An award-winning freelance writer, editor, proofreader & speaker.

 

 

Professional activities

Current and recent projects include:

  • writing feature, news and profile articles for the special sections of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper (on homebuying, gaming sites and a local theater organization); AARP's annual convention publications; the Editorial Eye and Brighton News newsletters; Facilities Manager, apartments.com and Life in the Finger Lakes magazines; and a variety of other association publications, including the magazine of the National Association of Black Accountants;
  • writing, editing and desktop-producing newsletters for the Decorative Arts Society, Editorial Freelancers Association and Rochester chapter of the Association for Women in Communications, and writing and editing content for the employee newsletter of a regional tree-service company;
  • presenting newsletter and freelancing seminars for national membership and trade associations, and for Rochester's Writers and Books;
  • proofreading, copy editing and general editing for B'nai B'rith's international magazine, a law firm with offices around the U.S., Glass Line magazine, a Harvard alumni magazine and other organizations;
  • providing media relations and website updates to the Brighton Schools Alumni Association and Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists; and
  • organizing annual conferences and other programs for Communication Central, a professional-development business co-owned with a colleague.

Contact me today to discuss what I can offer your organization or publication!

Background and education

Born and raised in Rochester, NY; went from city grade school to Brighton Central School District, graduating from Brighton High School.

Studied comparative literature at Indiana University-Bloomington and French at University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). BA from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Spent one year as Ford Fellow in University of Missouri-Columbia's graduate program in journalism.

Started writing for pay in high school; freelanced from 1974-'85 while holding fulltime communications positions with:
Urban League of St. Louis (community organizer)
St. Louis Argus newspaper (staff reporter)
Washington University's Record newsletter (editor)
R&D Mexico magazine (assistant editor)
American National Metric Council (newsletter editor)
(Washington) DC General Hospital (chief of publications)

Full-time freelance writer and editor since 1985.

Awards for writing and editing from APEX, Editor's Forum and International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
Philip M. Stern Award for outstanding service to other freelancers from Washington Independent Writers Communicator of the Year for my contributions to IABC/DC

Firm believer in the value of networking (been called the queen of networking!), active in Editorial Freelancers Association, Association for Women in Communications, Society for Professional Journalists, American Copy Editors Society and more.