Areas of Specialization

• Strategic Communications

• Writing / Editing

• Leadership Coaching / Development

• Organizational Development

About John

John’s varied experiences accumulated through a long and distinguished career as a journalist, including 25 years as the top editor in three Midwest newsrooms, serve him well as a Senior Consultant for PeopleFirst HR Solutions.

Among the highlights of John’s tenure as editor of the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison was the paper’s recognition in 2012 as a Pulitzer Prize Finalist in the breaking news category. After a 40-year career, including 12 years as the editor at the State Journal and eight years before that as editor of the La Crosse Tribune, John stepped away from the newsroom and has since enjoyed consulting on communication and leadership issues with a variety of clients.

As a long-serving top executive in a tumultuous industry, John recognizes the challenges and the opportunities that leadership brings. His goal is to help leaders thrive in their roles, and to share lessons learned from hundreds of hard conversations. John can also support a wide range of communications needs, both internal and external, from strategic to tactical. Whether it’s discovering “your story” or simply learning to tell it more effectively, John has been there and can help. John’s hometown is Evansville, Wis., and he is a graduate of UW-La Crosse.

Contact John

Phone: (608) 790-0336

Email: jsmalley@pfleadership.com