Duke University

2024-present

Senior Writer 

• Conduct research and interviews to craft compelling narratives aligned with Duke’s communication standards, tone and strategic messaging.
• Produce written content for digital and print platforms, including feature stories, employee profiles, newsletters and university-wide campaigns.
• Manage targeted communication and strategies to support employee-centric and university-wide campaigns and programs. Provide creative input for multimedia storytelling.
• Contribute to content planning, marketing and visual communications consistency across platforms.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2025-present

Instructor 

• Teach Feature Writing in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media. Topics include interview techniques, identifying compelling angles and quotes, using AI, writing conversationally and objectively and the basics of narrative writing.

The Charlotte Observer

2022- 2024

Enterprise and Planning Editor and Writer 

• Directed the Observer’s Reimagined Print initiative, a project aimed at driving print subscribers to digital presentations through weekly, in-depth multi-story packages.
• Managed and coached reporters at varying levels across Charlotte-area beats. Edited features, enterprise reporting and daily stories. Optimized SEO, headlines and home page presentation.
• Managed launch of the newsroom’s most successful email newsletter, The Lake Norman Observer, which had a unique open rate of about 70%.
• Regularly wrote longform enterprise stories on a wide range of topics that include everything from abortion legislation to gender-affirming care for minors to a cheating scandal in the World Cornhole Championships held near Charlotte.
• Collaborated with newsroom leadership to develop editorial strategy and audience engagement.
• Participant in McClatchy’s Fall 2023 Citadel Leadership program.
• Selected to participate in Poynter’s Leadership Academy for Women in Media in 2024.

WFAE

2019-2021

Editor, Digital News and Engagement 

• Managed WFAE.org through editing and posting stories written by reporters, culling the best news stories from NPR and the Associated Press, and constantly scouring sources for breaking news.
• Regularly updated and scheduled social media posts on all platforms (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram). Helped grow Twitter followers 25% and Instagram followers by 23% in one year.
• Crafted and sent out daily email newsletter consisting of each day’s best stories on WFAE.org. Helped contribute to one-year increase in subscribers of 33%.
• Created original weekly arts and entertainment email newsletter, Tapestry. Developed format, cultivated sources in arts community.
• Contributed to newscasts by writing short news reports and cutting audio clips to be used on air.
• Occasionally wrote, produced and voiced on-air stories on variety of topics, primarily in the arts and entertainment world. Responsible for original reporting, interviews, audio editing and production.

Freelance Writer and Editor

2015-2021

• Regular bylines in publications such as The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, The Athletic, Charlotte magazine and others on a variety of topics. Specialize in profiles and features on complicated issues or unique angles. 
• Contributor work for The Athletic as general assignment reporter assisting with Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets and college basketball coverage.
• Wrote main feature story for debut of Ink, The Athletic’s longform vertical.
• From 2016-2019, worked as part-time digital content producer for NASCAR.com. Collaborated with team of six writers and editors to create content for website averaging 1 million views per day as part-time freelance work. Edited and posted photo galleries, used SEO best practices, managed homepage and sent targeted mobile alerts.
  
• Established contributor for Associated Press, primarily focusing on Charlotte Hornets coverage.
• Regularly wrote longform features for Arizona State’s GlobalSport Matters, a publication that is a joint initiative between the Global Sport Institute and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
• Worked as contractor for Pace Communications; generated marketing content and revamped Choice Hotels websites.

The Plain Dealer

2003-2015

Sports features and enterprise reporter

• Wrote in-depth stories on local and national sports figures and issues. Responsible for generating ideas, researching, interviewing, working independently and writing on deadline.
• Served as back-up Cavaliers beat writer 2012-14. Covered home and road games (travel 20 percent) and wrote weekly NBA column about league issues. Cultivated relationships with athletes and front-office personnel to report and break stories, studied data to observe and report on trends. Wrote daily stories on deadline.
• Contributed to Browns reporting as third beat reporter 2009-2012. Covered weekly home and road games, and wrote weekly in-depth feature on players, personalities and issues with the NFL team and league.
• Assisted with Ohio State football coverage 2005-09. Regularly wrote opponent sidebars, researching and studying trends and news, pitching and writing stories. Covered 2007 national championship game.
•  Regularly Tweeted, blogged and recorded video (as both subject and recorder) for cleveland.com.
• Recognized as top 10 for explanatory writing in 2012 by Associated Press Sports Editors for a story about two Akron football players who overdosed after becoming hooked on painkillers they received from the school.
• Earned APSE 3rd-place recognition for project reporting in 2009 for four-part series about how 8th grade football players decide which high school to attend.
• Named 2006 honorable mention Best Sports Writer by Associated Press Society of Ohio.
• Named runner-up for 2005 Associated Press Society of Ohio Best Sports Writer.
• Cited for notable writing in 2005 and 2007 editions of Best American Sports Writing.

Cleveland State University

2007-2011

Instructor

• Taught Media Writing, an introductory journalism course that emphasized news writing and AP Style. Covered variety of topics related to format (inverted pyramid) and development of stories, along with ethical and legal issues in the profession.
• Designed and developed course curriculum to follow writing from a journalistic style and help students develop skills needed for a variety of media perspectives.

The Dallas Morning News

1998-2003

Sports Features Writer – Oct. 2002 – Feb. 2003

• Wrote in-depth profiles and enterprise pieces.

Dallas Mavericks Beat Writer – April 2000 – Oct. 2002

• Covered all home and road games as primary beat writer of Dallas’ NBA franchise.
• Initiated daily coverage, generated ideas and worked independently.
• Cultivated thriving relationships with variety of NBA personalities — including Mavericks owner Mark Cuban during his first two seasons in the league.
• Juggled multiple assignments – including weekly email newsletter and cable TV appearances — and regular travel with nightly deadlines. Consistently broke news on competitive beat.
• Organized playoff coverage by brainstorming ideas and assigning stories to reporting team.
• First woman to cover Mavericks beat in organization’s 20-year history.

SMU Beat Writer, July 1998 – April 2000

• Covered all college sports, with emphasis on football and men’s basketball.
• Investigated and unearthed football recruiting violations while maintaining daily coverage. Earned Associated Press Sports Editors honorable mention recognition for investigative work in 1999.
• Helped with coverage of all major Dallas pro teams, including entire 1999 Dallas Stars playoff run and Stanley Cup Finals.

The Kansas City Star

1997-1998

High School Sports Reporter 

• Responsible for coverage of all high school sports within area of suburban Kansas City.
• Earned backup Kansas City Royals duties that included development of weekly Royals page.

Northwestern University

Bachelor of Science in Journalism

• Spent four years working for The Daily Northwestern as sports writer, assistant sports editor and editorial columnist.
• Association for Women in Sports Media scholarship/internship winner.
• One of eight selected nationally for Freedom Forum-NCAA Foundation Sports Journalism Scholarship winner.
• Winner of Albom’s Challenge scholarship for best sports feature, selected by Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom.
• Interned at the Lexington Herald-Leader for a quarter as part of Northwestern’s Teaching Newspaper program. 

John Carroll University

Masters in Education

• Focus on early childhood education.