Journalist, Author & Detroit-Home Renovator
Resume
Freelance author; Detroit, Mich., July 2015 - present. Writing about women and entrepreneurship for Fortune.com and finishing a memoir, "Detroit Hustle," which is being published by Running Press in Spring 2016. Entrepreneurship Editor, Crain's Detroit Business; Detroit, Mich., May 2013 - July 2015. Responsible for covering the intersection of entrepreneurship and economic development in this rapidly changing city. I also reported on the city's Chapter 9 bankruptcy, detangling complex financial concepts for general readers and making sense of the action for Detroit's business community. Winner of two AABP gold medals and SPJ awards for my work. Knight-Wallace Fellow, University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, Mich., September 2012 - May 2013. One of twelve U.S. journalists chosen to spend a year ensconced in the academic world studying and researching the topics that make us passionate. While a fellow, I am researching America's abandoned places and people, focusing on the effects of the recession on the rural middle class. Editor in chief/editorial strategy, USAA Magazine; New York, N.Y., May 2011 to September 2012. As the editor in chief of USAA Magazine, I ran two remote staffs – one in Greensboro, N.C., and one in San Antonio – and a team of freelancers to produce a personal finance magazine for members of the military and their families. I revamped the publication and introduced strong investigative reporting and narrative writing, as well as rethought the digital strategy. As such, I moved the magazine from a marketing vehicle to one that probes the financial issues most critical to the publication’s 8 million subscribers. I also led the development of the magazine’s first online editions and multimedia packages. Personal Finance Editor, CNNMoney.com; New York, N.Y., September 2008 to May 2011. I started at CNNMoney just as the global financial crisis hit, and my role as the site’s breaking-news editor was to plan the daily coverage and produce the homepage. After 18 months in that role, I was promoted to personal finance editor. I managed a team of five reporters and significantly increased the section’s traffic. I also acted as Money magazine’s online editor and coordinated coverage with CNN’s online and on-air staff on fast-moving news stories and long-term enterprise pieces. Senior Editor, Fortune Small Business; New York, N.Y. September 2007 to September 2008. I assigned and edited all content in the front of book section. I hired and managed a staff of eight interns, training them to write magazine features as well as daily and breaking news for the website. I was heavily invested in multimedia build-out (video, photo galleries, and additional coverage), and my section drew about 40 percent of the magazine’s monthly web traffic. News Editor, Westword; Denver, Colo. November 2002 to September 2007. At Westword, the Village Voice Media newspaper in Denver, I managed three staff writers and a host of freelancers to produce the news and feature sections, specializing in long-form narratives. I also oversaw all cultural coverage and wrote the daily fashion blog. One highlight was editing the expose of the culture of rape at the Air Force Academy, for which we won numerous investigative-reporting awards. Founding Managing Editor, Jackson Free Press; Jackson, Miss. January 2002 to September 2002. I assisted in the start-up of Jackson’s first alternative weekly, including writing sections of the business plan and developing marketing and fundraising strategies. I helped develop the staff, turning local novice reporters into solid journalists. The JFP has since won dozens of reporting awards. Executive Editor, Gotham and Hamptons magazines; New York, N.Y. April 2001 to January 2002. I handled all day-to-day aspects of both publications, including top editing all copy, managing the budget, and trafficking between departments to meet monthly and weekly deadlines. I developed the culture section and a stable of freelance writers. I sought out and purchased rights to excerpt novels, including Richard Russo’s Empire Falls, which went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. Managing Editor, Silicon Alley Reporter; New York, N.Y August 1999 to April 2001. I oversaw all aspects of this national business magazine chronicling the dot-com boom. I conceived and assigned stories; developed freelance contacts; top edited copy; managed the staff of 20; monitored production; and controlled the editorial budget. I completed a redesign of the magazine. Editor in chief, The Colorado Springs Business Journal, The Pueblo Business Journal; Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colo. December 1997 to August 1999. I directed all editorial functions, oversaw art direction and production, planned editorial calendars, and made all editorial and photography assignments. I introduced investigative reporting to the papers and was successful in turning two stagnant newspapers into weekly must-reads. awards: Stories I’ve edited have won a number of prizes, including: Association of Alternative Newsweeklies awards for investigative reporting and innovation in media; Casey Medal; James Beard Award; Investigative Reporters and Editors award; Gerald Loeb Award; Livingston Award. education: B.A. in journalism and economics; Metropolitan State College of Denver, 1997. Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow, University of Michigan, 2012-2013.
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One Response to “Resume”
Been meaning to contact you about your book. I absolutely LOVED it. What really brought it home for me was I went to High School with Cal Garfield and your depiction of him was spot on. Cal was always a a guy with high morals…a do the right thing kind of guy and although I have not seen him in more than 40 years….you managed to describe the manas I envisioned he’d become. Well done and Thank You for writing such a compelling book about a place that is forever in my heart.
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