Objective
I am a Native American media professional with 25 years of experience at The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun. My strengths include clear, concise writing and editing, plus making decisions of how to manage, cover crisis situations — all in a fast-paced environment.
Experience
THE WASHINGTON POST, JOURNALIST, WEB PRODUCER ON INNOVATIONS TEAM
January 2014 - Present
Write, edit and produce stories, photos, podcasts and videos on breaking local news, coordinating among multiple teams under tight deadlines and in a competitive environment.
Identify online trends and break news quickly for a wide range of stories and decide on the most effective delivery platform of products accordingly - whether that is alerts for mobile devices, newsletter emails, or promotions on Washington Post homepage.
Earn praise from top managers for taking calculated risks and maintaining accountability.
Successfully manage and work on multi-generational newsroom teams, using a professional and collaborative approach to incorporate all skill sets and strengths.
TRANSPORTATION REPORTER
July 2011 - June 2014
Redesigned and relaunched a previously unsuccessful transportation blog and jump-started coverage of Washington’s Metro subway and bus system, producing record viewer numbers. It became a well-read, popular site for commuters. transportation officials and experts in the D.C. region.
Wrote must-read stories on Metro’s finances, growth, operations, safety failures and compliance. Also, enhanced the storytelling with well-designed graphics, photography videos I made and produced, plus produced online with national transportation experts. Results brought the section's transportation coverage to new, record-high ridership levels.
FEDERAL COURTS REPORTER
January 2011 - June 2011
Covered trials and proceedings at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., including a range of subjects from national security to international drug rings, Somali pirates and financial fraud.
NATIONAL SECURITY INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
June 2010 - Dec. 2010
Picked by top editors to work on a special project called, “Top Secret America,” a series that won awards for examining the role of federal contractors in national security.
Designed, launched and managed a new blog on national security that became a go-to site for a loyal corps of daily followers at defense and intelligence agencies.
U.S. DEFENSE, AUTO, MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES REPORTER
Sept. 2007 - May 2010
Produced insightful, analytical stories on Pentagon and wartime spending.
Coordinated coverage and managed U.S. and Iraqi employees based in Baghdad.
Executed a year-long reporting project on manufacturing crisis in the U.S.
NATIONAL AND LOCAL FINANCIAL REPORTER
Jan. 2000 - May 2010
Wrote high quality accountability stories about the U.S. government’s bank bailout efforts amid 2008 financial crisis.
Tripled online traffic of a blog called “From the Ground Up” on commercial real estate.
Covered and produced front-page stories, designed graphics, took photos and videos in crisis situations, including national shootings, Haiti’s earthquake, Detroit’s car industry collapse, Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill in Louisiana.
THE BALTIMORE SUN, GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER
June 1996 - Dec. 1999
Covered local government, regional economy, and federal courts.
ABout Me…
Yes that’s me in my Native American, pow wow regalia!
Both of my parents are Native American and I’m an enrolled member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe of N.C. We are a state-recognized tribe, working on our federal recognition, and we have roughly 4,300 members. We’re the 2nd largest Native American tribe in the state. My children and I participate as competitive jingle dress dancers at our tribe’s annual pow wow and other pow wows along the NE coast.
Awards
Gerald Loeb/UCLA Anderson award for distinguished financial journalism for articles on national security and government contracting. The work was also nominated for a 2008 Pulitzer Prize.
Consistently ranked as one of the most productive writers for online traffic at the Washington Post writer each year among some 1,000 writers at the paper.
SKILLS
Oversee coverage in a diverse and large-scale media market.
Adept at juggling resources and working on small and large teams.
Skilled at writing, editing and producing online content for an audience of more than 3 million daily viewers.
Proficient at analyzing financial and legal documents.
Expertise in areas of coverage, including economics, transportation, local governments, national security, federal procurement, criminal justice. Plus, knowledgeable in the defense, manufacturing, hospitality and real estate industries.
Speak, read, write in Spanish.
Trained in PowerPoint, Excel, Quark, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, LexisNexis, Bloomberg terminals, Photoshop and PRNewswire.
Education
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK - B.A. in journalism; Minor in economics. Graduated in 1996 with honors and named Outstanding Print Journalism Graduate.
Winner, full scholarship for Minority Journalism Student, Knight Ridder Foundation, 1994 – 1996.