RESUME

WRITING AND EDITING EXPERIENCE

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) • Washington, D.C.
Writer/Editor
July 2024-Present
• Lead editor for Branding, Marketing and Communications department projects.
• Proofread communications collateral and write articles under deadline.
• Develop campaign toolkits, including key messaging, talking points, press releases, and social media content.
• Develop the organization’s internal employee newsletter. Assist with onboarding staff to Hive, a project management tool.

World Resources Institute • Washington, D.C.
Communications Manager, Water Program
June 2021-July 2024
• Led communications for the Water Program. Coordinated communications projects among various teams, departments, International Offices, and external partners.
• Crafted communication strategies and key messages for publications, initiatives, data platforms, events, and more.
• Managed program’s editorial calendar, social media channels, and monthly newsletter.
• Collaborated with experts on blogs and provided developmental edits. Translated technical jargon into messages that could be understood by a variety of audiences, especially the general public.
• Oversaw program’s communications interns and consultants.

Communications Specialist, Water
February 2020-June 2021
• Led communications for the Water Program.
• Managed blogging, email marketing, social media, and facilitated events for the Water Program.

Communications Specialist, Governance
July 2018-February 2020
• Led communications for the Governance Center (now the Equity Center), including the flagship Greening Governance seminars.
• Introduced and implemented Asana project management tool to improve workflow and operations among communications staff across the Institute.
• Assisted in the creation of WRI’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative. Formed WRI’s LGBTQ+ Affinity Community. Assisted in the creation of the Staff Association and served as a representative.

Electrical Contractor Magazine • Bethesda, Md.
Freelance Writer
January 2012-Present
• Write monthly articles for Industry Watch and Safety Leader on renewable energy, safety, and mental health in the construction industry.

Split This Rock • Washington, D.C.
Board of Directors
January 2021-October 2023
• Served on the Board of Directors for Split This Rock, a nonprofit that cultivates poetry that bears witness to injustice and provokes social change.
• Assisted the Board in fundraising opportunities and staff in strategy development.

Poem of the Week Editor
June 2019-December 2019
• Assisted a small editorial team in selecting poems to feature in the Poem of the Week series.

OutWrite • Washington, D.C.
Co-Chair
October 2020-August 2022
• Served as Co-Chair of OutWrite, Washington, D.C.’s annual LGBTQ+ literary festival. Organized three festivals, including moving 2020’s festival entirely online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Managed publication opportunities for emerging and established LGBTQ+ writers, including journals, chapbook contests with Neon Hemlock Press, and an annual themed issue with Metro Weekly.
• Organized planning committee and trained volunteers.

Planning Committee
December 2017-October 2020
• Served on small planning committee organizing OutWrite. Curated poetry events.
• Assisted in moving to a virtual festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic during the festival’s 10th anniversary.

Association of Writers & Writing Programs
Poetry Judge
January 2022-June 2022
• Invited to serve as poetry judge for the Kurt Brown Prize. Reviewed over 500 submissions and selected winning poet.

Poetry Mentor
September 2019-December 2019
• Invited to serve as a poetry mentor for an emerging writer through AWP’s Writer to Writer Mentorship Program.

Communications Coordinator
March 2018-March 2019
• Served on AWP’s LGBTQ Writers’ Caucus board. Assisted Caucus in preparing for AWP 2019.
• Managed content for the Caucus website, developed blogs, and created content for Twitter feed.

Society for Science & the Public • Washington, D.C.
Digital Content Specialist
August 2015-July 2018
• Crafted stories showcasing Society’s impact for multiple audiences. Managed content for website and blog.
• Translated scientific topics for general public.
• Revamped Society newsletter for membership-focused approach, increasing CTO rate from 8% to 25%.
• Trained colleagues on updating the website, including using basic HTML and CSS.
• Created style guide and employee newsletter to improve cross-departmental communication.

District Lit • Washington, D.C.
Poetry Editor
April 2015-March 2018
• Evaluated hundreds of poems for online literary journal. Worked with writers on edits.
• Launched journal’s themed issues, including: “Disability and Chronic Illness”, “Space”, and “Washington, D.C.”.

Marketplace • Washington, D.C.
Intern
September 2014-December 2014
• Pitched stories, researched sources, and created graphics.
• Set up audio console for guests, conducted tape syncs, and scored a reporter’s podcast pilot.

News21 • Phoenix, Ariz.
Carnegie-Knight Reporting Fellow
January 2014-August 2014
• Reported on gun laws in America. My article on rural sheriffs refusing to enforce gun laws, co-written with peer reporter fellows, was published by NBC News.

• Led the newsroom in implementing digital tools for story design, including SoundCite.JS, Timeline.JS, and StoryMap.JS.
• Worked as a lead designer on the Gun Wars website and Americans and their Guns section. Developed and hand-coded background check quiz.

Education Week Teacher • Bethesda, Md.
Editorial Intern
January 2014-May 2014
• Updated homepage and managed social media accounts, including Facebook and Twitter.
• Pitched stories for Teaching Now and BookMarks. Copy edited articles. Produced articles and video packages.
• Created weekly and monthly e-newsletters.

Capital News Service • College Park, Md.
Web Designer
August 2013-December 2013
• Coded interactive graphics for wire service with clients in Md. and D.C.

The Gazette • Gaithersburg, Md.
MDDC Reese Cleghorn Intern
June 2013-August 2013
• Wrote daily articles for strict deadlines. Covered the Takoma Park, Md. beat.
• Collaborated with team of reporters on a special project on the Purple Line light rail.

USA TODAY • McLean, Va.
Social Media Intern
June 2013-July 2013
• Covered the United States v. Windsor ruling at the Supreme Court, when Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was ruled unconstitutional. Interviewed members of the public who traveled from out of town to appear before the Court as it ruled on the case. Shared content across USA TODAY’s social media accounts.
• Scheduled social media posts on USA TODAY channels in Spredfast and Mass Relevance.
• Created a LinkedIn strategy for the social team.

WTOP • Washington, D.C.
Intern
August 2012-December 2012
• Produced a story on National Novel Writing Month.
• Wrote articles and lead-ins. Edited audio and posted stories via the station’s CMS.
• Shadowed National Security Correspondent J.J. Green on interviews and transcribed audio for his stories.

Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House • University of Maryland
Final Judge
March 2021
• Served as final judge for poetry submissions of Litfest, the Writers’ House annual literary contest.

Social Media Manager
August 2012-October 2013
• Created and managed Facebook page. Developed and updated content for the Writers’ House website on the University of Maryland’s domain.
• Assisted in organizing Writers’ House 10th anniversary gala. Sourced, edited, and designed publication featuring a decade of poets and prose writers from Writers’ House.
• Led poetry board for Stylus, the university’s literary magazine. Selected poems to publish in the annual magazine.
• Created The Writers’ Bloc, the university’s only literary and arts-focused newspaper. Launched website and social media accounts, hired staff, and served as Editor-in-Chief of the publiication.

WSOE 89.3 FM • Elon University
Radio Show Host
September 2009-May 2011
• Hosted two weekly shows at the university radio station, an indie music show and a literature-themed show. Managed the sound board and ensured proper rotation of music.

The Pendulum • Elon University
Design Editor
August 2009-May 2011
• Designed features spreads, news pages, and opinion columns in InDesign. Edited pages along with editorial team, including line edits and fact-checking.
• Wrote news articles, features, and opinion columns.

AWARDS & PANELS

Journalism
• News21 Gun Wars investigation won ONA Journalism Award and EPPY Award
• Nominated to participate in News21 Fellowship, 2014
• Selected for MDDC Reese Cleghorn Internship at The Gazette, 2013
• SPJ Sigma Delta Chi Foundation Scholarship, 2013-2014
• Elon University SPJ President, Region 2 Chapter of the year, 2011

Poetry
• Selected for the Pride Poet-in-Residence program, Arts Club of Washington, 2026
• Invited to be a guest judge for “Amplifying Disabled Voices“, special issue from The Mid-Atlantic Review, published by Day Eight, 2025
• Invited to serve as Kurt Brown Prize poetry judge, AWP 2022
• Invited to serve as moderator of “Disability’s Influence on Literature: Realism As A Craft Concept”, AWP 2021
• “Armpit arsonist” was nominated by Doubleback Review for the Pushcart Prize, 2020
• Invited to serve as final judge, poetry for Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House Litfest, 2021
• “Crumb-sized: Poems” was a finalist in Etchings Press’ Whirling Prize, 2019
• “On that one-way trip to Mars” was nominated for an Elgin Award, 2017
• Collaborated with Jane Hirshfield on the Poets for Science tent at the March for Science, served as a poetry teach-in leader, 2017
• Served as reader for 10th annual Split This Rock poetry contest, 2016-2017

SKILLS

EDUCATION

University of Maryland
• B.A., Journalism
• Minor in Creative Writing
• Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House Notation