Duke University

2024 – present

Senior Writer 

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.
• Edited stories, managed homepage, brainstormed headlines and SEO.
• Managed creation and launch of The Charlotte Observer’s most successful email newsletter, The Lake Norman Observer. The newsletter had more subscribers than any other weekly newsroom email, and has 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.
• 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 

• Responsible for updating 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 percent and Instagram followers by 23 percent 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 percent.
• Contributed to newscasts by writing short news reports and cutting audio clips to be used on air.
• Created original weekly arts and entertainment email newsletter, Tapestry. Developed format, cultivated sources in arts world and grew subscribers 200% in six months.
• 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.
• Contributed podcast episode to FAQ City, a podcast answering listener questions, about Major League Baseball coming to Charlotte. Conducted interviews, wrote and voiced script, mixed and edited audio.

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.

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.

Cleveland State University

2007-2011

Instructor

• Taught Media Writing, an introductory journalism course that emphasizes basics of news writing and reporting, as well as AP Style.