Professional Experience
Pasatiempo/Santa Fe New Mexican
Santa Fe, New Mexico
2010–2014 (freelance writer)
August 2014–December 2021 (staff reporter)
Arts and culture reporting and writing, including author interviews, popular music and local theater features, visual arts coverage, Native arts and literature, book reviews, movie reviews, social justice topics, and food writing.
St. John’s College Communications Office
Santa Fe, New Mexico
2012–2015
Contract writer responsible for alumni, student, and donor profiles and features for web and print; copy and other special projects for web and print; CMS editorial maintenance of alumni community website; CMS updates to existing pages on college website; maintenance of electronic calendar; revision of architecture and content for school website, working across college departments; PR consulting.
St. Michael’s High School
Santa Fe, New Mexico
2008–2013
Contract writer for the president of the school responsible for advancement collateral, professional correspondence, publications and communications consulting, media relations, and all website content administration. Worked with a variety of internal constituents to determine ongoing direction of school’s website. Responsible for writing and coordinating content for biannual newsletter. Created architecture, developed content for, and oversaw design and programming of new website.
Cisneros Design
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Freelance writer, 2007–2013
Ad, web, and brochure copy; brainstorming and assorted writing assignments. Projects include Hotel Santa Fe, Santa Fe School of Cooking, SF Brown, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Century Bank, St. Michael’s High School, and Santa Fe Community College Foundation.
College of Santa Fe
College Relations Office
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Editorial Director, 2005–09; Staff Writer, 2001–05;
Public Information Officer 1998–2001
Served as assistant editor and then editor of Vistas, the College of Santa Fe’s tri-annual alumni magazine: planned content for each issue; assigned stories and photography to freelancers; edited/proofread all sections; and served as photo editor. Media relations: drafted and distributed press releases, media advisories, photo-ops, and calendar listings for college news and event promotion; secured feature stories in local media for college events and issues; drafted op-eds for college administrators; coordinated with academic departments for media relations outreach; worked with vice president for advancement and senior staff on crisis communications and organization transition communications. Publications: concepted and wrote all major undergraduate recruitment publications and coordinated photography; wrote and/or edited all top-level material on the CSF website; wrote/edited other publications as requested, including the President’s Annual Report, fundraising materials, newsletters, greeting cards and promotional materials. Other duties: committee work; worked with and for senior administration and faculty; wrote assorted letters and speeches for the college president and other administrators; drafted and submitted local, regional and national award nomination letters for faculty, administrators and trustees; drafted honorary degree text for commencement speakers; served as general photo editor for the College Relations Office; consulted on printed materials as requested or assigned.
Financial Concepts/Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Receptionist/Office Assistant, June–December 1997
Responsibilities included filing, answering phones, general office assistance, and special mailings.
Security Capital Group
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Receptionist/Office Assistant, November 1996–April 1997
Responsibilities included answering telephone switchboard for over 100 employees, reading and clipping national newspapers for articles of interest to the company, and clerical duties as assigned.
NYSCO Inc.
Bronx, New York
Receptionist/Office Assistant, June–September 1996
Responsibilities included answering telephones, filing, and general office assistance.
Education
- A., Creative Writing, College of Santa Fe, cum laude, 1996
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 1992–1994
Publications
Fiction
- “Lamb’s Wool” Evening Street Review, 2018
- “Ipso Facto” Unlikely Stories, 2018
- “The Day You Were Sad” Twelve Stories, 2008
- “Boom-Chick-a-Boom” Freight Stories, 2008
- “Stand Wherever You Want” The Iowa Review, 2005
- “You Don’t Dance” THE Magazine, 2004
- “Who Lives Here?” THE Magazine, 2002
Essay
“I Might Have Ducked” Entropy, 2017
Humor
“The Underbelly Chronicles,” column, Santa Fe Reporter, 1997
Awards
New Mexico Press Association:
1st place review 2014-15
2nd place review 2019-2020
2nd place feature writing 2019-2020
2nd place review 2020-2021
Grande Award for General Feature Writing: “Being Gus Ruckle,” Vistas, for the College of Santa Fe, from the Council for Advancement and Support of Higher Education (CASE), 2000
References furnished upon request.