I’m a journalist with more than 30 years of local, state and national experience in newsrooms across the country. I’ve worked as a reporter, a project leader and an editor. My work includes some of the biggest stories in recent years. I was honored in 2007 with a Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism, an exciting time for me in a career that has been blessed with great opportunity. I have spent most of my career working with newspapers. I want to continue that success with a news organization committed to aggressive, thorough and fair coverage of its community.
As an editor, I assumed responsibility for developing investigative and watchdog cultures in newsrooms. I planned and developed enterprise stories and projects for newspapers. I supervised beat and daily reporters while planning and developing daily content for newspapers. I focused on increasing traffic and reader engagement. I worked closely with photo, video and graphics departments to create a complete presentation for all formats.
As a project leader working on a national investigative team, I found ways to bring beat reporters into stories, to tap their talents and expertise. I used this strategy in breaking news coverage and in developing longer-term projects. I coordinated reporting and writing by phone, email and often on site with reporters working across the country. I also helped produce two international projects, including reporting for several weeks in central and eastern Afghanistan. The projects included collaboration with broadcast producers to write scripts and develop reporting needed for separate packages that accompanied each assignment.
As a reporter covering local, state and national subjects, I took an interest in government, politics, corruption and watchdog projects. I gained experience in a number of beats, including education, crime and state government. But I'm a student of all subjects, like any committed journalist. I'm trained in computer-assisted reporting, and data-driven projects. I’m comfortable working in spreadsheets and relational databases, and continue to improve my skills with regular training. But I believe nothing beats knocking on doors and meeting face-to-face with sources and subjects, real people who can bring real stories to life.
I'm a problem-solver, practical and inspiring, and I want to be inspired. I want to join an eager and smart newsroom, with journalists ready to work. I produce and want to help others produce. And I believe in the future of journalism, without fear of the demands that lie ahead or regret over what we’ve left behind in our industry. I want to succeed and help others to succeed.
National awards:
- Pulitzer Prize, investigative reporting; finalist in public service
- Associated Press Managing Editors, public service
- Scripps Howard, National Journalism Award, breaking news
