WELCOME!
Thank you for visiting! I invite you to learn a bit more about me and explore a collection of my work, including newspaper articles, executive speeches, and sales and marketing collateral.
ABOUT ME
Uniquely experienced writer, editor, and marketing strategist known for synthesizing complex inputs into cohesive narratives for an extensive range of communications needs. Intellectually curious and highly educated, with extensive experience in banking, financial services, digital media, and journalism.
EXPERIENCE
2018-2025
Senior Writer
50,000feet Inc.
Copywriter and strategist for marketing agency.
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Writing: Brand development, B2B and B2B2C campaigns, sales enablement, social media, and client presentations
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Strategy: Positioning, value propositions, messaging frameworks, product naming, competitive evaluations, and voice/tone exploration
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Video: Scriptwriting (voiceover and screen text), visual direction, editing, and talent review
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Clients: Financial services, financial technology, business services, consumer banking and credit, and non-profits
2012-2018
Comptroller of the Currency
Senior Writer-Editor
Editor of bank supervision text; writer of internal, external, and executive communications.
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Writing: Speeches for senior leadership, Community Affairs newsletters, policy and procedure manuals
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Editing: Bank examination manuals, reports, bulletins, issuances, web copy, and internal communications
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Project management: Annual Report to Congress, ServiceNow evaluation and implementation, and SharePoint entries and updates
1987-2012
Chicago Tribune
Journalist
Editor of copy and imagery; writer of bylined news articles; manager of other copy editors. Promoted six times across 12 salary grades.
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Editing: Proofreader, fact-checker, and headline writer for more than 100,000 news articles; expert in grammar, punctuation, and style
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Writing: Reporter of breaking news, news features, profiles, and obituaries; interviews, research, and story ideation; coverage included crime, government, health care, education, and real estate
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Management: Candidate evaluation and hiring; performance reviews, scheduling, and mentorship; harassment prevention; seminar presentation
EDUCATION
1984-1989
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Bachelors degree in Economics
My undergraduate studies comprised a classical education, with a focus on reading and analyzing original sources in history, philosophy, and literature.
Note: The U. of C. did not offer degrees in Marketing, Journalism, or Finance.
1989-present
Continuing Education
SEMINARS AND COURSES
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Project Management, U.S. government seminar
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Critical Thinking, American Management Association (AMA)
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Getting Results Without Authority, AMA
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Boosting Productivity, The Institute for Management Studies
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Communicating with Diplomacy, Tact, and Credibility, AMA
QUALIFICATIONS
COMMAND OF LANGUAGE
With an extensive vocabulary, a sharp sense of nuance, and a keen understanding of how target audiences interpret messages, I am an expert at using the precise words needed to drive home specific points to specific audiences.
CONTINUOUS LEARNING
A lifetime of gathering in-depth information through books, magazines, television, newspapers, and conversation allows me to grasp new topics quickly and find strategic connections that less experience writers may overlook.
RANGE OF EXPERIENCE
Successful careers in marketing, journalism, and government allow me to understand complex subjects from multiple perspectives and communicate in different voices, which I have applied to PowerPoint presentations, headlines, web copy, social media, news releases, white papers, articles, and speeches.
WORK SAMPLES
This collection includes writing examples from my careers in journalism, marketing, and government.
This ran as a Sunday Page 1 centerpiece. As a cyclist myself, I experienced the issues discussed in the article and came up with the idea to write about it.
I was on assignment when a source mentioned the friction and progress surrounding an influx of Somali refugees in small-town Wisconsin.
Suburban and urban coyotes were just starting to achieve notice when I wrote several articles about them, including this one, which also updated the Canada goose nuisance.
A news feature that examines police efforts to hold parents accountable In the wake of several high-profile teenage drunken-driving deaths.
My interests in science, construction, and transportation came together in this piece, which is a good example of making complex subjects easy to understand.
I wrote this and many other employee messages during a brief period with a nonprofit organization in Chicago.
In this speech, the Comptroller discussed the need for banks to be vigilant against threats while continuing to support developing economies.
This speech was shared by the head of the CFPB with his entire staff, an unusual action that speaks to my ability to find a tone that resonates.
Amid the rapid adoption of new technologies and models, the Comptroller reiterated the need for stability in the financial system we all depend on.
This example is typical of the videos I scripted and developed imagery guidance for.
This message exploration blends strategy and copywriting, which often overlapped at 50,000feet.
This message exploration blends strategy and copywriting, which often overlapped at 50,000feet.
Note: All materials in this section are copyrighted by the original publishers and may not be used without permission.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Microsoft Word - Advanced
Microsoft PowerPoint - Advanced
Google Suite - Proficient
Adobe Acrobat - Proficient
Microsoft SharePoint - Proficient
Slack - Proficient