Experience

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  Miami Herald Media Company

  • Miami, Florida, United States

  • Writer and Columnist

    • Jan 2005 - Present
    • Miami, Florida, United States

    In addition to my Friends and Neighbors column, my stories for the Miami Herald include:* Profiles of first responders and healthcare workers in the COVID-19 pandemic* Restaurant and chef profiles* Health features * Annual Holiday Lights articles* Annual Summer Camps lists and articles* Annual Bazaars & Crafts Fairs lists and articles* Silver Knight winner biographies

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  Freelance

  • Project Editor

    • Jan 2002 - Present

    Words paint pictures and a meticulous editor can make all the difference. I've spent decades editing for projects spanning short stories, newsletters, op-ed pieces, magazine articles, dissertations, résumés, employment cover letters, artist statements, public relations news releases, and communication queries.

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  St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School

  • Coral Gables, Florida

  • Journalism Adviser

    • Aug 2000 - May 2018
    • Coral Gables, Florida

    I taught journalism to fourth, fifth and sixth grade students and together we published The Spire Crier monthly student newspaper available online and in print. My young reporters learned:* to research and interview* to write school news, polls, profiles, opinions, reviews, sports, fiction, poetry, and current events

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  Gulliver Preparatory School Miller Road Campus

  • Coral Gables, Florida

  • Journalism Adviser

    • 2011 - 2012
    • Coral Gables, Florida

    I restructured the journalism program for seventh and eighth grade students. * My students learned to create a yearbook through Walsworth online production.* We created a digital student newspaper. * I also taught online forum use to students and teachers. * I arranged for well-known guest speakers to attend my class to discuss careers in journalism and news photography. * I organized the last student field trip to The Miami Herald building at One Herald Plaza.

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  Weekend Getaways, Inc.

  • Miami/Fort Lauderdale Area

  • Publisher

    • Apr 1986 - Jul 1988
    • Miami/Fort Lauderdale Area

    I visited destinations in North America and the Caribbean to write and publish a monthly travel newsletter. Weekend Getaways Letter focused on extended weekend travel and included stories about undiscovered elegant hotels, unique restaurants, and adventures, all of which I experienced myself. It won awards for reporting and desktop publishing. The paid subscriber base was international.

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  Viewtron, Knight Ridder Newspapers, Inc.

  • Miami Beach, FL

  • Editor, Electronic Messaging and Mail; Marketing and Promotions Writer; Computer Supervisor

    • 1980 - 1986
    • Miami Beach, FL

    I advocated for bulletin boards and chatrooms and was the first Messaging Editor on the team that established early email and interactive communication before the WWW was invented. I also worked in marketing and wrote promotional speeches for the senior vice president, newsletter stories, telemarketing scripts, and user manuals for personal computer users. I was learning computer operations when Viewtron was shut down in 1986. History: I was one of the first technology pioneers hired by Knight Ridder Newspapers to research, design, and market one of the earliest online services. Viewtron was available 10 years before AOL. Our service started as a videotex operation through which users navigated sections with the AT&T Sceptre keypad and a modem terminal connected to a TV. We offered Viewtron for personal computers when they became available in the mid-1980s. Using graphics considered advanced at the time, and a programming language designed in-house, we created the earliest versions of websites now commonly seen on the modern Internet.

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  Allied Stores / Jordan Marsh

  • 1501 Biscayne Boulevard Miami, Florida

  • Advertising Copywriter

    • Dec 1978 - Mar 1980
    • 1501 Biscayne Boulevard Miami, Florida

    I wrote ad copy for Jordan Marsh special events and holidays as well as toys, housewares, women's accessories, and sporting goods. My ads were published nationally in newspapers, magazines, advertising supplements, and catalogs.