I am a public relations and marketing consultant in the Santa Barbara area, teach public relations at Santa Barbara City College, and am a freelance writer and weekly columnist. I work primarily with with cultural and nonprofit clients, which currently include include Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Elings Park, and the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, I have been fortunate to have several long-term clients, including the Santa Barbara Zoo for 17 years, the Lobero Theatre Foundation for 10 years, and Lit Moon Theatre Company for nearly 20. Other past clients are the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, Music Academy of the West, Lit Moon Theatre Company, Wildling Museum of Art & Nature, Santa Barbara Symphony, Ganna Walska Lotusland, and Opera Santa Barbara among others. In 2008, I was asked to develop the first Public Relations course at Santa Barbara City College, which I have taught since then. Teaching is a joy, and I consider it my "Work" (with a capital "w") to help train the next generation of public relations professionals. Due to the pandemic, the class was offered online in 2020-21 and 2021-22. I am happily back in the classroom for a hybrid version. "South on 101," my column about events in Santa Barbara, ran weekly for 16 years in the Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record, and Santa Ynez Valley News. During the pandemic, I focused on on local history, which is also one of my interests. I've written cover stories and features for Santa Barbara Food & Home magazine, and have contributed stories to Seasons Magazine, Visit Santa Barbara's yearly guide, and Coastal Woman, among others. Most recently, I completed the neighborhoods section for the Santa Monica Visitor Guide. I began my PR career in San Francisco with positions at KQED/Channel 9 Public Television, Lucasfilm Ltd., San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and Oakland Symphony. My freelance clients there included the San Francisco Symphony and SFMOMA, among others. In 2010, I earned an APR (Accredited in Public Relations) from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and am active in the local Gold Coast Chapter, serving as Accreditation Chair. I served on the Public Relations Committee of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, am a former Board member of the Santa Barbara Performing Arts League, and a current member of the Association of Women in Communications. I received my BA in Arts Administration from Antioch University, which introduced me to public relations and changed the course of my life. January 2023
