John Howell, Practioner, Connected Thinking

John Howell is the Principal of Greenland Communications, a division of Greenland Marketing Consultants, Inc. 

He also serves as President, Greenland Marketing, Inc., which advises on media strategy, communications, retail operations, branding, marketing, and content creation for websites, campaigns, new product lines, publications, social media, and other multi-platform media initiatives.

Currently, Howell is Finance Editor for Climate & Capital Media; a consultant to WiserTrade, a supplier of data on global trade; a provider of custom briefs on sustainable finance and international trade for private clients; a communications, marketing, and retail operations consultant to the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, MS; and an advisor on marketing and programming to Mountain Top Music Center in Conway, NH.

Howell was co-founder, Editorial Director, and Chief of Thought Leadership for 3BL Media LLC (2009-2019) for which he oversaw all original editorial content across five sub-brands and created the Brands Taking Stands initiative.

Greenland clients have included Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney Food, The Body Shop, Calvin Klein, Polo/Ralph Lauren, the Hearst Corporation, H. J. Heinz, Daryl Hannah/LoveLife, the Trans-High Corporation, The Media Group/Dish T Network, GreenBiz Group, GreenMoney Journal, CSRwire, Adaptation Leader, Dave Matthews Band, the Collective Heritage Institute (Bioneers Conference), the Collage Foundation, and Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. 

Howell has been editor for Elle, Elle Décor, Artforum, Art-Rite and High Times. He has worked for Hearst’s New Magazines Division, where he directed and produced Lauren Magazine in collaboration with Polo/Ralph Lauren.  

As a writer, Howell’s articles, interviews, and reviews have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Vanity Fair (Italian), Art in America, Art News, Arts, and Interview, among other publications. He is the author of two book-length biographies, of Laurie Anderson and David Byrne (Thunder’s Mouth Press), and was the editor of Avant-Garde Art in Europe and America 1950-1990 (Rizzoli).  He also has written numerous catalogue essays for individual artists.

As a radio/TV journalist and producer, Howell has worked as on-air radio news and programming announcer; produced shows for broadcast radio, including the CBC (Canada); created programming for cable TV (Dish TV); written and produced informational videos; directed web video production teams, and developed business plans for digital download initiatives. He has written, edited, and produced multiple video programs, series, and segments for Thomson Reuters Insider and 3BL Media. He was programming, marketing, and communications manager for Serious Fun Festival (Lincoln Center, NYC).

Howell was researcher-writer-editor for a revised Delta Blues Museum website that won a first place “Gold Award” from Southeastern Museums Conference. He has been the Museum’s communications and retail consultant since 2008 and has produced its newsletter, as well as numersous marketing materials and social media.

Howell is also a partner in a family agri-business operation in Malden, MO.