Experience

James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Media Relations Coordinator, University Communications, 2005—. Primarily responsible for garnering earned media for STEM areas of the university. Have also blogged about research and scholarship at the university; created branded content for the university website, social media and alumni magazine; supervised the communications associate position and interns; and maintained multiple pages of the JMU website. Serve on the university crisis communication team and as a professional advisor to the student-run PR agency, Bluestone Communications.

The Harrisonburg Citizen, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Contributor, 2020—. Write general assignment stories.

Virginia Department of Transportation, Staunton, Virginia

Public Relations Assistant, 2000-2005. Responsible for responding to press inquiries, including doing radio and TV interviews; writing and distributing press releases on routine business and also during emergencies such as accidents and severe weather; assisting district executive team and Commonwealth Transportation Board member with presentations, correspondence and other tasks; assisting various staff with audio/visual equipment for presentations; speaking to high school students about safe driving; providing clerical and other assistance to other district personnel; planning and coordinating events such as road opening and groundbreaking ceremonies; developing and maintaining the public relations section of the district intranet; maintaining other areas of the VDOT intranet; developing and maintaining the I-81 project portion of the VDOT website.

SEI, Inc., Harrisonburg, Virginia

Web Content Developer, 1999-2000. Responsible for maintaining a corporate intranet, including design, generating content and editing content on a daily basis. This included soliciting content from various departments and encouraging employees to participate to improve internal communications. Also part of a team of developers working on special projects focusing on Web publishing and e-commerce solutions.

Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Assistant City Editor, 1996 -1999. Responsible for helping city editor manage staff of eight reporters, including generating story ideas, assigning stories and editing copy. Also responsible for designing pages, writing headlines and performing administrative duties of the city editor when the city editor was away.

Assistant Wire Editor, 1992-1996. Responsible for editing Associated Press stories and other wire copy, designing state pages and writing headlines on Friday nights and as needed at other times.

Beat reporter, 1986-1996. Responsible for covering local governments, police, courts and general assignments.

Freelance Web Developer

National Federation of Press Women, Webmaster, 2010—2018. Redesigned the organization’s website; maintained the website; consulted on choice for a shopping cart; set up and maintained the shopping cart; consulted on choice for a new Web host; kept domain registration current.

Virginia Press Women Foundation, Webmaster, 2014—2019. Designed the organization’s website; maintain the website; consulted on choice for a third-party site to take donations; created database backend and online form to accept items for annual silent auction and page to display the items for auction; keep track of the domain registration.

Rodamer’s Landscaping, 2017—. Designed the company’s website, built a backend content management system; later moved the site to WordPress; maintain the website.

Organizations

College Communicators Association of Virginia and Washington, D.C.
At-large board member · Aug. 2022 –

Public Relations Council of the Shenandoah Valley
Have been a member all but two years since 2000. Have served as president and treasurer at various times. Currently serving as treasurer.

Education

James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Master of Science degree in Technical and Scientific Communication, 2009.

James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Bachelor of Science degree in communications (print journalism concentration), 1986.

James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Took German I and German II. Finished with a B average (2014-15)

Blue Ridge Community College, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Took Spanish I and Spanish II. Finished both classes with an A average. (2004)

Northern Virginia Community College
Completed general studies courses before transferring to James Madison University, 1982-1984.