for search (earning page one rankings), monitored site traffic with Google Analytics, implemented custom CSS and HTML code.

• Developed for Guiding Type, a Colorado-based content development company.

Guiding Type. Created website using Squarespace platform. Published, 2015. Website.

Designed site layout, developed information architecture, created graphics, optimized for search (earning page two and three rankings), monitored site traffic with Google Analytics, implemented custom CSS and HTML code.

Portfolio Site. Designed and launched additional business portfolio website using Squarespace. Published, 2015. Website. 

• Developed for Tips 4 Tuesdays, a Colorado-based charity startup.

Tips 4 Tuesdays. Created and launched WordPress site. Published, 2014. Demo Site.

Tips 4 Tuesdays. Designed and launched Squarespace site. Published, 2016. Website. (In Development). 

• Developed for Climate Times, a Florida-based niche environmental publication

Climate Times. Developed site and content management platform using Drupal; curated and wrote content. Published, 2013. (Ceased publication in 2014).

• Developed for author of A Simpler Faith, a Colorado-based writer. 

A Simpler Faith. Created, designed, and launched custom WordPress site. Published, 2016. Website. 

• Developed for Conundrum Press, a Colorado-based book publisher. 

Conundrum Press. Revamped existing Wordpress website; improved information architecture, design, and usability. Published, 2016. Website. 

• Developed for Oyster Optics, a Florida-based fiber optic technology company.

Oyster Optics. Created, designed, and launched Squarespace site to replace outdated site; improved information architecture, design, and usability. Published, 2016. Website.

• Developed for The Patient Zeros, a Colorado-based band.

The Patient Zeros. Refined existing design and information architecture for desktop, tablet, and mobile interfaces; wrote new site copy, including media kit; launched site. Published, 2016. Website.

• Developed for author of The Patriarch Run, a Colorado-based writer.

Patriarch Run. Provided guidance and direction, assisting writer's efforts in launching a new Squarespace site to replace an existing site. Published, 2016. Website.

• Developed for author of Comrades on the Colca, a Colorado-based writer.

Comrades on the Colca. Created, designed, and launched Squarespace site. Website.

• Developed for author/professor/director of state university creative writing program

David J. Rothman. Created, designed, and launched Squarespace site. Website. 

Social | Digital Media Strategies | PR | Media Relations

• Developed for Servant Partners Press, a California-based Christian book publisher.

Servant Partners Press. Created comprehensive digital and social media brand projection strategy for new startup press as part of multipronged content development and marketing consultation initiative. 2015-2016. Partial Strategy Guide.

1. Created guidelines on how to write effective blog and social media posts (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram).

2. Built custom Squarespace website to enhance initiative and refine brand messaging

3. Developed Google Adwords campaign to drive traffic to site

4. Optimized site for search, earning page one rankings for a number of broad and specific keywords

5. Created strategy to leverage staff to promote press through traditional and digital marketing techniques

6. Designed wireframes for website and provided other visual design advice, including website design and creating infographics

7. Created a number of custom graphics

8. Provided guidelines on how to manage/work with SEO, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console

9. Wrote copy and consulted client on how to write effective promotional copy

10. Provided comprehensive traditional marketing strategy and created related collateral

11. Wrote copy for a number of press releases and designed press release template

12. Launched blog to enhance SEO and expand brand messaging beyond "core" website marketing material

13. Created documentation to help organization develop podcasts and videos

14. Developed "review" guidelines for Goodreads and Amazon to enhance author credibility

15. Created strategy to query bloggers, publishers, and media to expand beyond core audience

• Developed for Rock the Earth, a Colorado-based environmental organization.

Rock the Earth. Provided digital and social media consultation and created multimedia campaigns. 2014-2016.

1. Created integrated multimedia campaign and content (video, press release, native ad, social media) for a promotional campaign that announced a major victory for the organization

2. Wrote a series of columns that attracted a national audience to the organization; published in The Huffington Post.

3. Edited website copy to refine digital messaging

4. Developed a digital outreach strategy targeting corporate donors

• Developed for Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, a Colorado-based environmental organization.

Rocky Mountain Climate Organization. Created guidelines and recommendations to improve digital and social media strategies, as well as media relations. 2014.

• Developed for The Sandwich Board and The Souper Deli, a Colorado-based deli chain.

Sandwich Board/Souper Deli. Developed social media strategy and social media employee manual to improve sales and expand/retain audience. Launched basic WordPress sites to support initiative. 2014. Strategy | Manual. 

• Developed for The Blue Cry Band, a Florida-based rock n' roll group.

The Blue Cry Band. Created social, digital, and traditional media marketing plan. 2012.

• Developed for Tips 4 Tuesdays, a Colorado-based charity startup.

Tips 4 Tuesdays. As acting director, developed comprehensive business plan to quickly transform from startup to nonprofit charity; assigned key duties and tasks; and created promotional and marketing materials, including website and investment proposal. 2014. 

• Developed for Nationwide Security franchise in Colorado

Nationwide Security, Denver metro franchise. Developed social and digital media strategy (including SEO and Google Adwords campaigns). 2014.

• Developed for Authentrip, a Colorado-based tripfinder venture

Authentrip. Recommended website information architecture/interface changes; developed early stage social and digital marketing strategy; improved databases, internal search functionality, and SEO. 2015-2016.

• Developed for Conundrum Press, a Colorado-based book publisher.

Conundrum Press. Developed comprehensive social, digital and media relations campaigns, among other responsibilities. 2016.

1. Managed writers and five interns; coached team in order to meet objectives

2. Developed comprehensive marketing strategies for press and authors

3. Curated press website; developed email and website promotional campaigns

4. Wrote and designed press releases and media kits for press and authors

5. Handled media and public relations

6. Organized author readings at private venues; promoted events

7. Created custom media relations strategies for authors; interview coaching

Note: Because of non-disclosure agreements, I cannot disclose other work I have done. However, I have developed additional digital and print marketing materials for businesses and organizations including eblasts, company profiles, proposals/grants, annual reports, brochures, and videos.

Recommendations

“Steve has been working with our company writing very up-to-date information in regards to the federal market for (federal) employees to know about any new changes in benefits, retirement planning ideas, and any federal employee news. … He also provides the columns in a way that are easy to read and follow and great SEO content to help boost our website page rankings.” 

—Tom Hofferber, Annuity Marketing Director, My Fed Benefits.

“We have utilized Steve’s research, writing, and editing services on several occasions and found his work to be perfectly in line with our goals. He is accurate, his work is well researched, he is creative in his writing, and the work captured well our general tone and purpose. He was timely in his submittals and responsive to our comments and questions. I highly recommend Steve’s research, writing, and editing services.”

—Marc Ross, Executive Director, Rock the Earth

“Steve and his group have ghost-written pieces for my agency that have been smart, thoroughly researched and thoughtfully written, all of which have been accepted by major publications. We use his firm when we have overflow work or topics out of our core competency.”  

—Joanna Kulesa, Principal, Kulesa Faul Inc.

"Steve is one of the hardest-working writers I had the pleasure of managing when he worked at The Times-Tribune daily newspaper in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He doggedly pursued every assignment, juggled multiple stories and tasks, always hit his deadlines and is a skilled and talented writer. It is rare to find a reporter who both is an equally outstanding reporter and writer. Steve was both. 

His strong work ethic made him a highly valued employee and someone his editors always could count on to get the job done. 
Steve was a team player, filling in to cover other beats at the drop of a hat when needed, volunteering to work when shifts needed to be covered and helping newer reporters learn the ropes. 

Steve also was highly respected among sources in the community, as well as his co-workers, because he was such a fair and balanced reporter who made sure both sides of the story were reported."

—Jessica Matthews, Metro Editor, The Scranton Times-Tribune

“As a business owner, I needed a well-written informative bio for my website and sought Guiding Type’s assistance. Guiding Type provided a bio that sets me apart within the industry.”

—Courtney Gross, Owner, A Foot in the Door Consulting

"We were looking to refresh our website, logo and online image to really reflect our true passion. We were very excited about our new site and initiatives and the collaborative process with Steve. From the beginning, he took the time and initiative to really understand our business model. He has really taken seriously his role as our digital content writer. He is patient, diligent and extremely punctual. His creative insights, combined with superb writing skills make him a great guy to work with. I sincerely look forward to working with him again."

—Prince Sinha, Head of Sales and Marketing, Vinfotech

“Guiding Type wrote-up an incredibly thorough marketing and social media strategy for my company. They did a ton of research to develop a strong plan to help me project my brand.” 

—Ian Black, Lead Musician and Vocalist, The Blue Cry Band

“I requested the assistance of Guiding Type to review my professional management portfolio and was wildly impressed with the feedback and guidance I was provided. I would highly recommend reaching out to Guiding Type to review your writing sample(s). I was not sure what to expect as I was providing what I thought was a very odd type of writing sample, but they more than came through. Highly skilled and excellent service."

—Maria Scopelliti, Practice Manager at Dartmouth-Hitchcock

“The work performed by Guiding Type is unlike any other; concise, punctual work with a personal touch. Steve’s attention to detail, his creative spark and focus on excellence result in a product that does not disappoint.”

—Cari Reynolds, MPH BEST-CLI Trial Manager

“Steve is a former colleague whose dedication and commitment were always evident when he would stay late to work on important projects and news stories. Steve is not only a personable guy, he’s a talented writer with great editing and time-management skills. He is reliable and was always a pleasure to work with. “ 

—Katie Sullivan, Washington Program Internship Coordinator at Penn State University

“Enterprising, creative, hard-working, fast and accurate are some of the adjectives that apply to Steve McConnell’s skill set. He is also a pleasure to work with and a truly nice guy.”

—Ellen Coyle, Career Development Specialist at Mount Aloysius College

 “Steve’s tenacious drive to get results for whatever he does – investigate corruption, assist in writing dynamic stories or whatever his task – makes him a strong asset or partner for anyone looking for project success. I’ve known Steve for a few years dating to my Scranton days and learned quickly that he arrives early, stays late and focuses on both on big picture and details that make writing sparkle and pop. He won’t allow roadblocks to stop him from completing high-quality jobs on deadline. I highly recommend Steve for any professional endeavor. He’s the kind of person who makes things happen.”

—Robbie Ward, Blogger, Huffington Post, Former Newspaper Reporter

 “Steve was initially assigned to be my mentor at the Times-Tribune when I was hired. I always found him to be an incredibly conscientious person who thrived while working on a high pressure beat. He’s a good writer, researcher and person.” 

—Kyle Wind, Reporter at The Scranton Times-Tribune

 “I had the opportunity to interact with Steve on an almost daily basis as he covered the courts and crime sections of our local newspaper as a journalist.  Steve is an excellent writer and I know this will help him to succeed in your organization. I have no doubt in my mind that Steve is an ethical professional who has shown that he can analyze information quickly and accurately. … Steve is respected as both a person and a professional by attorneys, colleagues and the community.” 

—Shane Scanlon, Lackawanna County District Attorney, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania

“From the very first moment I met Steve he impressed me. He struck me as a journalist with phenomenal critical thinking skills whose integrity is second to none. He and I would have discussions about complex legal and factual scenarios. Time and again Steve would reduce those conversations into an accurate recitation of our discussions through his writing. I trusted Steve and he never broke that trust. Steve was a journalist that I could speak to openly and knew that he would capture the very essence of my words without twisting those words for the benefit of a catchy headline or quote.” 

—Matthew Slocum, Civil Defense Attorney, The Slocum Firm

“Steve was diligent, thorough, and placed heavy emphasis on accurately reporting both my words and the story as a whole. In my capacity as a criminal attorney, I have dealt with numerous reporters, none of whom were more reliable than Steve. In fact, he was the only reporter that I felt comfortable enough to share my personal cell phone number with. To me, this was a demonstration of his dedication to accuracy and impartiality.   Often, things may be said which we do not want publicized. Through my experience with other reporters, sometimes this line was crossed. However in my dealings with Steve, never once did he reveal things that were relayed to him in confidence.” 

—Matthew Comerford, Criminal Defense Attorney, Scranton, Pennsylvania

"It is my pleasure to recommend Steven McConnell as an outstanding consultant. 

Servant Partners Press greatly benefited from Steven’s hard work, dedication to detail and quick follow-through. As a start-up press, we were in need of marketing energy, ideas, and understanding of our new industry sector. Steven quickly and effectively provided all of those. Without Steve’s drive we never would have attempted the amount of marketing avenues that we were able to in the time he was with us. Steven set up a beautiful, effective, and easy-to-maintain website, and he also increased our search views. He developed helpful social media training for our staff, and handed everything off in such a way that we could fully maintain that new level of platform engagement. Not only did our press quickly become more professional, but I enjoyed working with Steve to solve for the best long-term game-plan for the coming years. It was crucial to our early success to have Steven on the team. 

—Bree Devones Hsieh, Publisher, Servant Partners Press