As founder and CEO, I guide the WhatcomTalk team as they create and share positive stories about the people, businesses, and organizations doing good things around Whatcom County. I connect with community members and local business owners so that WhatcomTalk can tell hyper-local stories -- stories that, sadly, otherwise go untold.

I have more than 20 years of experience in magazine, newspaper, web, book, and technical writing, editing, and proofreading. Clients include: Better Homes & Gardens, USA Today, Log Home Living, The Bellingham Herald, Western Washington University, McGraw Hill, Time Warner Books, Random House, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

As the first writer hired by ThurstonTalk in early 2011, I wrote, edited, and supplied photographs for business features, community stories, and event announcements for this new site, which quickly became an award-winning top information source for Thurston County.

I wrote a variety of feature articles for Whatcom Magazine, beginning with its first issue in 2004. From home design to food, holiday features to environmental articles, I covered a wide range of topics and was given several cover stories.

As the sole content developer, I collaborated with the creative director to set the tone for each project, and then developed narrative scripts from client messaging briefs for interactive presentations. I acquired screen captures to coordinate with scripts and scheduled recording sessions with narrative talent and recording studio. I also provided implementation direction to internal designers and programmers and supplied concept and copywriting skills for non-interactive projects.

Solely responsible for all aspects of the Creative Networks, Inc. website: created all graphics, designed all layouts and implemented new technologies. Directed a complete web redesign and created and maintained a company intranet. Edited all writings by Creative Networks authors and published the resulting white papers to company website. Produced and maintained publications database and created company stylebook.

As part of a four-person copy desk, I edited copy and wrote headlines for News, Features, Opinion and Business pages for a daily newspaper with a circulation of 20,000. I shared responsibility for paginating all pages using QuarkXPress and worked closely with other editors to plan copy flow, story play and photo play. I also filled in as acting features editor from August 1997 to October 1997.

I wrote a variety of feature articles about home design, remodeling, and other building-related content, following through each step of publication from interview to layout approval. Created, designed and edited departmental newsletter distributed to regional editors nationwide. Performed administrative functions for department head, editors, senior writers and associate editors. Answered reader inquiries by conducting research regarding 10 home- and building-related publications, and prepared… Show more I wrote a variety of feature articles about home design, remodeling, and other building-related content, following through each step of publication from interview to layout approval. Created, designed and edited departmental newsletter distributed to regional editors nationwide. Performed administrative functions for department head, editors, senior writers and associate editors. Answered reader inquiries by conducting research regarding 10 home- and building-related publications, and prepared photography for scribing and scanning. Show less