Inside AASA James Minichello on Communications

JAMES MINICHELLO IS AASA’s guru when it comes to communications — whether asked to discuss the role of a superintendent, explain the policy implications of federal laws, promote public education on social media or showcase the work of AASA leaders in a short video.

As the association’s director of communications and marketing, he knows how to get the job done.

When Minichello, a consummate sports fan, realized his athletic abilities weren’t destined for the pros, he headed to the University of South Carolina’s journalism school, where he became a sportscaster. His work transitioned to communications at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2000. He joined AASA in 2013.

Outside work, he volunteers regularly with professional networks of communicators.

The following interview of Minichello by freelance writer Joetta Sack-Min has been edited for length and clarity.

What are your main duties at AASA? Is there such a thing as a typical day, and what would that look like?

There is no typical day, which makes working at AASA extremely exciting. However, whether I’m crafting press releases, pitching media, creating a video or editing photos, the common thread running through any project is how it will impact the organization’s core set of goals and ultimately benefit the thousands of school system leaders who are charged with running our nation’s school districts. 

As the organization’s key liaison with the media, fielding media calls, pitching journalists or producing media materials to promote AASA, its programs and policies, and AASA members is my top line responsibility. I can have a number of projects on my plate but when a media call comes in, that request immediately becomes my No. 1 priority. 

I work closely with all of our teams at our organization, especially our Digital team, given that by and large everything we do is web driven. 

How have communications in a membership organization changed in recent years? How has social media and digital engagement changed your job? 

The communications landscape has certainly changed over the years. However, no matter if it’s 2017 or 1997, several things remain the same. These constants include building and maintaining a stable of contacts, not only with reporters but communicators within and outside of the education industry. Another is enhancing your ability to tell a story—whether it’s about AASA, one of our programs, or an AASA member. A third is enhancing your ability to write. No matter if it’s a two-sentence description of a video or a 600-word op-ed, effective writing is, without a doubt, the most important aspect of our business. Similar to broadcasting every word has a purpose. 

Yes, the advent of social media has drastically changed the way we work. It’s an old, worn-out cliché, but several years ago, I felt I needed to “re-invent” myself. Today, I continue to learn the art of photography and videography, two of my favorite professional passions, along with using various editing platforms for these different means of communicating. AASA has several social media experts on staff and I continue to learn several tricks of the trade from them as well as others in the PR field throughout the Washington, D.C. area. 

What advice do you have for superintendents who are looking to do more with their school district’s communications? 

I would start with encouraging communications professionals to get involved with the professional organizations in your area that can provide networking opportunities with peers and opportunities to share ideas and strategies. These organizations include the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) and the Education Writers Association (EWA). I am extremely familiar with all three of these groups and each has helped me throughout the years. 

Regarding tools, I would suggest communications pros learn to use a DSLR camera as well as an editing platform for making your photos look their best. I use Adobe Lightroom for that. It would help to learn to shoot and edit video and have a thorough understanding of key aspects that come with effective video including lighting and audio—and letting the video tell a story. 

Obviously Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube have become standard platforms in our business and there is always room for improvement on communicating effectively using these social media tools. 

These are just a few, there are certainly many more aspects to learn. Above all else, as mentioned before, it’s the story that needs to be told. Being a good story teller will go a long way. 

With the communications field constantly changing, how do you advise AASA members to stay up to date on the latest strategies?

One way to stay ahead of the curve is watch a lot of video and try to attend as many professional conferences as possible. See what others are using. 

The key is to continue to learn new techniques to grow your skill set. By doing that, you put more tools in your toolbox. At the same time, some of the staples will remain the same such as creating and maintain relationships with reporters and continuing to hone your writing skills. 

Tell us about your background as a broadcast journalist and how you transitioned to education communications, and ultimately, came to work at AASA. 

Growing up there were no 24/7 sports television channels. Even regular TV generally went off the air at midnight. Email? What was that? I was jealous of one my neighbors, the first house on the block to have a color TV. But even back then, the only show I can recall that was shown “in color” was Bonanza. Despite these inconveniences, it only cost 50 cents to get into the bleachers at Yankee Stadium and if we wanted to go in style, $4.00 would buy you a “box seat.” 

My mother sent me to the local deli three blocks from our house to buy milk, bread and the N.Y. Daily News. The paper was a nickel. We also had one of the purist forms of communication available, which seemed to be on at all times—RADIO. 

Yes, I’m showing my age. 

I vividly remember way back in 4th, 5th and 6th grades tuning into my parents’ Westinghouse radio, listening to the Beatles, ball games and newscasts. It was a blessing to hear some of the most outstanding sports broadcasters on the airwaves, real pioneers of the business, including Marty Glickman, Marv Albert and Lindsey Nelson. Everybody even had their favorites DJ’s. Mine were William B. Williams and “Cousin” Bruce Morrow, who you can hear today on XM Radio. 

I even had my favorite TV game show hosts, such as Hugh Downs, Bill Cullen, Art Fleming, Art James and Gene Rayburn. 

Listening to a game on the radio, no matter what sport, was one of the most fun things to do. After a while, I listened, not just as a fan, but as an analyst. I learned to keep score. I was so impressed with the skill these sports broadcasters had in capturing the play on the field or on the court and their respective styles in describing the action along. I was also impressed with their distinguished voices. Most importantly, I was especially impressed with the words they chose to use. Every word had a purpose. I learned then you can describe the same thing in a multitude of ways. “A ground ball to short.” “A one-hopper to short.” “Hit sharply to shortstop and scooped up by (Gene) Michael.” 

The broadcasters mentioned seemed like friends, as if they sitting inside the radio box. 

It would be years before ESPN came around but I couldn’t wait for Sunday night to watch Sports Extra on WNEW-TV (Channel 5), then owned by Metromedia. This was an hour-long sports highlights show hosted by Bill Mazur, Lee Leonard and Jerry Izenburg. Watching what we called “videotape reply” on TV was not as common as one might think. When the NFL’s Monday Night Football was launched in the early 1970s everybody made sure to tune in at half time to watch the highlights of the Sunday games, narrated by Howard Cosell. 

It was 8th grade when I knew that if I wasn’t going to be a wide receiver in the NFL or a shortstop in the Majors, I was going to be a broadcast journalist. 

I was most fortunate to attend the University of South Carolina, which had and continues to have a stellar print and broadcast journalism program. Not too long after I arrived on campus I began working with the campus radio station, WUSC-FM. 

Through WUSC, my first “gig” was a midnight-to-3 a.m. DJ show on Monday mornings. What was I thinking? Well, it gave me an opportunity to go “on the air” for the first time. After a semester, that changed. I also covered sports for the station. Walking into the press box at Williams Brice Stadium, the home of the Fighting Gamecocks, was spectacular. This was a time when reporters carried their portable typewriters under one arm and a couple of reporter’s notebooks in the other. I also had the opportunity to call the “play-by-play” for USC’s women’s basketball games and men’s baseball games. I felt my career as a broadcaster journalist was beginning. 

A week after graduating college, I began working as a part time sportscaster with the South Carolina Radio Network. The experience was tremendous. My boss, Don Williams, could ad lib with the best of them. I was amazed how he was able to pick up a phone and reel off a 30-second, voice “spot” following a game without any copy. It’s not an easy thing to do. Don did it perfectly. As my first entrée as a professional, I greatly appreciated the guidance Don gave me. 

Several jobs followed, including a four-year stint with WPTF in Raleigh, N.C., where I had a chance to “string” for NBC and ABC Radio Sports. I covered Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State basketball games. These were the days when the weekends were filled with hourly national sportscasts on the radio. My job was to file a 15-second report, literally a minute or two before airtime. My voice “spots” would be inserted in 5-minute “shows” which would be heard nationwide. At 25 or 26-years-old, I felt as though I was making a small but important imprint in a business I so dearly loved. As I was sitting on press row each and every game, I had a firsthand look at the camaraderie among the beat reporters. I listened and learned from solid pros who were much more skilled than I at their trade. 

A couple of years later, I landed a producer/reporter/anchor position with the United Press International Radio Network in Washington, D.C. The most memorable story I covered for UPI was the 1996 Summer Olympic games in Atlanta, Ga. While covering the Olympics I had a chance to interview former President Jimmy Carter. He could not have been more gracious. 

One aspect that sticks out in my mind is having the opportunity to interview scores of newsmakers. A key technique I learned early on was to ask questions not necessarily what you thought might be interesting, but what your audience would want to know. Dr. Lee Dudek, one of my favorite professors at USC would often say, “It’s not about you.” Today, I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to interview superintendents and other educators as part of my job with AASA. 

In 2000, I started working as the media relations manager with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. That’s when my career as an education communications professional began in earnest. As a PR novice, it was wonderful to work on the communications side on behalf of a mission that I truly loved: education. I spent 11-plus years at NBPTS and I’m still a huge fan of the awesome teachers who attempt and achieve National Board Certification. In July 2013, I started working with AASA, The School Superintendents Association. And once again, I am proud to be associated with the largest organization in the country that represents superintendents, or as our Executive Director Dan Domenech would say, our “champions for children.” 

What do you do for fun outside of work? 

I have volunteered for PRSA’s National Capital Chapter and the Education Writers Association over the past few years. I also serve as a judge for the National School Counselor of the Year award on behalf of the National School Counseling Association. 

I’ve run 19 marathons, including five Boston Marathons. I would certainly like to run a 20th and hopefully more. People who know me know that I’m a huge sports fan and I routinely attend 10-15 professional sports events a year, including the Washington Nationals, Capitals and Baltimore Orioles. 

First and foremost however, I enjoy spending time with my family. I’m a proud father of two children, Joseph (11, fifth grade) and Abby (7, first grade).