I research and write multiple stories a week on topics vital to the present and future of Africa, from the response to COVID-19 to finance, military training, and foreign relations using both open-source material and by interviewing subject-matter experts. Duties also include researching and writing 1-2 long-form articles for quarterly print editions of the magazine and rotating management of the daily Twitter feed. Additionally, my administrative duties include reviewing and approving time for my team members.

Freelance writer, editor, public relations specialist and social media expert. Get peak results through storytelling skills and public relations skills honed by decades of work in daily journalism, PR and tourism marketing. Choose your channel: blogs, press releases, event scripting, social media, and news or feature articles.Clients include: Tidelands Health, Florida's Sports Coast, Paradise Advertising & Marketing Inc., En Forme Magazine, Madden Media, Visit Tampa Bay

Hybrid position involving copywriting for social media and campaigns, public relations for destination clients, and strategic thinking about the company's position and future. Position was eliminated due to downsizing.

Chief content creator for the Destination Marketing Organization for Hillsborough County,FL.External audiences.Chief content creator for in-house blog, corporate collateral, and social media marketing channelsDevelop monthly editorial calendar for in-house publications and social mediaMentor junior staff members on content creation for internal and external audiencesWrite time-sensitive press releases on leisure, convention, and industry topicsManage freelance videographer creating “Memory Makers” video series Manage content for a variety of newsletters targeting leisure travelers and industry partnersPlan, develop, and manage familiarization tours to for visiting domestic and international mediaRepresent the company and the destination at industry events and trade showsInternalWrite scripts for 2 corporate events: Annual Meeting and National Travel & Tourism Week luncheonCraft talking points, schedule media interviews, draft letters for CEO and other C-suite membersCreate weekly summaries of industry news and pertinent headlines for staff

I covered policy and politics in the City of Tampa with an eye toward how they affect the lives of the city's 350,000 citizens. As part of my reporting, I acquired and analyzed data associated with city and county activities. I used MS Excel, MS Access, ArcView 9.2, Adobe Illustrator & MAPublisher, Flash and Protovis to analyzed and interpreted data then put it into a interactive visual formats accessible to my audience online. I also created video clips for an online audience using iMovie.

I taught introductory journalism and entry-level writing course to college undergrads.

I began covering growth and development in a county that briefly ranked No. 1 in the nation for job creation at the height of the mid-2000s building boom. After the housing crash, I moved to covering local government, focusing on how the county would manage the deep cuts to its budget created by the recession-induced loss of property taxes.

I covered environment, development, transportation and 2000 Census using AcrView 3.2 to map demographic shifts. Published a 3-part series examining the causes and solutions to local water pollution that was a finalist for the Scripps Howard Foundation's environmental reporting contest in 2000.

Covered public and private education at elementary and secondary levels. Won 1st Place reporting award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

T.A. for History of Mass Media course for three semesters

Supervised a dozen student reporters covering health, science and environment beats for laboratory newspaper at University of Missouri journalism school.

Local government reporter in Oak Lawn, Ill. Won Reporter of the Year from Chicago Healthcare Communicators for a series on neonatal unit at local Level I trauma center.

Taught conversational English to non-native speakers in Szczecin, Poland.

Covered county government, courts and GA assignments. Also did some editing, design and paste-up. Delivered the paper on publication days.

Covered public and private education at elementary, secondary and college levels.