CAREER SUMMARY
Experienced writer and editor
in the online, video and print mediums, with a track record as an innovative,
motivated, committed and ethical employee. Have applied years of education and
experience to the craft of writing and editing order to attract audiences and
engage with them.
HIGHLIGHTS OF
QUALIFICATIONS
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Experienced in different
styles of writing from business to legal to marketing/public relations/press
releases to journalistic and expository writing, as well as short fiction.
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Initiated and made
contributions to new features and projects as a reporter, writer and editor at
media organizations that have attracted readers and freshened up products.
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User of Microsoft Office
suite (2003, 2007, 2010) particularly Word and Excel as well as PowerPoint.
Frequent user of web-based mail programs, document programs and Outlook.
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User of social media
including Twitter, Facebook, and other means to promote content and drive
traffic on the Internet.
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Able to conduct with
relative ease interviews in-person, over the phone and via e-mail. Able to
build rapport with clients, sources and community members. Skilled at asking
probing questions and evaluating the information gathered.
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Experienced researcher
and able to synthesize information for articles using online and print
materials. Trained in legal and academic research, both online and at physical
libraries. Familiar with public records law and making requests of needed
documents at local, state and federal levels in U.S.
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Five-plus years
experience using various Web-based content management systems, developed in the
last decade, including WordPress, Blogger.
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Persuaded publisher of
weekly newspaper group to make transition from film to digital photo processes
and production, that resulted in efficiencies and cost savings in the thousands
of dollars. Initiated change through a written proposal and verbal follow-up.
RECENT WORK EXPERIENCE
Freelance writer. My Neighborhood News Network. Edmonds, Wash. International Examiner, Seattle, Wash.
Sept. 2013-present.
- Report and write compelling, high-interest, sports, education and general news stories for local Web sites in Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood.
- Report and write pieces for the International Examiner in Seattle such as coverage of Affordable Care Act.
Media/public relations consultant. Helping Link. Seattle, Wash. Aug. 2013-. present.
- Promoted the 20th anniversary gala event to raise money for non-profit school focused on building job, computer and English skills for Vietnamese immigrants.
- Served on events committee and attended weekly meetings, coordinated interviews; wrote press releases, articles and event program text; promoted event online; assisted with routine tasks and hosted table at event.
- Assisted with grant writing.
Web producer. Fisher Communications, KOMONews.com. Seattle, Wash.
April-July 2013. Contract ended after three months.
- Wrote breaking news stories; rewrote TV scripts; posted revised copy, photos and video to KOMONews.com
- Selected timely, newsworthy wire stories and photos to fill sections on KOMONews.com, and posted links to Facebook and Twitter to drive site traffic. Contributed to site that had highest monthly unique visitor and page view traffic of any television site in the Seattle market and entire Pacific Northwest.
- Clipped and processed photos and created galleries in Photoshop for online publication on KOMONews.com. Also clipped and processed video using ForScene program.
Local editor, Shoreline
and Lake Forest Park. Patch Media
Corporation, New York, N.Y. Oct.
2010-Dec. 2012.
- Created, reported and solicited engaging local, regional and universal content to populate site. Posted anywhere from 35 to 50 pieces of content per week in 2012.
- Directed 5-10 freelance contributors to help create online business directory of more than of 800 businesses. Also hired and edited the work of freelancers who wrote articles. Managed budget for site: allotments ranged from $3,000 a month to $250 a month.
- Built unique visitor audience, mostly an audience from the Shoreline and Lake Forest Park area; monthly increases to current 18,000 unique visitors per month. There are also 50,000 page views per month.
- Promoted and marketed Patch to the public and collected newsletter subscriptions at community events such as Shoreline Farmers Market, Lake Forest Park Farmers Market, Shoreline SolarFest and Celebrate Shoreline.
- Built a network of sources in all facets of the greater community including the police, schools, city government, legislators, neighborhood organizations, businesses, churches and more.
Paralegal intern/office
manager. Law Office of O. Yale Lewis
III. Seattle, Wash. Family and
Indian (Native American) law practice. July-Aug. 2010.
·
Drafted documents on
behalf of attorney for filing for all courts and managed attorney’s accounts
using QuickBooks, paid bills and processed payments.
·
Also answered phones,
greeted clients, filed documents, scanned and organized Indian case law, and
performed general office support duties.
Assistant sports editor
and general assignment reporter.
Everett Herald and The Enterprise Newspapers. Everett, Wash. Sept. 2005-Dec.
2009
Sports editor, education
reporter, and photographer. Arlington
Times and Marysville Globe Marysville,
Wash. Aug. 2003-Sept. 2005
Freelance writer Worked on assignment for The International Examiner,
Colors Northwest Magazine and other publications.
Seattle, Wash. Jan. 2003-Aug.
2003
Business reporter, general
assignment reporter. Eastside
Journal. Bellevue, Wash. March
2000- Sept. 2002
EDUCATION
- Advanced Paralegal Certificate from American Bar Association-approved program at Edmonds Community College, 2010.
- Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Whitman College, 1996.
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS
- More than two dozen journalism awards mostly for reporting and writing including a first-place C.B. Blethen Award, a top regional award for investigative reporting and Society of Professional Journalists first-place award for investigative reporting in 2001; and the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s Sportswriter of the Year in 2005.
