Editorial Consultant

• Author, Essay in forthcoming edition of New California Writing 2011 from Heyday — Berkeley, CA (2011)
• Speaker, National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association annual conference — Washington D.C. (2008)
• Judge, (Creative Nonfiction category), Pen Center USA Literary Awards — Los Angeles, CA (2005)

• Lead creation of thought leadership publications in all industry sectors; developed ideas into strategic, focused papers or articles in conjunction with consultants.
• Oversee publication development;paired projects with appropriate ghostwriters, edited final projects to check for clarity, content, relevancy, intellectual level.
• Consulted on redesign of company publicationsresulting in new, visually-appealing editorial templates thematically aligned to company’s strategic goals.
• Delivered editorial guidance to academic professionals; translated complex research findings and technical information into high-level content for consumption by executive readership.

Zester Daily — 9/2009 to present

• Transforming start-up website into established, professional food and wine news site.Engineered buy-in from founder, navigating project ownership sensitivities, to improve content and add distinctive design.
• Built smooth-functioning virtual newsroom;sourced and trained editing talent consisting of three line editors, two copy editors. Assigned 30 contributors to specialized reporting teams with appropriate leadership. Established and refined communication systems and protocols.
• Manage editorial copy flow including creating and managing weekly story budgets, tracking all submissions, and assigning / editing select stories, including guest-written op-eds.

• Consulted with external affairs department to develop staff writing skills workshops;concentrated efforts on crafting more compelling fundraising appeals and other donor communications.
• Created custom three-part training using pre-existing communications / publications as real-life examples targeted for improvement; coached staff on creating messages, stories, and voices that motivate donors.

• Progressively promoted and recognized for editorial leadership during significant changes in newsroom. Assigned and edited columns, cover stories, and essays, as well as managed special projects.
• Edited pieces for nationally-known columnists and writers for op-ed page, championing balanced representation of opposing arguments on issues of major public concern; assigned essays on political, cultural, social, and economic issues.
• Demonstrated leadership acumen during transitions and points of crisis by acting as resourceful problem-solver and exerting calmness under pressure; became go-to leader with knowledge and management skills to drop into any situation, assess issues, and act quickly to develop workable solutions.
• Cultivated knowledge of wide array of subjectsbyquickly researching and absorbing news and information about specific topics before editing opinion articles for factual mistakes, misrepresentation, and holes in logic.
• Redesigned and re-energized travel section page to reflect evolution of travel trends;streamlined page structure to include quick-read features and columns while expanding regional coverage.
• Assigned and editedregional and international travel features; arts and entertainment news; film, theater and restaurant reviews; profiles and interviews; trend stories; and special issues such as holiday gift guides, summer activity guides, and year-in-review packages.
• Guided new senior editors on copy flow, timelines, and operations; trained new staff as internal editorial subject matter expert.
• Supervised editorial activitiesincluding tracking story budgets and photo assignments, overseeing page proofs on deadline, writing news and features, and developing new content / structure for section redesigns.