Experience

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)

• United States
• Computer and Network Security
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Web and Digital Projects Specialist

  • Jun 2022 - Present

  Website development, support, and site design, content strategy, UX/UI, video/photo asset management Website development, support, and site design, content strategy, UX/UI, video/photo asset management



- Freelance

• editor/writer

  • Sep 2014 - Present



George Mason University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Content Strategist

  • Jun 2015 - Jun 2022

  I focus on Mason’s digital content strategy, providing guidance on creating website content that’s engaging, informative, and encourages action. I also help develop techniques to provide an effective user experience. • Write and edit content for websites. • Write scripts for and conduct workshops on all stages of website creation. • Hold one-on-one working sessions with team members working on websites. • Populate websites using the Drupal CMS. • Write blog posts, press releases, and memos for university community. • Manage the primary university home front. • Create websites quickly for urgent needs (for example, the Covid-19 crisis, as well as a Safe Return site; this included writing the content, curating photos, and building the sites on the Drupal CMS). • Serve on university search committees. • Work on initiatives such as the Transformative Education through Equity and Justice: Anti- Racist Community Engagement panel. • Present sessions at domestic and international professional conferences.



ThirdCertainty, a division of CyberScout

• Scottsdale, AZ

• Contributing Editor

  • Apr 2014 - Oct 2017

  • Write daily news summary and compile weekly news roundup of events related to cyber security, identity theft, data breaches, privacy issues. • Research and write text for biweekly infographics. • Write scripts and set up video-cuts chart for bi-weekly videos. • Line edit, copy edit and write headlines for stories. • Ghostwrite stories to accompany podcasts • Write daily news summary and compile weekly news roundup of events related to cyber security, identity theft, data breaches, privacy issues. • Research and write text for biweekly infographics. • Write scripts and set up video-cuts chart for bi-weekly videos. • Line edit, copy edit and write headlines for stories. • Ghostwrite stories to accompany podcasts



Jennifer Heffner Photography

• United States
• Photography

• Studio Manager

  • Oct 2014 - Jun 2015

  Draft client contracts, assist at photo shoots, edit and tone photos, communicate with clients. Draft client contracts, assist at photo shoots, edit and tone photos, communicate with clients.



USA TODAY

• United States
• Newspaper Publishing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Multiplatform Editor

  • Mar 1999 - Sep 2014

  • Edited digital and print content for Money, News, Life and Sports, checking accuracy and grammar, ensuring fairness in reporting and writing clever headlines. Areas of expertise include investing, real estate, energy, autos, science, health care, personal finance and travel. • Tracked copy flow and worked with assignment editors and reporters to meet tight deadlines. • Wrote Moneyline, condensing long stories into comprehensive briefs. • Oversaw production of additional Money section distributed with 35 community newspapers around the nation, including The Indianapolis Star, Arizona Republic and Cincinnati Enquirer. • Supervised production of bonus sections on business travel; edited special sections on national parks, World War II, cruises and travel. • Optimized headlines for search and social, specifically for the USA TODAY Money Twitter feed. • Programmed Money home front, as well as News front. • Managed and evaluated college interns. • Experience with various CMS and software platforms, including CCI NewsGate, Presto, Microsoft Outlook and WordPress.



HGTV/Scripps

• Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Copy editor, freelance

  • 2005 - 2007

  Edited and proofread quarterly Design and Food magazines. Supervising editor often used suggested headlines. Example: Readers grill Bobby Flay for grate advice (on Q&A about cooking on the grill). Edited and proofread quarterly Design and Food magazines. Supervising editor often used suggested headlines. Example: Readers grill Bobby Flay for grate advice (on Q&A about cooking on the grill).



The Clarion-Ledger

• Newspaper Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Editor, features and news

  • 1986 - 1999

  Features: Managed content and production of various sections, including Food, Arts & Leisure, Books, Weekend Entertainment, Home & Garden and TV pages and magazine. Planned stories and made story, photo and graphics assignments. Supervised 16 freelancers and stringers, managing a payroll budget and ensuring deadlines were met. Contributed heavily to design and content of new Home & Garden section, serving as its editor from its inception. Edited and designed pages using Quark. News: As Assistant News Editor, helped supervise copy editors. Edited news copy, wrote headlines and photo captions, proofread graphics, selected photos and designed news pages and section fronts, including Page 1A. Oversaw scheduling for copy editors. Was Acting News Editor for four months while News Editor was on assignment elsewhere. Wrote and delivered some annual staff evaluations.



The Virgin Islands Daily News,

• Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

• Copy Editor

  • Sep 1989 - Nov 1989

  Assisted in production of the newspaper in extreme conditions for 10 weeks immediately after Hurricane Hugo hit the islands. Designed pages, wrote headlines and edited Page 1A and other news pages, including helping to supervise news content of the newspaper. Supervised page makeup and production in the composing room. Assisted in production of the newspaper in extreme conditions for 10 weeks immediately after Hurricane Hugo hit the islands. Designed pages, wrote headlines and edited Page 1A and other news pages, including helping to supervise news content of the newspaper. Supervised page makeup and production in the composing room.



Hattiesburg American

• United States
• Newspaper Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• News Editor

  • Sep 1982 - Sep 1986

  Selected stories, and designed and oversaw production of Page 1A, as well as other sections, including Business, Metro, News, Lifestyles and Weekend as well as TV pages and magazine and special sections. Composed headlines and photo captions. Supervised page makeup in the composing room. Served on Editorial Board, researching and writing editorials and opinion columns Was promoted to News Editor after less than a year as Assistant News Editor. Selected stories, and designed and oversaw production of Page 1A, as well as other sections, including Business, Metro, News, Lifestyles and Weekend as well as TV pages and magazine and special sections. Composed headlines and photo captions. Supervised page makeup in the composing room. Served on Editorial Board, researching and writing editorials and opinion columns Was promoted to News Editor after less than a year as Assistant News Editor.



The University of Southern Mississippi

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Adjunct Faculty

  • 1981 - 1984

  Taught classes in publicity methods for graduate and undergraduate students, and in beginning reporting. Taught classes in publicity methods for graduate and undergraduate students, and in beginning reporting.