Hensel Phelps Historian Project
Role: Project Manager, Editorial Lead
Project management and editorial oversight for a long-form corporate history, coordinating external historians and senior leadership to develop a multi-chapter, coffee-table-style book documenting the company’s origins, leadership evolution, and cultural identity.
Role
Project Manager, Editorial Lead
Timeline
2.5 Years
Audience
Clients, executive leadership, current and new employees.
Deliverables
Long-form biography, archival narrative
Overview
Hensel Phelps initiated a historian project to formally document its history through recorded interviews, archival research, and curated visual assets. The goal of the project is to produce a durable, accurate record that reflects both the company’s leadership decisions and the cultural values that shaped its growth. The project requires balancing historical accuracy with brand stewardship, ensuring the company’s story is documented with consistency, clarity, and long-term credibility.
I manage the day-to-day execution of the project and serve as the primary point of coordination between the external historian team at Echo Storytelling and internal executive stakeholders. The work requires balancing historical accuracy, editorial clarity, and internal review needs while maintaining momentum across a multi-year timeline.
The project is currently in mid-to-late development. Sample chapters are under active review, and content and design are being refined in parallel in preparation for full manuscript development and final production.
Process
Project & Stakeholder Management
Coordinate work between the historian team—which includes a writer, editor, asset manager, and art director—and Hensel Phelps executive leadership. This includes scheduling and managing interviews with approximately 25 historical contributors and an additional 5–10 current employees, tracking timelines, and serving as the primary liaison throughout the review process.
Editorial Review & Content Oversight
Serve as the first reviewer for all written content and design concepts. Review chapters for factual accuracy, tone, structure, and alignment with corporate voice before materials are shared with the Chairman of the Board and CEO. Consolidate feedback to streamline revisions and reduce the burden on executive reviewers.
Asset Coordination & Design Collaboration
Identify, collect, and assess archival and contemporary assets for use throughout the book. Work closely with the historian team’s asset manager and art director to ensure imagery supports the narrative and integrates cleanly into the book’s evolving design and layout.
Outcome
The project has produced reviewed and approved sample chapters, a defined narrative structure, and a functioning editorial and review workflow. Content and design are progressing toward a planned print run of approximately 5,000 copies, with publication targeted for the end of 2026.
The systems established for interviews, content review, and asset management have improved consistency and reduced friction across a large volume of material, allowing the project to scale without compromising accuracy or clarity.
Reflection
This work has reinforced the importance of disciplined process in long-form editorial projects, particularly when multiple stakeholders and historical source material are involved. Acting as both project manager and editorial gatekeeper has required careful judgment, clear communication, and sustained attention to detail. The experience has strengthened my ability to manage complex, high-visibility initiatives while maintaining editorial integrity and executive trust.