I am

– a solutions-driven adaptable journalist.
– an accurate writer.
– a skilled interviewer.
– able to quickly build and maintain trust with sources so I can tell a fair story.
– a community builder, in person and online.
– comfortable online, using social media and SEO to promote stories and connect with an audience. I use Google Trends and Parse.ly to track metrics and gain audience insights.
– a competent photographer and photo editor.
– trained to do basic video recording and non-linear editing on various platforms.
– a skilled digital audio editor (Audition and Audacity) — yes, I’ve produced podcasts.
– familiar with site management tools for webinars and live chats.
– adept at using such content management systems as Saxotech, NewsEdit, WordPress and proprietary software.
– a life-long learner.
– an adept and responsible social media manager.

The career, so far …

The Oakland Press (Pontiac, Mich.) multimedia journalist; Jan. 2022 – present. I cover Oakland County government, eight municipalities, breaking news and features. Consecutive first-place awards in Print Class B explanatory category from SPJ Detroit: 2022, “Oakland County’s worst intersections: Not always the most dangerous” and 2023, “Fighting Phragmites.”

1450 WHTC and 99.7 FM (Holland, Mich.) morning news anchor March 2018 – Jan. 2022: I produced up to 72 newscasts weekly; guest hosted the morning and midday news-talk shows (the historic Talk of the Town). I produced four-hour year-end specials and the 2-hour Talk of the Town 60th anniversary special. Developed standing features “Good Thing on the Lakeshore,” “Hearing Voices,” and modernized the weekday Evergreen Commons report from a live phone call to a pre-recorded segment, improving audio quality and consistency. Created online police logs from two city departments. Primary manager of WHTC’s social media channels, posting an average of 10 times daily and lively two-way conversations.

The Holland Sentinel (Holland, Mich.) staff writer; February, 2012 to December, 2014. I researched, pitched and wrote stories on a variety of topics, from crime and municipal coverage to investigative and feature stories. Key skills: Interview sources, fact-checking, writing stories and headlines, editing. I also recorded, edited and posted online digital photos and video. I used social media to promote my work, my company and others’ work to the general public as well as engage readers. I have used such CMS as NewsEditPro and Saxotech for internal editing and web posts.

Patch.com (Canton, Mich.), local editor; October, 2010, to January, 2012. As Canton Patch’s founding local editor, I worked with editorial managers and freelance writers to launch the site in December, 2010; recruited and trained writers; managed interns; wrote news and feature stories; and edited others’ stories. I shot and edited digital photos and video; used social media to promote Patch sites; covered township, state and school district boards; investigated and fact-checked stories; managed payroll for freelancers; worked with editors  and sales reps on marketing campaigns. I used an AOL proprietary CMS for posting digital news, video and photos.

Booth Newspapers (Grand Rapids, Mich.), temporary web producer; February, 2010, to October, 2010. I monitored and reported breaking news on police-fire radio scanners for counties and cities from Muskegon to Kalamazoo. I wrote news bulletins for The Grand Rapids Press, The Kalamazoo Gazette and Muskegon Chronicle. I used social media and the newspapers’ websites to engage readers. I wrote some features; used multiple content management systems (CMS) to post stories on a breaking and scheduled basis. I coached interns covering breaking news stories, edited their copy, posted and promoted their online stories.

Detroit Daily Press (Royal Oak, Mich.), staff writer; November 16-27, 2009 (paper closed). I covered and wrote prep sports stories for this start-up daily newspaper. (Some suggest I leave this job off my resume. I include it as one of several start-up experiences.)

The Holland Sentinel (Holland, Mich.), staff writer; August, 2009, to November, 2009. I covered county and regional government news as well as feature stories. I shot and edited digital photos, using a CMS to compose and edit my stories and multimedia.

Southeast Missourian (Cape Girardeau, Mo.), staff writer; July, 2007, to May, 2009. I was part of a team covering city and county government as well as producing feature stories. I shot and edited digital photos and video; wrote a topical weekly column and used various CMS tools for publication in print and online. I promoted stories via social media and had a popular live-news blog. I won multiple journalism awards for feature writing, breaking news and government policy / Sunshine Law investigative stories). I coached interns.

The Holland Sentinel (Holland, Mich.) staff writer; May, 2005, to June, 2007. I researched and reporter a wide variety of stories for The Sentinel’s feature section, including work/play; religion; health; food preparation; people; film; science; fashion; entertainment; gardening; home maintenance; and shopping. Shot and edited more than 1,000 photos for print and online; produced short feature videos using non-linear digital editing; used CMS to post digital work online.

StartupNation, LLC (Birmingham, Mich.), producer; May, 2004, to January, 2005. I produced a weekly syndicated radio talk show and weekly webinar devoted to best small-business practices; produced online archives for both shows; coordinated webcast and remote radio broadcast technology.

The South End (Detroit, Mich.), news editor; 2003-04 (fall/spring semesters). As news editor, I assigned stories and helped a staff or more than 20 student reporters craft stories. I edited their work, wrote some stories of my own, as well as shot photos on film for print use. I coordinated campus coverage and ran weekly staff meetings for this 6-day newspaper. I managed an investigation of an attempted fraud in the school’s financial aid department, which resulted in the firing of two university employees.

Henry Ford Health System (Detroit, Mich.) media specialist; April, 1997, to January, 2002. I developed HFHS’ Information Technology Department’s internal communications plan and saved the information technology department $12,000 in annual print costs by streamlining reporting and digitizing the quarterly report to a monthly email newsletter. After being promoted to the corporate media relations team, I was part of a two-person team which created and managed a daily morning-news round-up  emailed to the C-Suite at 5:30 a.m. each weekday; coordinated Y2K media coverage, internally and externally; used FrontPage and DreamWeaver to update the internal website; wrote press releases; responded to media inquiries and pitched stories to reporters and radio producers; wrote stories for internal communications.

I helped hospital officials gain public relations skills during our team’s media-training sessions. In 2001, I was part of a committee which devised a business literacy campaign to help employees understand an upcoming reduce in force, which included cutting my department’s staff.

WWJ-AM (Southfield, Mich.) overnight news producer; 1996-97.
I created evening and overnight rundowns for solo news anchors; recorded interviews with news sources and produced story packages. I coordinated remote live broadcasts with engineers and anchors and volunteered to promote the radio station during public events.

Detroit Monthly Magazine (Detroit, Mich.), editorial assistant; 1995-96. Hired after an internship as a part-time editorial assistant, I wrote features, researched stories for other writers; fact-checked and proofread freelancers’ stories.

I developed a foodie column, “Biteback,” which answered readers’ questions or shared their experiences at iconic Detroit-area restaurants. The magazine published some of my photos.

The Macomb Daily/Daily Tribune (Mount Clemens/Royal Oak, Mich.), columnist, editorial assistant; 1990-94. I freelanced features and news stories on small governments and elections; was hired for the part-time prep-sports crew; developed columns on junior varsity and summer league sports; wrote all-area team round-ups and sports features. I developed a standing column for Page A3, Service Circuit, covering all of Macomb County’s service clubs, fraternal groups and military veteran organizations. When I left the paper, the then-editor asked me to find a new columnist; Linda May, still writes that column today.

Adra, Inc. (Troy, Mich.) marketing assistant; 1988-89. I used the ACT database to survey potential clients, recruiting them by phone to attend training sessions on Adra’s exclusive 3D software packages; I reduced costs and improved attendance at workshops by instituting a small registration fee to cover traveling costs for sales staff.

WXYT-AM/WVAE-FM (Southfield, Mich.) programming assistant/public affairs director; 1986-88. First-line responder to calls from radio listeners, potential guests and corporate officials; maintained the both stations’ FCC-required public files, including jobs and interview records. I reviewed legal requests for air checks; scheduled public service announcements; produced in-house a series of recorded announcements on community specific health-and-safety issues; and  secured credentials for station employees’ and provided program listings to print media. I volunteered to promote the stations at public events.

WXYZ-AM (Southfield, Mich.), morning news producer; 1983-85.
I created rundowns for the morning news anchor team; recorded interviews with news sources; produced story packages; coordinated contest announcements and remote live broadcasts. I edited networked traffic and news feeds for on-air use, booked live interviews and directed street reporters during breaking news coverage. I left radio, temporarily, after the birth of my second child.

U.S. Department of Defense/Army: Prior to starting my journalism career, I worked as a clerk-secretary at the Warren Tank-Automotive Command, serving in the Maintenance Directorate and later in the program management office for the pre-production readiness reviews for the M1 and M2 combat vehicles, later known as Abrams Tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

Freelance Experience

Magazine features: Women’s HealthStyle; Hour Detroit; Metro Times; Premier Living.

News: The Detroit News; The Daily Oakland Press; The Macomb Daily; Daily Tribune; The Advisor/Source; C&G Publishing; Third Street Publications; Southeast Missourian.

Reference: Metropolitan Detroit Convention & Visitors Bureau (Detroit, Mich.), researcher, writer and editor for the “1997 Insider’s Guide” Gale Research, Inc. (Detroit, Mich.) contributing writer: “Something About the Author,” “International Directory of Company Histories,” “Notable Hispanic-American Women” (renamed “Latinas! Women of achievement”) “The Power of the Purse: How smart businesses are adapting to the world’s most important consumers — women,” by Fara Warner; research assistant.

Community service: Water Works Theatre Co. (Royal Oak, Mich.) pro bono publicist, 2001-03 seasons.

Education
•Wayne State University, bachelor of arts in journalism, May, 2004. WSU president’s office academic scholarships and one-time awards from WSU’s journalism area and the Detroit Chapter of Women in Communication.
•Macomb County Community College: Associate of Arts, 1995.
•Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts., Inc. Radio and Television certificate, 1982.