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I'm Em Poertner —
designer, writer and editor
from Roanoke, Virginia.
I’ve always struggled to write ‘about’ sections for myself because I fluctuate between being a closed book and an oversharer. Plus I’m never quite sure what people actually want to glean from these things.
I live and work in Roanoke, Virginia - a place I picked because of childhood ties and because it’s absolutely beautiful 365 days a year (also there’s a ton of great craft beer.)
I started my career working for the Louisville Design Center. In my time there, I designed print newspaper sections for sites as small as the Fremont (Ohio) News-Messenger to as large as the Detroit Free Press. It was in Louisville that I ran my favorite 5K - the Hungry Turkey Run - a Thanksgiving 5K where at the end runners were given giant cinnamon rolls (I believe they now give out giant donuts, which is equally as amazing.)
In 2022, I started working for the USA Today Network - Tennessee as a sports planning editor and project specialist. I did a little bit of everything including, but not limited to, managing project timelines, planning sports sections, writing newsletters and designing visuals.
Since June of 2024, I’ve worked for Roanoke County as a Public Information Specialist. I’ve been told that sounds boring, but most of my friends (much to my chagrin) call me an influencer. I create videos for YouTube and social media including writing, planning, hosting and, for some short-form content, videography and editing. Not every day is sexy, some days I spend the better half of an hour debating how long a newsletter introduction should be.
In my non-work life, I play Ultimate, run, hike, read, write, draw, garden, craft, do DIYs, and watch sports. I am a Packers fan and I do think drafting a wide receiver in the first round of the draft you’re hosting (when you haven’t drafted one when you needed to) means there is a script.
What I Do
Project Specialist
Experienced in planning, executing and overseeing sports content for the USA Today Network - Tennessee, using analytics to optimize strategies and grow subscriptions.
Designer
Talented in creating visually captivating daily sports sections and special projects for publications like The Tennessean and Knoxville News Sentinel, with experience in both print and digital formats.
Social Media
Skilled in producing engaging social media content that showcases long-term projects as well as capitalizing on live event coverage, contributing to audience engagement.
Analytics
Utilizes audience analytics to adjust digital strategies in real-time, inform decision-making and playing a key role in growing audience for the USA Today Network's sports platforms.
Writer
Excels in crafting short-form content from social media posts to newsletters to promote projects and drive audience engagement.
Editor
Responsible for refining and managing sports content in print and online for multiple publications within the USA Today Network as well as curating email newsletters for different target audiences.
Recent Works
Digital
All-Decade Football Team
In the spring of 2023, The Tennessean released its All-Decade Football Teams. I designed the illustrations and digital presentation for the stories as well as coordinated story rollout and digital promotion.
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Social Media
Joe Milton Profile
I designed the on- and off-platform display for the Knoxville News Sentinel's preseason feature of Joe Milton, Tennessee's 2023 starting quarterback.
View on Instagram
Social Media
2023 Dandy Dozen
I designed the social assets and wrote the Instagram posts promoting The Tennessean's annual Dandy Dozen, a ranking of the area's top recruits.
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Print
Fighting the Opioid Crisis
Social Media
All-Decade Football Team Profiles
I designed the social assets and wrote the Instagram posts promoting The Tennessean's All-Decade football team project.
Digital
Year of the Snake
During the summer of 2020, when the College World Series would normally have been played, The News Leader relived Missouri State's 2003 run in the CWS.
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Social Media
NCAA Tournament
Before Selection Sunday, I prepared social assets for all of the men's and women's college basketball teams that the USA Today Network South Region covers. This allowed me and my teammates to quickly update the seeds and post to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to help generate buzz around one of the highest traffic-diving events of the year.
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Marketing
Creasey Mahan Garden Series
After starting as a volunteer in the Woodland Gardens at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve, I joined the team as a freelance designer and marketer. Here is a flyer I created to promote its Garden Series.
Print
Best Quarterbacks of the 2010s
Digital
Untold Stories of Gnash
After reporter Paul Skrbina followed the Predators' mascot Gnash around for a day, I designed the digital presentation for the story on The Tennessean's website as well as created social assets for the story's promotion. The story was released as the Predators were fighting to stay in playoff contention and will be used as an evergreen story to repromote annually ahead of the season.
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Social Media
Little League World Series
I designed social assets for The Tennessean to share on Facebook and Instgram to capitalize on interest around the Nolensville Little League team as they competed in the LLWS.
Marketing
Butterfly Ball
After starting as a volunteer in the Woodland Gardens at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve, I joined the team as a freelance designer and marketer. From 2019-2022 I designed the program for its annual fundraising gala.
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Inglese's Legacy
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How Pensions Measure Up
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Alabama GameDay
During the 2020 season, I designed the Tuscaloosa News' GameDay section previewing each of Alabama's football games.
Marketing
Butterfly Ball Silent Auction
As a freelance designer and marketer for Creasey Mahan, I designed most of the signs displayed at the Butterfly Ball including all of the package posters for the silent auction.
Print
Two Tigers Enter
To this day, this remains one of my favorite pages (and headlines!) I've ever done. While this centerpiece was designed for The Greenville News, The Lafayette Daily Advertiser is also part of the USA Today Network and I designed the season recap section for the champion Tiger.
Social Media
2023 NFL Draft
Ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft I created social assets for all of the players that sites in the USA Today Network South Region covered who had a chance at being drafted. This made it easy for my teammates to update them the night of the draft and quickly share the images out on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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Print
The State Capital of Baseball
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Praying the Steps
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Welcome Home FC Cincinnati
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Roanoke County, Cave Spring, VA
— Public Information Specialist
JUNE 2024 - PRESENT
When I got this job, my friends started calling me an influencer, which is a little cringe. But I do write, plan and host a monthly podcast and two video series that promote Roanoke County. I also collaborate with departments to create short-form content for social media, including writing, planning, videography and editing.
I also develop promotional material for the county as necessary including articles for the website and printed material for events. Plus, I write for and edit the weekly internal employee newsletter.
USA Today Network - Tennessee, Remote
— Sports Planning Editor & Project Specialist
JAN 2022 - JUNE 2024
At the core of my job, I collaborated with editors, reporters and the production team to build content plans for USA Today Network - Tennessee publications including the Nashville Tennessean and the Knoxville News Sentinel. I used audience analytics from Pars.ly and Google Analytics to inform our digital strategy and grow subscriptions. I also curated, edited and helped write newsletters for different target audiences including Nashville’s Daily Briefing.
For our enterprise work, I managed the project’s timeline and developed compelling visuals for on-platform and off-platform promotion.
USA Today Network Design Center, Remote
— Team Leader
APRIL 2021 - JAN 2022
As a team leader, I assisted in managing the production of daily print sports sections for the USA Today Network's Midwest and Ohio regions. I mentored designers and assisted with training, scheduling staff and employee relations. I also designed and page edited daily print sports sections and special projects.
During my time with the studio, including my time as a designer, I was part of the Diversity Steering Committee. As part of the group, I helped influence department policies around how we represent diverse communities in the newspaper. I designed, edited and helped write the intradepartmental newsletter our team created.
Louisville Design Studio/USA Today Network Design
Center, Louisville, KY
— Designer & Page Editor
SEPT 2016 - APRIL 2021
I was hired by the Louisville Design Studio after graduating from Roanoke College in 2016. I designed and page edited daily news and sports sections for USA Today Network publications including the Louisville Courier Journal and Cincinnati Enquirer. Football season was always our busiest time. I worked on a variety of special sections including the 2020 Alabama Gameday wraps (for the Tuscaloosa News), the 2019 Clemson Gameday section (for the Greenville News) and high school football preview sections galore.
Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve, Goshen, KY
— Freelancer
MARCH 2019 - APRIL 2022
I started volunteering at Creasey Mahan in its woodland gardens in 2018 and was brought on as a freelancer in 2019 to help with the Butterfly Ball, an annual fundraising gala. I designed the program for the gala and many other posters and printed material for the events at the preserve from 2019-2022.
In 2020, a lot of my efforts for Creasey Mahan switched to social media promotion. I created posts that highlighted the trails and wildlife at the preserve since in-person educational events were cancelled.