A San Francisco Bay Area communications strategist uniquely experienced working on both sides of the notebook, lens and microphone.Over a 20-year journalism career, I worked as a beat writer, investigative reporter and editor in newsrooms of leading metropolitan, alternative weekly and legal-industry newspapers in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Washington, DC. At the Hearst Corporation's San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner, I covered and directed coverage of San Francisco politics, city and county government and, at various times, its criminal justice system and public schools.In 2008, I joined Barnes Mosher Whitehurst Lauter and Partners to help clients of one of the Bay Area’s leading campaign and public affairs consultancies succeed at the ballot box, in the halls of government and in the marketplace of ideas.Through the formation of Chuck Finnie Communications in January 2017, I drew on lessons learned and relationships made as a journalist and advocate—and put them to work on behalf of mission-driven individuals, organizations and causes to help them achieve their goals.In April 2018, I became Communications and Marketing Officer for the City of Hayward, where I direct external and internal communications, manage news media relations and serve on City Manager Kelly McAdoo's Executive Team.
Listed skills include Politics, Journalism, Storytelling, Media Relations, and 36 others.