Recommendations

Elizabeth "B" Holroyd

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Recommendations

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Here are the full texts of letters of recommendation that I've received from previous managers and editors (view originals on request).

• Broadway & Seymour, Project Director
• AT&T, Manager
• Management Systems Associates, Inc., Employee Reviews
• The Herald-Dispatch, Editor
• W. Page Pitt School of Journalism, Professor
• Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Editor

Broadway & Seymour

April 30, 1996

It is with both pleasure and regret that I recommend to any prospective client or employer Ms. Elizabeth ("B") Holroyd.

I have had the pleasure and privilege of being associated with "B" since August, 1995. She was a key member of a ten-person team that was responsible, under my direction, for developing the training curriculum and course materials for a new, proprietary software system that was developed for and is being adopted by the Medaphis Corporation, a major provider of accounting services to hospitals and physicians.

The final curriculum consisted of 23 course modules, each of two to four hours in class duration, for which we produced and delivered, from scratch, complete Instructional Guides containing setup instructions, training scripts, visual aids and course evaluation materials. "B" was responsible for four course modules, one of which, Demographics Entry, required that she understand the entire system. She also authored a major users' Manual, Mars Training Database Maintenance. "B" has our authorization to show copies of the work that she authored as evidence of the outstanding quality of her work.

Among "B"'s attributes are an excellent technical acumen, a high quality of product, an enthusiastic team player and a personable instructor. We regret her departure.

I recommend her highly for your consideration and would be privileged to amplify upon these comments if desired.

(Signed) Lee E. Hargrave, Jr.
Project Director

AT&T

July 1, 1998

"B" Holroyd has completed another successful project with positive evaluation results from her peers and customers in her web development of on-line help for the Employee Services web site. "B" has intuitively identified the user interface of the varied AT&T employee population who use the web site, and she continues to demonstrate a unique perception of our user needs.

During her tenure, supporting the products and services we have deployed the past eight months, "B" has been extremely productive and well organized, focused on meeting her deliverables and dedicated to exceeding customer expectations. She has created, developed and delivered multifaceted projects within project timelines, adapting to changing schedules and operating within structured project management principles. Her deliverables included the broad spectrum of new technology in web-based on-line help for several projects and the production, printing and delivery of hard copy end user guides supporting the PreBarg project. Among her projects, "B" delivered on-line documentation and Job Aids for the web based Contingency Profile System and Resource Coordinator Activities, and PeopleSoft based projects of Stock Options and Time Reporting Location. When her deliverables included a mechanical distribution, "B" went to extensive effort to work through unanticipated delivery problems, ensuring that more than 99 percent of her solution was deliverable.

Not only has she produced quality deliverables, but "B" has contributed to the overall performance of the end user education team methodology by creating an index to shared files and making suggestions to improve processes. She competently provided help and identification of maintenance requirements to transition her work to others by writing operational procedures and instructions. In order to more effectively utilize her time during low project periods, "B" sought out opportunity to learn new technological tools and ways to support her peers, researched and input to AT&T standards for user documentation, and explored innovated ways to accomplish conversion of our files stored in outdated software applications.

"B" worked independently as well as being an instrumental part of a cross-functional team. She has contributed to the administrative work effort of her peers, as well as promoting their personal growth and development in new technology by sharing her research and ideas for web-based standards.

For these work efforts, and her continued dedication to helping AT&T customers and peers, "B"'s productivity and her spirit of innovation has been deeply appreciated and a considerable asset to our team.

(Signed) Linda Ueland
HRISO End User Education Services Manager

a4 Health Systems
(Formerly Management Systems Associates, Inc.)

Quotes from Employee Reviews:

• "Talented technical writer with special strengths in technical accuracy and attention to details."
• "Outstanding at using WordPerfect tools to increase productivity and reduce writers' repetitive tasks."
• "Solicited and incorporated input from the entire Publications team, showing good communications and team building skills" when creating a new look for our manuals.
• "Demonstrates original uses of available tools... (and) innovation in solving page layout and formatting management projects."
• "Excellent eye for stylistic consistency, page design, and readability."

When I arrived at Management Systems Associates, I developed a style manual for my own use. By the time I left, employees throughout the company used an expanded version of that document. I enjoy challenges, and tend to be the first to foray into new territory, such as creating online Windows help for MSA's object-oriented personal computer products.

The Herald-Dispatch

January 25, 1988

This letter is to recommend Elizabeth Holroyd-Dolin who has been a staff reporter for The Herald-Dispatch since September 1986.

During that time, she has been covering Wayne County including County Commission, Board of Education, courts and town councils. She also has been assigned to off-beat stories and functioned as a general assignment reporter.

She has brought to her job maturity and understanding and has been organized in her pursuit of news. She is knowledgeable about what constitutes news, is cognizant of First Amendment issues and has used that knowledge to argue for admission to meetings that otherwise have been closed. Her reporting has been accurate and correct.

(Signed) Fran Allred
Managing Editor

W. Page Pitt School of Journalism

August 15, 1981

After 24 years as a newspaper reporter and editor and after three years as a journalism professor, I have some idea of what kind of person should be working in a newsroom.

Elizabeth ("B") Holroyd Dolin is such a person.

She is a "different" thinker. She does not accept things at face value and is independent enough in her thinking to question, to challenge what many people simply accept as fact.

So many of my students fall into three philosophic and economic categories: 1. liberal 2. conservative 3. don't give a damn. In their mental stance, they don't vary. Their positions and responses can be predicted. Not so with B. After examining the facts, she may come down on any position. To me, this is intellectual maturity and honesty necessary for news reporters.

Other qualities which commend her:

• Superior writing ability
• Dedication to the task (not a clock watcher)
• Schooled in the social graces (can ask tough questions without offending)

She has unusual knowledge and interest in the law and in the political system. This has some root in the fact her father is a lawyer and her mother is a Democratic national committeewoman for West Virginia. B is neither awed by governors nor snobbish with paupers.

She has the experience, the education and the ability to enhance any newsroom. Most important, she cares. She cares about truth, accuracy, justice, clarity and service. I commend her to you.

(Signed) Thomas D. Davis
Frank E. Gannett  Distinguished Professor of Journalism

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

(Undated, circa fall 1978)

Elizabeth Holroyd Dolin worked as a reporter for the Bluefield Daily Telegraph from April 1976 to December 1977.

She had no previous experience as a journalist. She began on the obit and re-write desk, and wrote a series of feature stories on local parks and historical sites for the Telegraph's Sunday feature magazine. Within a few months she was on general assignment and police check.

Ms. Dolin was awarded a raise in salary after being transferred to the three-man Princeton bureau and assigned a regular city beat.

Ms. Dolin's talents in drawing and photography were also useful. She designed the front page of the football tabloid and we used several of her drawings. She has many photographs to her credit, news features as well as pretty pictures, and is beloved to the local humane society for her imaginative photographs of orphaned kittens and dogs for our "Pet Corner" weekly feature.

She is a talented writer and artist. She worked well with the police, following up stories and writing events in a concise and factual manner. She is a dedicated journalist and should be an asset to any paper which employs her.

(Signed) Richard Wesley
Editor, Bluefield Daily Telegraph