Cas Martin - Owner & Operator

Cas Martin is a passionate writer, editor, and consultant specializing in the arts, education, and nonprofit sectors. He holds a BA in Music and Education & Child Study from Smith College in Northampton, MA, where he graduated with highest honors for his research thesis, "Identity and Representation in the All-State Circuit: A critical inquiry of American high school concert band repertoire." A deep sense of personal responsibility underscored Cas's comprehensive coursework in educational issues of equity and diversity: as one of Smith's few transgender students, he helped lead the charge for improving trans services on a traditionally women's college campus.

Cas began his writing/editing career at an early age under the guidance of his mother, Paula Ford-Martin. While much of his employment experience is in music education, Cas is also involved with medical communications: he started observing and assisting Paula with various Wordcrafts projects in 2010. Thanks to his unique interdisciplinary perspective, Cas has had the honor of writing, editing, and transcribing for a variety of groups and publications, including NAfME, NewMusicBox, and Healthline. After Paula's death in 2020, Cas took over her role as Owner & Operator of Wordcrafts, where he maintains his mother's legacy of exceptional communication services for current and prospective 501(c)(3) organizations.

It isn't all media and medicine for Cas, however. He has taught and conducted individual and group music lessons since 2013, working with students aged 7 to 70. Cas also has several years of arts administration experience: he has worked in production, development, and education for ensembles from the Smith College Choirs to the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. More recently, Cas has dedicated his career solely to the nonprofit sector, providing grant writing and research services for education-based 501(c)(3) organizations. In addition to maintaining the Wordcrafts business and website, Cas currently operates the Paula Ford-Martin Memorial Foundation (PFMMF), which provides scholarship funds for LGBTQ+ youth and their allies.

Paula Ford-Martin - Founder

Paula Ford-Martin (1968-2020) was a seasoned health and general interest writer with over 25 years of experience writing and editing for consumer, investor, and healthcare provider audiences. She got her BA in Broadcast Communications from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, and an MA in Writing from DePaul University in Chicago. After working in the radio industry, she began a medical communications career. In addition to working in online, video, and traditional print media, she authored and ghost-wrote more than a dozen books on various health and parenting topics.

Paula managed the Diabetes Guide for About.com until 2004, when she started her eight-year tenure as Chief Content Officer of dLife: the number one online independent diabetes resource. She led content development of a 50,000+ page website from launch, along with print, radio, and television editorial products. Paula's work as a Senior Story Editor and Executive Producer on CNBC's dLifeTV (2005-2012) garnered her 26 Telly Awards. Among her many other professional accomplishments are a Communicator Award of Excellence, a Freddie Award, and an Emmy Nomination in the Public Service Division. 

Paula had also maintained a thriving freelance career via Wordcrafts since 1997. Her clients included JDRF, WebMD, Healthline, and the Wellness Network. Her professional dedication to patient education and advocacy earned her deep admiration and respect among many medical communities, and served her well when she became ill and began to navigate the world of chronic illness from the patient perspective. She started a blog (www.livingwithstageIV.com) to update friends and family, and to educate her readers on the realities of Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC).

Paula’s obituary may be accessed here.