Meet the Editors of Issues Decoded
The editorial team behind the scenes of Weber Shandwick’s global public affairs publication
Thank you to everyone who has been following our publication, Issues Decoded, since its launch eight months ago. During that time, our editing team has worked behind the scenes to successfully schedule and craft content, including coordination, editing, proofing, publishing, curating social content and designing announcements for 56 articles from 16 different countries and 37 different authors since the publication’s launch.
The editors navigate complex issues from both global and local perspectives. They ensure proper communication of the authors’ messages and inclusion of up-to-date engaging content. Coordinating behind-the-scenes with experts from around the globe, they manage an ongoing calendar full of thought leadership about the most pressing issues businesses are facing today.
We thought it was time that you meet the team behind the scenes!
Meredith Butler
Associate, Public Affairs
Meredith helped launch Issues Decoded and worked to streamline the editing process. She has maintained her role as an editor since the official launch.
She considers herself a grammar nerd and extremely detail-oriented, which has helped her when editing articles. She appreciates being an editor because it helps her feel connected to Weber Shandwick offices across the globe. Its authors offer unique perspectives that help keep her abreast of the latest public affairs issues worldwide.
Meredith is a Public Affairs Associate who went to the University of Georgia where she studied Public Relations and Legal Studies. During her time there, she played for the UGA club lacrosse team and won a national championship in 2016!
When she isn’t reading Issues Decoded, you can find Meredith reading TheSkimm, POLITICO’s daily newsletters, The Wall Street Journal, and Garden & Gun for her fix of the south while in D.C.
Fun fact about Meredith? She’s played the piano since she was seven years old.
Favorite article she edited: Top 12 Issues You Need To Know in the US
Matt Crenson
Managing Editor, Public Affairs
Matt edits headlines, sub-headers, meta-descriptions and social copy for Issues Decoded. He is the Managing Editor of Content at Weber Shandwick D.C., on the Element scientific communications team, but hangs around the Public Affairs department.
Matt was a geology major at Brown University and before joining Weber Shandwick three years ago, he was a science journalist. He has worked for newspapers, network television, the AP wire service and various magazines. He also helped to start the personal genomics company 23andme!
When he isn’t reading Issues Decoded, you can find Matt reading The New York Times, Science and Nature. He is also on a mission to read a full biography of each US president — he has currently read up to Madison!
Fun fact about Matt? He once took a reporting trip to the South Pole when he was a science writer.
Favorite headline by Matt: Getting a Green Light for Autonomous Vehicles
Sophie Ekman
Junior Associate, Public Affairs
Sophie is an editor for Issues Decoded. She is proud to help disseminate key insights on national and international issues to colleagues, clients and fans of the publication. She believes Weber Shandwick is at the forefront of identifying political trends in a clear, concise way that helps informs strategy for businesses, governments and clients.
Sophie attended NYU, majoring in Media, Culture and Communications and minoring in French. Her major at NYU and Weber Shandwick now have a partnership, which she fully endorses.
Her last internship was at MSNBC where she was responsible for quick copy-editing. When she isn’t reading Issues Decoded, you can find Sophie reading Politico or Axios.
Fun fact about Sophie? Sophie was once a competitive slalom skier. She is also a huge Red Sox fan!
Favorite article she edited: Japan Prime Minister Wins Third and Final Term
John Files
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
John edits, contributes articles and reviews the final drafts for Issues Decoded. He enjoys this role because he acquires insights from fellow colleagues around the world, which expands his issue knowledge to include a global perspective.
He conducted an interview and wrote an article last October, available here: Q&A with POLITICO’s Daniel Lippman.
John has been at Weber Shandwick for 12 years. He has a background in journalism as he studied English at Hamilton College. Prior to Weber Shandwick, John worked as a journalist for NBC and the New York Times.
When he isn’t reading Issues Decoded, you can find John reading the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, ESPN and SI.
Fun fact about John? He once got James Brown out of bed at noon to do an interview.
Favorite article he reviewed: Brexit: What Happens Next?
Hana Ford
Junior Associate, Public Affairs
Hana is an editor on Issues Decoded, which she enjoys because it allows her to get a pulse on current global issues through the connection with people across our global network.
She uses the editing skills she honed working as a peer tutor in the writing center at Temple University, where she graduated with a degree in Strategic Communications and a concentration in Public Relations.
She previously worked as a Junior Marketing Associate at Great Minds and a Brand Ambassador at Brown Girls Love and interned with appointed members of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration within the Office of Community Relations and Services in D.C.
When she isn’t reading Issues Decoded, you can find Hana reading Refinery 29.
Fun fact about Hana? Her hobbies include makeup, binge-watching anything by Shonda Rhimes, and reading.
Favorite article she edited: Getting a Green Light for Autonomous Vehicles
Snow Hudgins
Senior Producer, Digital
Snow supports Issues Decoded through the design and development of the Medium site, author account coordination and online document hosting.
Snow has been with Weber Shandwick for almost 19 years. Before working with Weber, he graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Government. He then moved to Washington, D.C. and worked for a congressman from his home-state, Colorado.
When he isn’t reading Issues Decoded, he enjoys perusing news websites like the Washington Post and the New York Times.
Fun Fact about Snow? In 2009, Snow started a youth lacrosse club in Denver which is now comprised of 14 teams with players in first through eighth grades.
Delaney McMullen
Senior Associate, Public Affairs
Delaney is an editor for Issues Decoded and has been with Weber Shandwick for three years, primarily in the energy and conservation space.
She studied at the University of Georgia where she majored in Advertising and History. She is also a huge Georgia football fan and watches the games every Saturday during the fall.
When she isn’t reading Issues Decoded, she can be found reading Axios, DCist, Washingtonian, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.
Favorite article she edited: So Long NAFTA, Hello USMCA.
Fun fact about Delaney? She runs a food Instagram, @spoorksinthecity and used to be a competitive figure skater.
Helen McCarthy
Junior Associate, Public Affairs
Helen is an editor for Issues Decoded and has touched all of our most recent content in some way — as an editor, content manager, announcement-creator or through monthly engagement analyses. She plays a key role in managing the content, the team and helping to train new editors.
Helen loves to see all the posts come together in their finalized form and appreciates the work of our team to curate a thought leadership blog that represents a variety of markets, issue areas and perspectives.
Helen majored in Public Policy & Earth and Ocean Sciences at Duke University. She spent a semester at the University of Glasgow in Scotland and a summer studying biogeography in Australia.
When Helen is not reading Issues Decoded, she can be found reading NYT’s Modern Love Column or The Washington Post’s Energy 202.
Favorite article she edited: Five Global Trends That Will Shape Geopolitics and Business in 2019
Fun fact about Helen? Helen is from San Diego, bakes gluten-free desserts and has a fraternal twin sister!
Jim Meszaros
Executive Vice President, International Public Affairs
Jim is a critical member of the Issues Decoded team. He reviews every draft, offers ideas for new content and acts as our international adviser. In addition, he often writes his own work for the publication.
Jim enjoys being a part of a team that shares insights and analysis on global public affairs issues.
Jim studied journalism and economics at Marquette University and has been working at Weber Shandwick for 25 years. His expertise in international relations provides a unique and pertinent perspective to Issues Decoded.
When Jim isn’t reading Issues Decoded, he can be found reading The Economist, National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveler and Departure.
Favorite piece by Jim (and most popular article on our publication): Five Global Trends That Will Shape Geopolitics and Business in 2019
Fun fact about Jim? He loves to travel and is a talented photographer! Check out his work here.
Lexi Mondot
Executive Assistant to Pam Jenkins, President of Global Public Affairs and Jim Meszaros, EVP, International Affairs
Lexi acts as the project manager for Issues Decoded, coordinating between leadership, the global network of authors, the editing team and communications staff.
She leads editor training, streamlines the publishing process, maintains the editorial calendar and is a contributing editor herself.
She loves collaborating across time zones and learning about international policy through cross-cultural communications. She is proud to be a part of such a great editing team!
Previously, Lexi was an EA to Richard Black, CMO, NA at Momentum Worldwide. She graduated from Hollins University and has an eclectic background which includes assisting c-suite executives, teaching foreign language, co-founding a non-profit and many years of choreography/live event production and instruction — all of which contribute to her methods of project management and routine of wearing many hats.
When Lexi is not reading Issues Decoded, she can be found reading The New York Times, the Washington Post, HuffPost, The Establishment and Pathways.
Favorite article she edited: How Twitter is Changing Scotland’s Online Political Debate
Fun fact about Lexi? Her original productions and choreography have spanned over 30 venues in NYC, LA, Atlanta, Roanoke, Bethlehem, Paris — and here in DC at the Kennedy Center in 2013!
Anastasia Moszkowski
Associate, Public Affairs
Anastasia (Ana) is an editor on Issues Decoded. She enjoys editing because it gives her firsthand insight into the current issues facing our industry from experts around the world.
Her writing experience in college and work as a blogger in past internships contributes to her skills and interest in editing. During her senior year she wrote one short story, one poem, and one non-fiction piece per week to hone her skills.
Ana went to John Hopkins University where she majored in Writing Seminars and minored in Marketing and Communications.
Favorite article she edited: Less or No More Understanding
Fun fact about Ana? She was in an acapella group and a competitive gymnast for 13 years.
Jillian Nystedt
Junior Associate, Public Affairs
Jillian is an editor on Issues Decoded and played a large role in the planning and launch of the publication. She helped to manage content, analyze data and craft announcements.
She enjoys being an editor for Issues Decoded because she is passionate about international affairs and interested in keeping up with news from around the globe.
Before joining Weber Shandwick, she went to The George Washington University where she studied Political Communication and French.
When Jillian is not reading Issues Decoded, she enjoys podcasts such as Pod Save the World and The Daily from the New York Times!
Favorite article she edited: U.S. Elections Will Make Ripples in International Relations.
Fun fact about Jillian? Jillian is a huge Francophile!
Mia Williams
Intern, Public Affairs
Mia is our newest member of the editing team! She uses her past experience working on Towson’s student publication Towerlight to be a valuable contributor to our work.
She enjoys editing because it makes her feel engaged with the work and truly connected to the information in a way that simply reading an article does not achieve.
She is currently a senior at Towson University where she is majoring in Mass Communications and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She previously interned with the Baltimore Ravens and Octagon.
When Mia is not reading Issues Decoded, she enjoys publications such as The New York Times and Essence.
Favorite article she edited: In a Divided Congress, Compromise is Key to Progress
Fun fact about Mia? Mia’s introduction to the political world was as an extra on The West Wing when she was younger!
Edited by Helen McCarthy and Lexi Mondot
