Experienced Journalist and Communications Professional Seeking Freelance Opportunities
I was fortunate enough to spend the last couple of years as a full-time staff member of the Tampa Bay Times, formerly the St. Petersburg Times. I was the Chief Editorial Assistant for the Tampa office and spent a good portion of my time reporting and writing as well. The experience I gained at one of the country's finest news organizations was invaluable, and I will always be grateful to my superiors and colleagues there for making me a better writer and a better person. I worked alongside some of journalism's most well-respected veterans and learned more than I could have anywhere else.
Unfortunately in 2018, the new tariffs resulted in the price of newsprint rising 30%, translating to a sudden $3 million the Times had to find in the budget. My position, along with many others, was eliminated and I left in April. I continue to actively freelance for the Times under the direction of my editor Ernest Hooper, my mentor and dear friend.
Before joining the staff of the Times, I worked at various other roles involving writing, editing, journalism, social media marketing, email marketing, customer relationship management, blogging and more.
Writing is one of my passions; the other is wild orcas. I have been fascinated with them my entire life. When I was ten, my parents took me on an incredible trip to Vancouver Island to see my beloved whales in the flesh, and from that point on I dreamed of being a whale-watching captain, in charge of a vessel that would introduce visitors from around the world to the magnificent marine mammals I loved so deeply. But it was always just a pipe dream, something I never believed I could actually accomplish. I settled for being a naturalist, a tour guide on whale watch boats that entertained and educated guests during their 3-hour tours. I did that for seven summers in a row, in both Washington state and southeast Alaska. Keeping demanding tourists entertained in often-challenging outdoor conditions has given me the skills to master any communications scenario.
Once I realized I had enough experience at sea to qualify to sit for the captain's exam, I changed my mind and decided to go for it. After a year of intense studying, I passed the exam on the first try and was awarded my Merchant Mariner Credential in 2018 by the United States Coast Guard. My dream came true!