Experience

High Country Press

• United States
• Higher Education
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Reporter/Editor

  • May 2011 - Present

  I cover government meetings, tourism, business, elections, sports, crime, events, general interest, obituaries and more throughout primarily Watauga and Avery counties for Boone-based High Country Press, a former weekly that transitioned to only-the-web in 2012. Write up to several stories per weekday and post relevant press releases, edit copy, manage social media accounts, stay on top of breaking news, capture and Photoshop images, unload publications off the truck on delivery days, engage with sources, contacts and readers in the community, answer the phones and more daily. Write stories and occasionally edit for High Country Magazine, a six-issue general-interest glossy and the High Country Press Visitors' Guides in summer, fall and winter. Spring 2016, HCP Publications published its inaugural Home Magazine, for which I wrote 90 percent of the copy to rave reviews. A main curator of HCPress.com, I've learned to use HTML code for posts and to navigate the back end of our Wordpress site. Streamed live video of election coverage before Twitter's Periscope and Facebook Live apps existed. Cover Stories. Front-page photography. My work has been quoted, cited and linked to in the national press and on cable TV, such as ESPN, MSNBC and the New York Times - in addition to more regional outlets. Show less



Freelance and/or Magazine

• Writer

  • 2006 - Present

  - High Country Magazine (May 2011 to present): 300-word "Echoes" to cover stories up to 5,000 words. - SIERRA magazine (Oct. 2012 - paid circulation 513,000): A look at the New River Gorge and mountaintop removal (See publications) - Mountain Times (Sept. 2010 to May 2011) - weekly column on local outdoor adventure - The Blowing Rocket (Dec. 2010) - The Appalachian Voice (Fall 2006 to Dec. 2012): Regular contributor with stories on environment, economy and adventure - and sometimes all three in one piece. Still in touch - The Appalachian (Fall 2006) Collegiate newspaper. Show less



Mountain Times

• United States
• Newspaper Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Columnist - Outdoor Adventure

  • Sep 2010 - May 2011

  Penned an outdoor-adventure column for a weekly in the Boone area. Wrote about kayaking in the Watauga Gorge, bouldering below the Blue Ridge Parkway and collegiate cyclists making waves on the national stage. Continued this gig until I secured a full-time position with competing newspaper. Penned an outdoor-adventure column for a weekly in the Boone area. Wrote about kayaking in the Watauga Gorge, bouldering below the Blue Ridge Parkway and collegiate cyclists making waves on the national stage. Continued this gig until I secured a full-time position with competing newspaper.



Vaughn Woodworking Inc

• United States
• Furniture and Home Furnishings Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Woodworker

  • Dec 2006 - May 2011

  After graduating from college, I sought an apprenticeship in a woodshop near Grandfather Mountain. Starting out with no construction skills or experience using tools, I learned how to build and repair custom cabinets, doors and fine furniture. I also dabbled in making musical instruments. After graduating from college, I sought an apprenticeship in a woodshop near Grandfather Mountain. Starting out with no construction skills or experience using tools, I learned how to build and repair custom cabinets, doors and fine furniture. I also dabbled in making musical instruments.