My corporate career included leading Corporate Communications for a bank, coordinating international high-tech product launches, and managing a newsroom for a CBS affiliate. Here’s my path from journalism major, through corporate career, to freelance writer.
News Director – KVIQ Television (Eureka, CA) – After graduating with a journalism major (English minor), I managed a newsroom responsible for four live broadcasts a day. Each day, I wrote stories and edited reporters’ stories. I improved the newscasts to earn the number one position in Arbitron and Nielsen ratings. I reported on politics, business, earthquakes and timber issues – interviewing congressmen, governors, presidential candidates, movie stars, and a Nobel Prize winner.
Short stints as an account executive for a public relations company with architecture and hospitality clients, an independent video producer and director of a nonprofit which built and rehabbed houses for low-income families, then on to…
First Interstate Bank, Vice President & Manager Public Communications (PDX, OR) – I managed the communications department and interacted with news media in a five state region, including ghost writing articles for The Oregonian and financial publications, writing executive speeches and producing the annual report. Also, I developed the bank’s media training program and managed crisis communication.
Oregon Public Broadcasting, Director of Corporate Communications (PDX, OR) – With OPB at the forefront of digital television, much of my strategy and writing centered on this technology. I oversaw and wrote articles for the monthly member magazine Focus (which had the largest subscription of any magazine in the state). Also, I generated statewide publicity for shows such as Nature and Nova.
Tektronix, Inc., Worldwide Marcom Manager (Beaverton, OR) – I produced marketing materials for international high-tech product launches for oscilloscope, logic analyzer and Bluetooth products. I developed key messages, press releases, websites, sales literature such as brochures, application notes and print ads.
In my corporate career, I earned some Awards and Kudos.
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