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Recommendations
Paul Hillman, Partner, C/D/H Technology Consultants (Newsletter editing)
"Susan is a real professional when it comes to
writing and editing. She has helped us move our printed and electronic
newsletters up a notch in quality and readability. Her knowledgeable
and pragmatic approach to writing makes our written material really
stand out in a crowd.
Additionally, she has been very prompt and available, making working with her very easy.
Finally, her rates are very reasonable for the quality of work she
provides and I would highly recommend her for any writing and/or
editing assignments."
Service Category: Writer/Editor
Year first hired: 2008 (hired more than once)
Top Qualities: Good Value, On Time, Creative
Khalil Hachem, then-Reporter, Ann Arbor News, now communications director, American Arab Chamber of Commerce
“Susan is articulate, punctual and
diligent. She has tremendous passion for news and a great commitment to
journalism.
Being efficient is not enough for Susan. The story has to be
the best there is; she goes above and beyond to provide the most
current and accurate information, and she molds it into concise and easy
language to read. What often impressed me about Susan is her keen sense
of identifying news stories and her elaborate network of sources, who
often yield valuable information.
Her style is direct, simple and
accurate. I often refer to Susan as wordsmith. She almost always
provides valuable grammatical and linguistic advice, and if she is not
sure, she is not afraid to admit it.
When working with words, Susan is the person you want to know, for she
takes the fear out of writing, and tames the most difficult sentences.”
Bruce Shields, then-Photo Editor, The Ann Arbor News, now market anlytics, Foresee Results“Susan is quite simply one of the finest
investigative journalists it has ever been my pleasure to work with.
Susan's stories always went beyond the simple who, what, and where, to
delve deeply into both the why of a story and the human element.
Susan is also an exceptional researcher whose list of contacts in the
community was often mined by other reporters. Susan's ability to
establish a rapport with people of all types gave her a unique ability
to find information other reporters would have missed.”
Sarah Woodruff, Marketing Director, C/D/H Technology Consultants (Newsletter editing)
“Susan is an absolute pleasure to work with! She goes the extra mile
to make sure the job is done right and on time. If you need help making
your print look polished and professional, be sure to hire Susan!” Top qualities: Great Results
,
Expert
,
On Time
Julie Dean, then-Communications Director, The American Red Cross of Washtenaw County
“I worked with Susan while she was a
writer for the Ann Arbor News, and I was the Communications Director at
the Red Cross in Washtenaw Co. Susan has exceptional skills in telling
a story in compelling ways to reach even the most skeptical reader.
While we worked together she provided guidance to our team as to how to
best provide her with information. I can personally attest to her
quick, sharp editing skills!
I think Susan maintains a wonderful balance as a curious,
always-interested-in-people-type-person, along with a tireless
dedication to her craft. Thank you Susan!” August 19, 2011
Mark Thompson, Boy Scout Troop 1615 scoutmaster (Web design)
"I want to thank you for your insight, advice, guidance and creative talents in the develop-ment of our troop web site, bsatroop1615.org. ... Our web site is doing everything we wanted it to do.
You listened to our needs and
desires for a web site that would provide information to our Scouts,
their parents, adult Troop leaders and families who are looking for a
Boy Scout troop for their sons.
Your advice ... was
outstanding, and given in a professional, helpful and easily understood
manner. Your advice always put our needs first and foremost. This was
clearly demonstrated when you suggested a new web site platform that
allowed us to tailor the site to our specifications -- and
significantly reduced our annual server costs."
Complete Troop 1615 recommendation
Naomi Patton, Reporter, Detroit Free Press
"Susan is one of the most thorough, dedicated and dogged reporters I have ever had to pleasure to know or work with.
We met years ago, working on the same story with sordid twists and
turns, and as our paths continued to cross in the line of duty, she
became a de facto mentor and friend. In each instance, I learned much
from her about maintaining the highest levels of professionalism, about
seeing all the angles of a story, and about not giving up on getting
the story until all the angles had been explored, unearthed or
debunked.
Whenever we worked alongside each other, I knew it was crucial to
pay attention to the way she worked. Her approach was no-nonsense, but
with a sense of levity. She also always understood that context and
continuity provide the best frame for a story, and she worked,
accordingly. And, I felt vindicated by independent confirmation of what
I'd observed of Susan's work from our peers.
Ultimately, I learned from Susan (that) a good story isn't good because the
details might be sexy. A good story is good, because a good reporter
writes it.
Susan Oppat is the person you want working for you. I have every
confidence that she will apply the professionalism, determination and
attention to detail she brought to her long and esteemed career as a
journalist in the next phase of her professional life."
Mary Kramer, Publisher, Crain's Detroit Business
"I worked with Susan in the mid-1980s at the Ann
Arbor News, where I was then an assistant city editor. Susan was tenacious, energetic
and one heck of a good reporter. She got more done in a morning than
many reporters did all day. She has a great network of contacts in the
Ann Arbor area, too."
Rich Thomaselli, Managing Editor, Ulster County Press; Senior writer,
Grandparents.com, writer, Advertising Age magazine
"If I were to start a publication tomorrow and had
to choose one writer to start it with, I would choose Susan. She is
everything you want a reporter/writer to be -- diligent enough to sift
through records and data, pressing when she needs to be, compassionate
when it calls for a deft touch, and wise enough to know the difference.
Oh yeah -- she's an amazing wordsmith as well."
Cathy Gendron, past Creative Services Manager, The Ann Arbor News
I've known Susan since my early days at The
News. She's incredibly thorough, reliable and resourceful. When I
reached out to her in the recent past, she not only went the extra mile
to make things happen once, but many times over."
Brian Reynolds, Assistant Photo Editor, The Ann Arbor News
"Susan is the hardest-working reporter I
know, who will not stop until she has gotten the complete story. Susan
seems to know all the right contacts to enable her to (obtain) the
information she needs quickly and accurately. Susan is a joy to work
with and a welcome sight in the newsroom."
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