My foot in the door began with bunion surgery…
Not mine, thankfully. I had just graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in communications when The News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne, Indiana, needed someone to fill in for the features clerk, who was out for foot surgery. Six weeks later she returned but I stayed, invited to join the desk as a copy editor.
My career has included positions with the daily News-Sentinel, where I sat in a lot of different chairs; with the weekly Elbert County News in Castle Rock, Colorado, where I was a copy editor and an intrepid young reporter on the rugged Plains; and with the Denver metro daily The Rocky Mountain News, where I hit the big time as a copy editor.
I also worked as marketing and volunteer coordinator for the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society and History Museum. I later employed my marketing expertise as special sections editor for Fort Wayne Newspapers’ marketing department.
I worked for a year as a book editor at Our Sunday Visitor, a big international Catholic publishing company in tiny Huntington, Indiana, then was asked to serve as presentation editor for OSV newspaper after its redesign. I also was invited to write children’s books for OSV; the second and third of my four titles have resided on the national Catholic children’s best-seller list. My fourth book tied for first place in the children’s book category of the Catholic Press Association’s 2007 national book competition.
I next worked for Canterbury School, an independent, private, college-prep school in Fort Wayne, launching its first real website.
I moved to Chicago as managing editor of parish relations in new-product development at Loyola Press. When the job was gone, I stayed in Chicago, pursuing my passion for writing and editing.
I returned to Fort Wayne for an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of an advertising agency as an account executive at Asher Agency. Three years later, I finally gathered up my cumulative experience and took the plunge as a full-time freelancer.
I love the work that I do and the people with whom I work. I write articles on food, wine, fitness and travel. I’ve contributed to the Chicago Sun-Times, Sommelier Journal and many online outlets.
As an editor, I’ve revised business communications, scholarly books, thesis papers and more. Of course, there’s no way to turn this off–I also edit menus when dining out, advertisements when reading a magazine, songs on the radio…
For my marketing clients, I’ve developed web sites, business letters, ad copy, brochures and much more. I specialize in social media strategy and execution, which means I have to learn something new every nanosecond.
I do try to step away from my computer often. I am a single mom to a bright and happy daughter who is a voracious reader, much to the delight of her mother. And I travel as much as possible.
I also make time to get involved with children near and far. I've been on mission trips to China and Uganda to advocate for and spend time with children there. Realizing there was much to do close to home, too, I've served as a Big Sister and as a reading/writing volunteer coach for first graders.
