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. 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.
Rod’s current development focus is on the power of human resilience. With that in sight, he recently co-founded Resilience Land – this “resource-full” environment where people can explore key dimensions of resilience and find tools that help create resilience-building strategies, for themselves or their organizations. Rod’s special interest in resilience traces to July 8, 2011 – the day that his 19-year-old daughter, Emma, unexpectedly died in her sleep. As Rod struggled with this loss and his shattered sense of purpose, he sought to learn what he could about resilience so that he might strengthen it in himself. After teaming with Angela, a professional colleague, their shared resilience focus gained intensity and, after extensive development, Resilience Land emerged from their collaborative work.
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, keeping bees, and nurturing his family tree. Learn more about Rod from his LinkedIn Profile or his Wordsmith Associates website. You can reach Rod via our Contact Us form or at his Resilience Land email:
