Journalism
Many journalists start their career as intrepid cub reporters, desperate to see their bylines on the front page. While I enjoy writing and creating multimedia content, even as a journalism student my true passion was editing and producing. It’s been an incredibly fulfilling career path. I’ve designed front pages for the Duluth News Tribune; copy-edited stories about the post-Soviet republics from a drafty office in Prague for Transitions Online; done the night shift production to get the Sunday newspaper online for the Winston-Salem Journal; chosen fallen soldiers to profile on the homepage of the obituaries company Legacy.com; and curated weekly newsletters that go out of an audience of more than half a million subscribers for the ABA Journal. Here are a few of the projects I’m proud of.
Members Who Inspire
I launched the Members Who Inspire series after taking over responsibility for the ABA Insider section of the ABA Journal print magazine. With a directive to explain the inner workings of the American Bar Association to readers, I kept coming into contact with ABA members who were doing fascinating work in their personal and professional lives. Many were doing important and innovative work without much recognition. I have either written or edited almost every Members Who Inspire column, which have been published monthly since 2017.
Children & the Law
In 2023, the ABA Journal developed a series looking at the various ways children are impacted by the justice system. One of the features, a deep dive into how family courts evaluate claims of parental alienation, won a national award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. I was proud to be the editor on that piece, working alongside the enormously talented reporter, Amanda Robert. The final piece in the series that year looked at efforts to help older foster children who are aging out of the system.
Law and Aging
At the other end of the age spectrum, there are a host of issues that deserve closer inspection. In 2020, Amanda Robert and I launched the Law and Aging series to do just that. From the growth of elder law as a practice area to concerns about when judges should be hanging up their robes, it was an opportunity to dig into fascinating legal topics. The COVID-19 pandemic also prompted some legal providers to find creative new ways to serve their elderly clients. We won a national silver award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for the series.
Awards and Honors
Peter Lisagor Awards, Chicago Headline Club, Society of Professional Journalists
Best Literary Coverage, 2021
Best Podcast, 2016
Azbee Awards, American Society of Business Publication Editors
Enterprise News Story Silver Award, National, 2023
Government Coverage Gold Award, National, 2020
Group Profile Silver Award, National, 2021
Feature Article Silver Award, National, 2024
Individual Profile Bronze Award, Upper Midwest Region, 2023
Magazine of the Year, National, 2014, 2023 and 2024
Magazine of the Year Honorable Mention, National, 2017 and 2019
Magazine/Newspaper Redesign Gold Award, National, 2020
Online Single Topic Coverage Bronze Award, Upper Midwest Region, 2018
Podcast Gold Award, Upper Midwest Region, 2019
Photo Gallery Silver Award, National, 2017
Photo Gallery Gold Award, Upper Midwest Region, 2014 and 2017
Print Feature Article Bronze Award, Upper Midwest Region, 2021
Print Group Profile Bronze Award, Upper Midwest Region, 2019
Q&A Silver Award, Upper Midwest Region, 2023
Web Feature Series Silver Award, National, 2021
Web Feature Series Gold Award, Upper Midwest Region, 2021
Web Feature Series Bronze Award, Upper Midwest Region, 2023
Web Microsite/Special Section Silver Award, Upper Midwest Region, 2020, 2021
Web News Section Gold Award, National, 2014, 2018 and 2019
Web News Section Gold Award, Upper Midwest Region, 2014 and 2019
Website of the Year Top 10 Award, National, 2016 and 2019
Website of the Year, Upper Midwest Region, 2016
Website Redesign Bronze Award, National, 2015
Website Redesign Gold Award, Upper Midwest Region, 2015
EPpy Awards, Editor & Publisher and Mediaweek
Best Internet Community Service Effort, 2006
Online Journalism Awards, Online News Association
Best Service Journalism – Small Sites, 2005
Dow Jones Copy Editing Scholarship, Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, 2002
Knight Ridder Fellow, 2002