Rod Mebane, Managing Editor

Rod Mebane founder of Wordsmith Associates believes in the notion that good work rewards itself

Rod Mebane is known for his ability to simplify complex things and to present them in compelling ways. In 1993, for example, Rod teamed with his Spanish professor to produce an ingeniously designed text, called Más Fácil, to contain the complete rules of Spanish grammar in less than 100 pages. Más Fácil (1993) initially launched as a Prentice-Hall textbook, but it has recently been refreshed & released to the general public as Más Fácil 2nd Ed (2021). To round out this new edition, Rod completed a grammar reference for the English language, called Everyday Grammar Made Easy (2021), published by Wellfleet Press.

In general, exceptional analytical and presentation skills have served Rod well in his career – one that is anchored by a number of significant positions, including university treasurer (SMU, in Dallas), foundation director (MacArthur), chief learning officer (BDO USA), and consulting partner (St. Charles). Along this trek, grounded in degrees from Swarthmore College and UPenn’s Annenberg School, Rod sharply honed his communication knowledge and skill. He now offers a variety of communication support services to individuals and organizations under the banner of Wordsmith Associates.

Rod relaxes with Donna and Willie along the banks of the Fox River in Geneva Illinois

As a master wordsmith, Rod helps clients realize their authoring goals, enabling them to “tell their stories” in a variety of meaningful and enduring ways. His own published work spans the fields of education, professional development, social service, and investment & finance. (See accompanying portfolio list – below.) Rod’s current development focus is on the power of human resilience. With that in sight, he recently co-founded Resilience.Land – a “resource-full” environment where people can explpore key dimensions of resilience and find tools that help create resilience-building strategies, for themselves or their organizations.

Rod lives with his wife Donna and blind-dog Willie in Geneva, Illinois, a far-west suburb of Chicago. When pursuing avocational interests, Rod can be found carving wood, championing honeybees, and nurturing his family tree.

Publication Portfolio – Rod Mebane / Wordsmith Associates

Rod’s wordsmith work has resulted in the following major publications: