At the Auraria Campus, a significant share of our workforce — grounds crews, snow removal teams, parking and facilities staff — rarely sat at a desk, which meant they were often the last to hear campus news that affected them directly and the easiest group to leave out of our internal culture altogether.
I concepted 9th Street News to close that gap, then built it in two formats to reach people where they actually were: an email edition designed in Emma for staff with regular computer or mobile access, and a companion print edition, laid out in InDesign, for distribution in breakrooms and shops for employees who weren’t checking email during their shift.
I owned the newsletter end to end as writer and editor — from concept through the Emma build — and partnered with our creative director to establish a distinct visual identity for the newsletter and to design the print version. Content mixed practical need-to-know information (HR reminders, policies, benefits deadlines) with the kind of recognition that builds culture: a “Humble Heroes” feature, staff spotlights with a five-question profile, and service-anniversary shoutouts.
It became the one consistent channel where every employee — desk-bound or not — could see campus news and see their own contributions recognized.