Objective
I am a Native American media professional with nearly 30 years of experience at The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun. I’m an award-winning journalist and have earned a reputation as a clear, concise writer, editor and producer who can multi-task well and manage decisions and deadlines in fast-paced, high-stress situations.
Experience
THE WASHINGTON POST, JOURNALIST, WEB PRODUCER ON METRO SECTION - INNOVATIONS TEAM
January 2014 - Present
Award-winning journalist for investigative series on abuses and deaths of more than 3,100 Native American students at boarding schools run by churches and the U.S. government under a policy to crush Indigenous languages and culture.
Consistently ranked as one of the most productive writers for online traffic at the Washington Post writer each year among nearly 1,000 writers at the paper.
On a daily basis, write, edit and produce stories, photos, podcasts and videos on breaking local news, coordinating among multiple teams under tight deadlines and in a competitive environment.
Identify online trends and break news quickly for a wide range of stories and decide on the most effective delivery platform of products accordingly - whether that is alerts for mobile devices, newsletter emails, or promotions on Washington Post homepage.
Earn praise from top managers for taking calculated risks and maintaining accountability. Consistently rank as one of the most prolific writers in the 900-plus person newsroom of The Post.
Successfully manage and work on multi-generational newsroom teams, using a professional and collaborative approach to incorporate all skill sets and strengths.
TRANSPORTATION REPORTER
July 2011 - June 2014
Redesigned and relaunched a previously unsuccessful transportation blog and jump-started coverage of Washington’s Metro subway and bus system, producing record viewer numbers. It became a well-read, popular site for commuters, transportation officials and experts in the D.C. region.
Wrote must-read stories on Metro’s finances, growth, operations, safety failures and compliance. Also, enhanced the storytelling with well-designed graphics, photography and videos that I made and produced, plus produced online with national transportation experts. Results brought the section's transportation coverage to new, record-high ridership levels.
FEDERAL COURTS REPORTER
January 2011 - June 2011
Covered trials and proceedings at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., including a range of subjects from national security to international drug rings, Somali pirates and financial fraud.
NATIONAL SECURITY INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
June 2010 - Dec. 2010
Picked by top editors to work on a special project called “Top Secret America,” a series that won the Gerald Loeb Award in Best Writing Category for examining the role of federal contractors in national security.
Designed, launched and managed a new blog on national security that became a go-to site for a loyal corps of daily followers at defense and intelligence agencies.
U.S. DEFENSE, AUTO, MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES REPORTER
Sept. 2007 - May 2010
Produced insightful, analytical stories on the Pentagon and wartime spending. Coordinated coverage and managed U.S. and Iraqi employees based in Baghdad. Executed a year-long reporting project on the manufacturing crisis in the U.S.
NATIONAL AND LOCAL FINANCIAL REPORTER
Jan. 2000 - May 2010
Wrote high-quality accountability stories about the U.S. government’s bank bailout efforts amid the 2008 financial crisis.
Tripled the online traffic of a blog called “From the Ground Up” on commercial real estate.
Covered and produced front-page stories, designed graphics, took photos and videos in crises, including national shootings, Haiti’s earthquake, Detroit’s car industry collapse, Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill in Louisiana.
THE BALTIMORE SUN, GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER
June 1996 - Dec. 1999
Covered local government, regional economy, and federal courts.
ABout Me…
Yes that’s me in my Native American, pow wow regalia!
Both of my parents are Native American and I’m an enrolled member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe of N.C. We are a state-recognized tribe, working on our federal recognition, and we have roughly 4,300 members. We’re the 2nd largest Native American tribe in the state. My children and I participate as competitive jingle dress dancers at our tribe’s annual pow wow and other pow wows in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Awards
Winner for 2025 of Poynter Institute’s Dori J. Maynard Justice Award, with judges calling 18-month investigation on Indian boarding schools a “series that stays with you forever — haunting, beautifully done, searing, probing, important, with stunning findings and writing.”
Finalist for the 2025 Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for investigation on Indian boarding schools. Series was also nominated fora 2025 Pulitzer Prize.
Gerald Loeb/UCLA Anderson award for distinguished financial journalism for articles on national security and government contracting. The work was also nominated for a 2008 Pulitzer Prize.
SKILLS
Oversee coverage in a diverse and large-scale media market.
Adept at juggling resources and working on small and large teams.
Skilled at writing, editing and producing online content for an audience of more than 3 million daily viewers.
Proficient at analyzing financial and legal documents.
Expertise in areas of coverage, including economics, transportation, local governments, national security, federal procurement, criminal justice. Plus, knowledgeable in the defense, manufacturing, hospitality and real estate industries.
Speak, read, write in Spanish.
Trained in PowerPoint, Excel, Quark, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, LexisNexis, Bloomberg terminals, Photoshop and PRNewswire.
Education
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK - B.A. in journalism; Minor in economics. Graduated in 1996 with honors and named Outstanding Print Journalism Graduate.
Winner, full scholarship for Minority Journalism Student, Knight Ridder Foundation, 1994 – 1996.