I’m a journalist, a healthcare communications specialist, a fundraising professional, and also an educator.

If I could have, I would have been a professional student. But my love for all things reading and writing took me straight out of college and into a newsroom, where I learned to write – fast, accurately and on deadline.

As it turns out, telling stories for a living is a transferrable skill, one that translates well to the nonprofit industry. So in the second chapter of my career, I worked as a communications specialist for two hospitals in St. Joseph Health, an Irvine-based Catholic health system. Crisis communication, media relations, donor relations – we were a small outfit, so I did it all. Learned a lot! (Read: steep, steep learning curve!) And worked with some great people.

Today I have come full circle and returned to academia, this time as an educator. I teach public relations at the University of Oregon, with a focus on strategic writing and nonprofit communication. I love what I do. Beyond teaching, a colleague and I co-direct a great writing support program for journalists and communicators called Writing Central.

On sunny days you can find me running on the River Path in Eugene. Check out my LinkedIn for more about my professional experience.