Meet Greg Maki, Communications Specialist
Like many members of QIP’s Communications & Content team, Greg Maki, communications specialist, touches many projects across QIP. Greg has done a little of everything, from writing and editing to creating templates for large workgroup publications and doing design work. He has worked on a variety of QIP contracts, including the National Forum on Education Statistics and the Statewide Longitudinal Data System Federal Grant Program.
Part of Greg’s work in marketing has included writing many of the employee profiles featured on the QIP blog. “I really enjoyed writing them because it helped me get to know my co-workers,” he said. “Because of the pandemic, I haven’t been able to meet anyone face to face. Everyone here is so knowledgeable and friendly. I know I can reach out to anyone and get the answer or help I need."
The flexibility of working from home is helpful to Greg, who has two children. “It’s nice to know that if my kids need me during the day, I can easily be there for them,” he says.
Greg has a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications from Towson University. Before joining QIP, Greg worked as a journalist for nearly 20 years. As a writer, he covered everything from highly technical engineering projects to detailed legal cases. His colleagues admired his ability to make complicated and sometimes dry subject matter easy—and interesting—to read. As an editor, he had a reputation for his sharp eye, noting not only grammar and spelling issues, but also sentences that required rephrasing for clarity and layout anomalies. He also was part of teams that won journalism awards from the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association.
Greg is well-known in his region for being the longtime movie reviewer. His review column, called “Maki at the Movies,” was a must-read for local movie-goers. Greg estimates that he has attended hundreds of early screenings throughout his career. Greg also runs a website called “Live Metal,” which features interviews with metal bands, concert photography, and reviews of albums. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert scene has been quiet; Greg is excited to begin seeing shows again soon.