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Professional Experience

Sojourners Magazine 
Washington, D.C., April 2019 – Present
Audience Engagement Manager, July 2021 – Present
• Manages all organization-wide social media handles (currently Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and leads social strategy for a project team of five staffers.
• Develops and implements, with the editorial and multimedia staff, marketing and communications strategies for content promotion (search engine optimization, social media, etc.) and growth of Sojourners’ platforms, including print and online publications.
• Implements, analyzes, and adjusts strategies for the growth and engagement of Sojourners’ email constituency using the CRM technology I transitioned the company to, and works across teams to oversee overall list health.
• Tracks social media best practices and uses those platforms for audience engagement, cultivation, and list acquisition.
• Compiles and tracks weekly, monthly, and annual analytics across platforms to gauge trends and growth.
• Manages audience response to Sojourners’ email communications and publications (i.e., comments sections and feedback forms) using company-wide software that I implemented.
• Track social media best practices and, with the other editors, utilize those platforms for audience engagement, cultivation, and list acquisition.
• Coordinates and writes the Response section of Sojourners magazine.

Audience Engagement Editor, April 2019 – July 2021
• Developed and implemented, with the web and magazine editors, marketing and communications strategies for content promotion and growth of Sojourners’ platforms, including print and online publications.
• Implemented, analyzed, and adjusted strategies for the growth and engagement of Sojourners’ email constituency using Luminate, working cross-departmentally to help oversee overall list health.
• Tracked social media best practices and, with the other editors, utilized those platforms for audience engagement, cultivation, and list acquisition.
• Compiled and tracked weekly analytics across platforms to gauge trends and growth.
• Tracked audience response to Sojourners’ email communications and publications.

Freelance Journalist
Washington, D.C., October 2018 – March 2019
• Producer for two podcasts: one about women entrepreneurs and one about finance technology development
• Adviser for in-depth stories about the American West, indigenous populations and sociopolitical divisions
• Contract producer for the Hoover Institution’s immigration policy fellow, organizing conversations among thought leaders across the political spectrum and prepping background information for related blog posts, games
• Contractor for the National School Board Association’s marketing department, producing marketing copy and materials and working with the design team to achieve their objectives

National Geographic 
Washington, D.C., August 2014 – October 2018
Culture & Exploration Writer, March 2018 – October 2018
• Helped develop a content calendar from the ground up for the newly created Culture & Exploration desk;  pitched the desk’s newsletter concept;  pitched and wrote short- and longform stories;  wrote quick-turnaround news stories based on news events that fell within our desk’s content area;  headed the data analytics for our team, using Adobe Analytics/Omniture and Google Analytics to monitor performance of all stories, flag top and bottom performers, and pitch new stories accordingly;  wrote assigned stories, created photo galleries, produced story text for videos while working closely with video producers;  top edited stories for desk;  traveled to, interviewed, and regularly interfaced with Nat Geo Explorers for stories about their work and breakthroughs

Web Producer, August 2015 – March 2018
• Curated homepage content for nationalgeographic.com and doubled homepage metrics;  wrote and built stories for News and produced pages for other daily content sections;  advised NGM editors and designers and helped build digital versions of magazine stories;  trained editors and writers in content management systems;  produced content for Apple News distribution platform;  created digital strategy for and produced one-off projects;  coordinated sponsored and special content for production and promotion
• Developed content for and project managed digital edition of National Geographic magazine’s “Gender Revolution” issue, finalist for 2017 Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting.

Digital Editorial Specialist, August 2014 – August 2015
• Provided editorial quality assurance for digital versions of the monthly magazine, content across the nationalgeographic.com website, proprietary apps, digital newsletters and Snapchat content;  fact-checked, copy edited and provided quality assurance for Nat Geo Travel’s social media posts, Intelligent Travel blog posts and daily photography feature;  organized a meeting series for the digital editorial team to collaborate and train with stakeholders across the organization

Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, Communications Coordinator
Washington, D.C., August 2013 – August 2014
• Redesigned and rebuilt chevychasepc.org, the church website, to be mobile-friendly, with a responsive de
• Managed all internal and external communications, including weekly and monthly newsletters, information on the website, social media accounts, digital and print marketing, and advised on communications best practices
• Designed digital and print logos and materials
• Provided additional administrative and technical support

WTOP Radio, Freelance Arts Writer
Washington, D.C., July 2013 – June 2014
• Reported, wrote and edited performing arts and features stories for online publication
• Collaborated with Living page editor to plan and execute story ideas, including text and multimedia elements

Slate Magazine, Interactives Intern
Washington, D.C., January 2013 – May 2013
• Built and managed data for interactive news stories
• Pitched story ideas to the Interactives desk editor and created them from the ground up
• Learned to code in HTML, CSS and JavaScript and learned to use GIS mapping data and shapefiles
• Wrote stories for other sections of the website

WTOP Radio, Digital News Editor/Writer
Washington, D.C., March 2012 – July 2013
• Developed, managed and executed all online coverage on weekends
• Reported, wrote and edited hourly news stories and breaking news for online publication
• Collaborated with on-air reporters to produce online versions of their stories
• Created and posted multimedia content in stories – audio, video, photos and photo galleries
• Managed website content and layout
• Used content management systems, social media and breaking news alerts to find, post and promote stories

National Geographic, Travel Books Intern
Washington, D.C., January 2012 – February 2012
• Wrote, researched and edited text for travel books
• Hung shows for drafts of upcoming books and magazines
• Attended meetings where employees presented ideas and projects for the future of the magazine, its social media presence, its media technology developments and its website

National Public Radio, Digital Media Intern
Washington, D.C., September 2011 – December 2011
• Worked as a web producer for NPR news programs, writing web text and creating build-outs in CMS
• Worked as a web producer for NPR Books, compiling a “New In Paperback” series, posting book reviews and contacting book publishers for excerpts, images and other materials
• Assisted the Digital Media Arts desk; compiled weekly futures reports for pieces in online Arts & Life section
• Sat in on show broadcasts and interviews with hosts and their guests
• Reported and blogged using multimedia platforms for Intern Edition, a show produced by interns

The Free Lance-Star, Intern Reporter
Fredericksburg, Va., Jan. 2010 – May 2010 & Jan. 2011 – May 2011
• Wrote articles for several sections, including News, Business, Region, Spotsylvania Extras, Healthy Living and
Weekender; wrote news articles covering local reactions to the Arab Spring protests in Egypt and the Middle East; covered community policing efforts to change alcohol and panhandling issues in Fredericksburg
• Pitched story and column ideas to section editors and the managing editor
• Published the first column to be written and printed by any intern at the paper

The UMW Bullet, Managing, News, Viewpoints Editor
Fredericksburg, Va., January 2008 – May 2011
• As Managing Editor for the University of Mary Washington weekly newspaper, edited the layout and articles for each section; worked with staff writers; oversaw day-to-day operations; reported stories, took photos as needed
• As News Editor, assigned stories; supervised 10 staff writers; edited articles from staff writers; designed and implemented news section print layouts; chose stories for and designed the front page; posted online articles; wrote breaking news articles, features stories, editorials and entertainment reviews; drove news coverage that led to the university president’s forced resignation
• As Viewpoints Editor, selected and edited columnists, letters to the editor and editorials; guided staff members through writing the weekly staff editorial; facilitated discussions during editorial board meetings; designed and implemented print and online section layout

University of Mary Washington, Department of News and Information, Public Relations Intern
Fredericksburg, Va., January 2011 – May 2011
• Pitched, researched and wrote press releases and news articles about events and people at UMW
• Worked closely with the director of news and public information; learned about pitching stories to the media and running a PR office, including updating events calendar, filing news releases and working with social media.

Education

Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
December 2013
• Master of Professional Studies in Journalism, concentrating in digital, data and multimedia skills

University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Va.
May 2011
• Bachelor of Arts in English: Journalism, Creative Writing; Concentration in French (proficient speaking level)
• Summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Knight Center for Journalism, The University of Texas at Austin, Online Program
July – August 2019
• Certification: Audience Strategies for Reach and Engagement

Leadership Experience

Capital Blues, Board Member
Washington, D.C., May 2014 – July 2021
• Organized weekly blues dances at Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, including management of volunteers, instructors, DJs, bands and promotional announcements
• Organized two annual national blues dance exchanges in the D.C. area, coordinating instructors, out-of-town attendees, competitions, venues, merchandise and promotions

Camp Hanover, Camp Counselor, Support Staff, Volunteer
Hanover County, Va., Summers, May 2009 – June 2014
• Worked with a co-counselor for one- and two-week periods to guide small groups of 10 to 12 campers through daily outdoor activities, larger trips outside of the camp premises and small- and large-scale service projects
• Supported camp counselors, staff, and directors as needed in their programs

Skills

• Reporting, writing, editing, digital production
• HTML, CSS, JSON, and very basic JavaScript
• Open-source WordPress, Adobe Experience Manager, and other custom content management systems
• FOIA requests
• Email newsletter systems: MailChimp, Constant Contact, MyEmma
• Social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat
• Social media management systems: Spredfast, Tweetdeck
• Style guides: AP Style, Nat Geo Style Guide
• Photo editing: Adobe Photoshop
• Video editing: Final Cut Pro, iMovie
• Audio editing and Recording: Adobe Audition, MTE, Dalet, Garage Band, Audacity, Marantz, iPhone
• Layout: Adobe InDesign

Awards

Virginia Press Association’s College Awards — first place, Excellence of Front Page (2009); graduated summa cum laude (2011); Phi Beta Kappa (2010); Lambda Iota Tau (literary honor society; 2010); National Society for Collegiate Scholars (2008); Annie Patterson Gardner scholar (2007-2011); Pimper-Ehler scholar (2007-2011); Academic Excellence scholar (2007-2011)