Major:
Journalism
Year Graduated:
1991
Hometown:
Florence, KY
Current City:
Lexington, KY
Current Employer:
Writer for Catena Media, travel blogger
Top played song on your playlist?:
Mr. Blue Sky, by ELO
Where has your CI degree taken you?:
My CI degree has taken me from newspapers to the floor of the Kentucky House of Representatives, then back again – or at least back to journalism. I spent six years as a working journalist before starting a career as an assistant public information officer with the Legislative Research Commission in Frankfort. That’s the agency that writes bills, handles research, staffs meetings and does whatever else needs to be done for the Kentucky General Assembly. I was responsible for agency coverage of the Kentucky House for 23 years before retiring from state government in 2020.
Today I am a freelance writer working with Catena Media on national business and legislative news. I also publish a Kentucky travel blog called un-Tucked.
What is your favorite thing about your job?:
My favorite thing about my job is being tuned in to policy making in its many forms. I enjoyed that at the Kentucky State Capitol and, now, I’m doing it nationally.
What¹s the most valuable thing you learned in CI?:
Working as a contributor for the Kentucky Kernel hooked me on journalism. There’s nothing like seeing your first byline. But it was a public affairs reporting course taught by veteran Courier-Journal reporter Dick Wilson that drew me to the world of political reporting.
What advice would you give to current CI students?:
Don’t procrastinate. It is tempting to put off the most challenging assignment until later in the day or week, but a well-researched story is a better story.