Professional Summary
I bring positive energy to everything I do.
I am here to make contributions that make a difference.
I seek to form beneficial relationships that add value in my work, my life and all I do.
My goals are to give as much as I take, to be a creative catalyst, to be fair, honest and ethical in all my actions and to treat others with the same respect I wish for myself.
Experience
Brand Web Content Manager - (June 2006 - June 2012) - JEA
Strategic web-content development and management for jea.com, main Brand writer for JEA including the annual report, CEO letters for internal and external audiences, presentations, position papers, communications consultant to internal clients and back-up media liaison.
Communications Supervisor - Web Content - (January 2003 - June 2006) - Duval County Public Schools
Web-content and development for www.educationcentral.org (now called www.duvalschools.org) Restructured site to allow better information flow then, later, assisted outside company with redesign and content migration of entire site (www.duvalschools.org has been redesigned; the current look and feel is not representative of my work). Put together a team from both the communications side and the technology side to implement design and write the first e-newsletter for employees. At that time, DCPS had only recently made email available to all employees. Due to budget constraints, there were very limited means available to communicate with our stakeholders. I worked with the City of Jacksonville to gain access to free publicity for the school district and wrote and edited articles and cover stories for the city’s public information magazine.
Public Relations Specialist - (January 2001 - January 2003) - City of Jacksonville Public Information Office
Web-content manager, feature writer for city’s Neighborhood magazine and co-creator, producer, writer and host for city’s award-winning public service television program, Jax to the Max. Public Information lead on the award-winning redesign of the city’s Web site, www.coj.net. (At present, the site maintains the same basic architecture but many of the design elements have been altered.)
Promotion Manager - (April 1991 - May 1994) - WEAR-TV
Coordinate news and entertainment promotion and public service campaigns, managed annual budget and media buys and handled talent appearances for promotional events. I was responsible for writing copy and ads, supervising graphic design and scheduling of promotional spots. I worked with the news director to establish news identity with new custom video graphic and music "package" for all newscasts. I also collaborated with post-production facilities in Dallas, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee to produce both the graphics and music packages. I assisted our sales department by creating sales presentations and other.
News Producer - (February 1990 - April 1991) - WEAR-TV
As producer, I was part of the newsroom management team and my duties included development, preparation and execution of weekday 6 p.m. newscast. Producers met twice a day to select stories and track their progress, making editorial calls and determining news placement. Each producer was responsible for content in their show. I worked with reporters, edited and approved copy prior to story editing/production, determined story length and placement within the show and made camera shot selections for the newscast.
News Reporter - (January 1986 - July 1987) - WKRG-TV
Researched stories, interviewed story subjects and experts, edited news stories. Daily contact with government, school and university officials, agencies and the general public to develop news leads/stories.
Freelance Field Producer and Video Scriptwriter - (1995 - 2000) - Various
I worked with production companies as an independent contractor on projects for various clients. One of my main clients, Garrison Ridge Productions, hired me for continuing projects for the United Transportation Union (UTU), an international union representing rail, airline and bus employees. This work took me to various parts of the country to shoot interviews on location. I also cast actors for training video scenarios, edited down live workshops to short training videos and wrote scripts for longer form videos for conferences. One such project for client CSX Transportation called "Trusted to Move America" involved research and video procurement from various customers to produce a video for their yearly annual meeting.
Other Television - Not provided
Creative services director; WJTC-TV in Pensacola, Florida
Director, Local Access Cable TV in Pensacola, Florida
Promotion assistant manager, WPMI-TV in Pensacola, Florida
Weekend news producer, WEAR-TV in Pensacola, Florida
Promotions assistant; WSRE-TV in Pensacola, Florida
Studio floor crew and camera operator; WKRG-TV in Mobile, Alabama
Senior Writer - (June 2012 - Present) - The University of Kansas Hospital
Write and work closely with designers to create external communication pieces for consumer, physician and key stakeholder audiences. I also am the editor of the hospital's physician-to-physician journal, Innovations. I hire and supervise freelance writers for this publication, as well.
Education
Communication Arts, BA, cum laude, - University of West Florida
Skills
More than 20 years of experience in Television Broadcasting
After working in the television broadcast industry for 20 years, I can produce a 10-second spot, a two- minute news story, a 12- minute training video or presentation, a 30- minute documentary or a two-hour live talent show (I really did this once- it was a fundraiser for a local teen help line for suicide prevention- it was crazy and fun and we raised quite a bit of money). Producing is about prioritization, appropriateness and quality of content, organization of resources, meeting timelines and deadlines and successfully completing a project on-time, every time.
Ten years of experience in Web Content Development
Usually, less is more on the web. (Although in this case, I'm not sticking to the "50 percent fewer words" rule.) I have translated my print and video writing and producing skills to new media. I am a student of the social media movement/explosion. I’ve used Dreamweaver, Photoshop and Flash to create web content. While not a programming expert, I understand the potential of the Web.
A lifetime of working well with others
Though I am not a "project manager," I am capable of leading and working within teams to make progress, meet deadlines and, ultimately, achieve goals. I enjoy the collaborative creative process. I am a win-win kind of person who believes we all win when we meet our project goals and want to work together again.
Not provided
Over the years, I've held many job titles. Whatever the title, the essence of what I do has remained the same. I tell stories.
I use words and images to connect people to ideas.
If you want to tell a story, I can help.
I will craft your message for the appropriate media be it video, print, radio or the evolving world of the Internet and social media.
And if you don't know what to say, or how to tell your story, I can help you with that, too.
Computer Hardware/Software
Mac and PC-friendly, Word, PowerPoint, FrontPage, Photoshop (CS3- some Flash), Fireworks, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Non-linear video editing (Stratosphere and Media 100) and some lesser softwares when necessary including Paint, Pagemaker and Publisher. Where there's a will and some kind of technology/software, there's a way.
Awards
-Center for Digital Education, www.educationcentral.org, Top 10 Website in Nation, 2004
-City-County Communications and Marketing Awards (3CMA) Savvy Award, Best Web Site Redesign
-3CMA Image Award for Best TV Program, "Jax to the Max" (2 consecutive years)
-3CMA Image Award for Best Magazine, "Neighborhoods Magazine"
-3CMA Silver Award for Training Video, Savvy Award for Most Creative with Least Dollars Spent, "Surviving the Ethics Jungle"
-Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA), State, Golden Image Award & Golden Image Judge's Award, "Surviving the Ethics Jungle"
-FPRA, Regional, Grand Image, Image and Judges Awards, "Surviving the Ethics Jungle"
-FPRA, Regional, Award of Distinction, "Clean It Up, Jacksonville" Video, One minute or less
-FPRA, Regional, Award of Distinction, "Jax to the Max" Institutional Video
-FPRA, Regional, Award of Distinction, "Cat PSA", Video
-FPRA, Regional, Image and Judges Award, "Animal Care and Control" Web Site
-FPRA, Regional, Award of Distinction, "Animal Care and Control Awareness Campaign"
-FPRA, State, Golden Image Award, TV PSA, "New Best Friend is Waiting"
-FPRA, Regional, Grand Image, Judges Awards, Video, "New Best Friend is Waiting"
-FPRA, Regional, Judges Award, Video, "One Organization, So Many Opportunities"
-FPRA, Regional, Grand Image Award, Video, "Team in Green"
-FPRA, Regional, Image, Institutional and Judges Awards, "Team in Green" Awareness Campaign
-FRPA, Regional, Award of Distinction, 4-color-print, "Neighborhoods Magazine"
-City of Jacksovnille, November 2002, Mayor's Team Award for coj.net redesign. Recognition of leadership in the rebranding and redesign of city's official website.
-City of Jacksonville, August 2002, Mayor's Goal Star Award. Individual achievement recognition.
-City of Jacksonville, August 2002, Mayor's Team Award- Clean It Up Jacksonville. Recognition of contribution to overall success of event for website creation and production of :30 TV spot.
-City of Jacksonville, May 2002, Mayor's Team Award- St. Johns River Clean-Up. Recognition of my contribution to overall success of event for website creation and production of :30 TV spot.
-City of Jacksonville, Nov. 2001, Mayor's Team Award- Multi-media Production Team. Recognition of my contribution as web content manager and producer, writer, on-air talent and mentor to developing skills of coworkers as producers, writers and on-air talent.
-University of West Florida Communication Arts Alumni Honoree
-Addy Awards, 1984 - 1993, Animation Design, Advertising Campaign, TV Self-Promotion, others
-Pensacola Press Club Excellence Award, 1986
Memberships
-Lifetime Member of Florida PTA, bestowed in honor of service to Crown Point Elementary School