Dan Forbush

Saluted by PR Week as one of the 100 most influential public relations practitioners of the 20th century, Dan launched ProfNet as an email-based expert network for reporters in 1992. After serving in senior communications positions at Syracuse University, the University at Stony Brook, and Skidmore College, he launched Smartacus in 2015 to explore the content-creating power of collaborative media. Since 2022, he has been working with Warren County’s Department of Planning and Community Development to spotlight historic points of interest on Stories from Open Space and to produce smartphone audio tours on Explore Warren County.

Bill Walker

Bill is a seasoned expert in academic public relations, with a distinguished career spanning several of the nation’s top institutions. After serving as Skidmore College’s communications chief in the 1970s and 80s, Walker assumed a series of communications vice presidencies at the College of William and Mary, Rutgers University, Dartmouth College, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education presented Walker its Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Since retiring in 2013, he has continued to actively consult on strategy, communications, and marketing with academic institutions, serving in interim vice presidencies with the University of Arizona, Brandeis University, and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. 

Dominic Giordano

Dominic Giordano connected with Smartacus in 2021 after completing a standout internship with the Warren County Historical Society, where he curated a compelling exhibition of Warren County maps produced between 1757 and 2007. A senior at North Warren High School at the time, Giordano highlighted works by notable mapmakers like Seneca Ray Stoddard and Verplanck Colvin. Upon earning a B.A. in political science in May, he’s now spearheading the development of an immersive audio tour of Lake Luzerne narrated by the AI-generated voices of celebrated figures in the community’s history.

Otter

Otter may be the AI tool we appreciate most for its remarkable ability to rapidly transcribe interviews and meetings, turning speech into authoritative, malleable, and searchable text. It joins our Zoom conversations as a quiet, reliable collaborator, capturing and identifying every voice. With Otter on the job, we’re freed from the drudgery and time-sink of manual note-taking. Its transcripts become our primary working documents. In the Smartacus workflow, Otter doesn’t merely listen; it empowers.

Gemini and NotebookLM

Gemini and NotebookLM work hand-in-hand to turn information overload into insight. With NotebookLM, we can upload and organize dozens of source documents—interview transcripts, articles, PDFs, web pages, and more—into a single, structured knowledge base. Powered by Gemini, this curated library becomes a living resource we can query, explore, and draw from to produce well-researched content with clarity and depth.

ChatGPT

Our super-smart wordsmith who never sleeps, ChatGPT generates expert content in any format, length, or style we specify—whether it’s a 2,000-word feature or a 200-word audio narrative. Drawing inspiration from the entire World Wide Web and beyond, its algorithms refine our voice, clarify our message, and communicate with power and precision. From first drafts to final polish, ChatGPT is an eternally cheerful creative partner who “thinks” along with us.