More than 16 years of professional writing and editing experience with strong research and investigative background. Excellent communication and feature writing abilities. Specialize in food, travel, wine, design, health, pets and fitness subjects. Bilingual in Spanish, can Interview in French. Studied Japanese. Member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Society of American Travel Writers and Midwest Travel Writers Association. Author of five culinary books. Winner of the 2010 Mark Twain Award for best travel Book. winner of 2009 Mark Twain Award for best socially Responsible Travel article. Winner of the 2007 Mark Twain Award for best article about a Midwestern destination.
Professional History
Freelance Writer and Author (2002-present)
Write for more than three dozen different magazines and Web sites, including: SecondAct.com, Saveur, Clean Eating, Budget Travel, Gourmet, Golf Connoisseur, Parenting, Relish, Midwest Airlines, Midwest Living, Kitchen and Bath Ideas, Destination: Vacation, Lake, Wine Enthusiast, Milwaukee, NWA Traveler, AirTran’s GO, United Airlines’ Hemispheres, and others. Author of The cheeses of California: A Culinary Travel Guide, Published by the countryman press in 2009 and winner of the 2010 Mark Twain Awards for best travel book; The cheeses of Wisconsin: A culinary Travel Guide, published by The Countryman Press in 2008 and second place winner of 2009 Mark Twain Awards; The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cheese, published by Alpha Books in 2008, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tapas, also published by Alpha in 2008, and The complete idiot’s guide to wine and food pairing, published by Alpha in 2010. also contributed to 1001 Foods You Must Try Before You Die and My Dog’s Life. Corporate clients Have included: Fullhouse Creative, Medem, Inc., Columbia-St. Mary’s, and Larry’s Brown Deer Market. Write, copyedit, and research articles.
News reporter and feature writer for this 236,000 circulation daily newspaper. Varied reporting experience, including investigative, courts, police, municipal, business, Hispanic, food and feature writing. 2002 Milwaukee Press Club Nomination for investigative journalism. Noted stories included: series on failed children’s museum project, Racine County
Police reporter for this 180,000 circulation daily newspaper. Covered breaking news, developed sources and initiated in-depth projects. Major stories included: first journalist to report that Milwaukee Police Officer Gabriel Bedoya had tried to frame his partner for the murder of Chicago
Taught news reporting and news writing courses for this private university. Designed course work, arranged for guest speakers and facilitated Chicago
City News Bureau, Reporter/Re-write (1993-1994)
Covered police, fire and city news. Developed sources, pursued leads and followed on-going criminal investigations for this noted Chicago
Education
Education
Graduate cum laude in May 1993, honors bachelor of arts degree in journalism, with Spanish minor. President of the Marquette
Working toward masters of journalism.
L’Ecole de Cuisine
basic French cooking certificate, 2000.
Also trained personally with Chef Edmund S. Tijerina of Estrella Restaurant, Milwaukee Sauveur de Laundemont , France Chiba , Japan
NPR Contributor, 2009-Present
Cheese Correspondent, “Good Fermentations” segment of Lake Effect Show on WUWM-Milwaukee. Discuss cheese and pairings trends, cooking ideas, etc.
Guest Appearances
”What’s Cooking,” CRN Radio; “The Morning Blend” on WTMJ-4, Milwaukee; “The Morning Show,” WITI, Milwaukee; Sunday Morning Show, WITI, Milwaukee; Martha Stewart Satellite Radio Morning Show and others.
Guest speaker
Teach culinary and wine education classes, both public and private, and speak at national and regional culinary events, including: Kohler food & Wine Experience, 2010; Wisconsin Wine & Dine, 2009 and 2010; Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival, John Michael Kohler arts center, 2009; Harvest fest, 2010; Sonoma Cheese Conference, 2009.