Bio
Sean was raised Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. After studying history at the University of Virginia, he tried his hand at radio and professional cooking, but quickly found his calling as a writer, starting small at a weekly in rural Virginia, but quickly rising to cover government and politics in Washington, starting with the Journal Newspapers (now part of the Washington Examiner) and eventually for The Washington Times. Along the way, he reported on cops, courts and education and even did a turn as a technology reporter for Broadcasting & Cable magazine.
At The Washington Times, he covered the 2000 presidential campaign, on the road first with John McCain and later with George W. Bush. After covering the Bush transition in 2001, he and his wife decided to try life on the opposite coast, where they enjoyed more than three years in Los Angeles. There Sean connected with Time magazine as a freelancer and taught journalism at a state college known as Cal Poly Pomona. As faculty advisor to the Cal Poly student newspaper, he kept The Poly Post alive through a near-fatal financial crisis and set the stage to return the paper to fiscal health.
A juicy promotion for his wife drew the family back to the East Coast in 2004, and Sean continued freelancing for Time and added People as a major client in 2005. He has also published in the Philadelphia Weekly and The Philadelphia Business Journal, where he occasionally sits in on the desk as an editor. In 2008, he helped the Business Journal establish its sprawling new annual survey of philanthropic activity by area corporations. He consults on writing issues and edits client materials for Philadelphia-based Diversified Search Odgers Berndtson, one the nation's largest executive search firms. He has helped prepare policy and background reports for local political watchdog agency The Committee of 70.
He lives with his wife Kyrsta and two sons in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Experience
5/01 to Present Freelance Writer and Editor, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Reporting for Time magazine (2001-present) and People magazine (2005-present) on a variety of topics. Reporting and editing for The Philadelphia Business Journal (2005-present), including helping to establish the spin-off lifestyle magazine Philadelphia Life, writing many of the articles and assisting in editing the final product. Consulting and editing (2007-present) for executive search firm Diversified Search Odgers & Berndtson, helping craft and smooth candidate profiles, business correspondence, and professional presentations; advising and lecturing on effective business writing. Researching and writing policy papers and background reports (2008-present) for The Committee of 70, a Philadelphia-based political watchdog organization.
7/01 to 7/04 California Polytechnic University, Pomona, California. Teaching journalism and serving as faculty advisor to The Poly Post, the self-funded student newspaper. Helped restore the paper to financial health during a severe crisis.
1/98 to 4/01 The Washington Times, Washington, D.C. National political correspondent, covering Congress, the White House and the 2000 Presidential election. Covered the Clinton impeachment, the 2000 recount, the Bush transition, and accompanied the new president on his first foreign trip.
3/96 to 12/97 The Washington Times, Washington, D.C. Metro reporter, covering Maryland state government in Annapolis and local government in Montgomery County, the state’s most populous county and the largest suburb of Washington, D.C. Wrote and edited the weekly "That's Politics" column. Made numerous guest appearances in local media.
6/95 to 3/96 The Montgomery Journal, Rockville, Maryland. Local government reporter in Maryland’s most populous county.
12/93 to 6/95 The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Virginia. Police reporter covering law enforcement and emergency services in Charlottesville and eight surrounding counties.
3/93 to 11/93 Broadcasting & Cable Magazine, Washington D.C. Technology reporter at the nation’s oldest broadcasting industry magazine. Attended national trade shows and assisted with the weekly production of the magazine.
5/92 to 1/93 The Orange County Review, Orange, Virginia. Managing editor and chief political correspondent for 6,500 circulation weekly. Also managed staff producing The Greene County Record and The Eastern Orange Express.
5/91 to 5/92 The Orange County Review, Orange, Virginia. News Editor for 6,500 circulation weekly in Central Virginia.
1/90 to 5/91 The Greene County Record, Stanardsville, Virginia. General assignment and local government reporter at 2,500 circulation weekly in Central Virginia.
Education
9/85 to 5/89 University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia. B.A. in History.
Interests
Sean is an avid reader of history and has a passion for politics and current events. He enjoys cooking, brewing beer, photography and loves music, though he's long since realized he has no talent as a performer.
Contact Me: SPScully@seanibus.com