Digital Media Leader

Creative, collaborative communications leader with nearly 30 years’ experience in innovation that increases engagement and expands audiences. Building on expertise in writing and editing, I have guided creation of numerous websites and content verticals and implemented social media strategies and mobile platforms while teaming with the sales staff to drive new revenue.

 Key Skills

  • Editing & Writing
  • Social Media
  • Strategic Planning
  • Team Leadership
  • Project Management
  • Training
  • Audience Engagement
  • Multi-Channel Communication

Professional Experience & Accomplishments

Lkldnow.com, Lakeland: Founder & Editor-at-Large 2023-?
Semi-retired but still very engaged with LkldNow, assisting the executive director and editor. I do occasional writing and editing and handle most technical issues. I am able to devote time to specialty projects such as improving our Voter Guide and adding new features and sections to the website. In addition, I am now able to devote more time to fund-raising.

Lkldnow.com, Lakeland: Editor & Publisher, 2015-2023
Content strategist, business manager, chief writer, social media engager. At a small start-up, you do a little of everything. Lkldnow.com is overseen by a nonprofit organization, Linking Community Now, Inc., whose mission is to foster civic engagement and train young journalists.

The Ledger, Lakeland: Managing Editor / Digital, January 2008-July 2014 – Led newsroom digital activities and expanded digital engagement.

  • Conceptualized and supervised the building of specialty websites covering entertainment, high school sports, college sports, politics, outdoors activities and parenting.
  • Expanded social media use, video and multimedia storytelling, live event coverage, databases, data visualization, staff blogs and photo galleries.
  • Directed the newsroom’s transition to a 24-hour news cycle.
  • Guided development of company’s first iPad and iPhone apps.
  • Appointed to company team selecting a print-and-digital content management system.

The Ledger, Lakeland: Online Operations Director, February 2006 to January 2008 – Directed digital content and revenue activity during a period of heavy expansion.

  • Implemented classified verticals for employment, autos and real estate; established first video coverage; article comments; forums; events calendar, and email newsletters.
  • Created PolkVoice.com, a citizen news site that fed a weekly print publication; daily lunchtime news podcast; Spanish-language website, and homepage customization.
  • Increased monthly web traffic 88 percent and revenue 32 percent.

 The Ledger, Lakeland: Electronic Media Editor, July 1998 to February 2006 – Created and guided development of theledger.com and related sites.

  • Wrote business plan for theledger.com and steered it from a single page on the Web to a network of sites generating several million page views per month and adding new revenue streams.
  • Created The Ledger’s first e-commerce site, dining guide, community guide and comprehensive election site. Authored The Ledger’s first blogs: Polk News Watch and live hurricane coverage.
  • Harnessed technology to create hyperlocal sites for cities and schools that required little upkeep.

Prior Experience

THE LEDGER

Features Editor: Directed the features staff and the daily features section, weekend entertainment magazine, TV Book, food section and seniors magazine. Learned HTML and created The Ledger’s first websites.

News Editor: Directed the content and design of the A section (national/international) and B section (local/state) and supervised the editors responsible for those sections.

City Editor: Directed hard news coverage throughout Polk County, supervising three assistant city editors and nearly 20 reporters.

 THE TAMPA TIMES

City Editor: Supervised local reporting staff for an afternoon metropolitan newspaper.

Assistant City Editor: Supervised reporters, edited content, handled rewrite.

Reporter: Beats included county government, politics and environment. Covered the Florida Legislature and shared the FSNE Award for depth reporting.

Related Activities

  • Member, Florida Society of Newspaper Editors, Associated Press Managing Editors, Online News Association, Newspaper Association of America
  • Florida Southern College, taught digital journalism course, 2005
  • Advisor, Florida Southern College student newspaper, 2006
  • Recent awards: 2014 FSNE, niche site, 1st place; 2013 FSNE, multimedia, 1st place, and niche website, 3rd place; 2008 Sunshine State, best news website, third place (no size category); 2007 Digital Edge finalist, most innovative multimedia storytelling

Civic Involvement

  • Leadership Lakeland Alumni Association
  • Past President, Harrison Arts Center Parent Board
  • Past President, Dixieland Elementary Parent Teacher Association
  • Past President, Beth Shalom, Winter Haven
  • Past Vice President, Temple Emanuel, Lakeland
  • Built first website for Platform Art

Education

University of Florida, Bachelor of Science in Journalism