QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY
  • More than 10 years advising award-winning weekly student newspaper, The Collegian, at South Dakota State University (SDSU)
  • More than five years advising KSDJ Radio, SDSU’s student-run radio station
  • Five years of experience teaching journalism courses at SDSU
  • Seven years teaching SDSU Journalism Camp for high school students and advisors.
  • Extensive professional service record at SDSU, in South Dakota and nation
  • 20 years professional newspaper and public relations writing experience
  • Successful social media management of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn channels
  • Effective experience in creating public relations campaigns for child advocacy center
  • Comprehensive experience designing print publications, including newspapers, newsletters, advertising and promotional materials
  • Professional-level experience with Adobe InDesign, Adobe PhotoShop, and various social media platforms
 
EDUCATION
Master of Science in Communication, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD                                                                             December 2012
  • Journalism specialization in coursework focused on media management.
               Thesis: “Job Satisfaction at South Dakota Newspapers”

Bachelor of Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD                                                                                                                           May 2001
  • Major: Political Science. Coursework focused on public administration and how mass media relates to politics

Bachelor of Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD                                                                                                                            May 1996
  • Major: Journalism ● Minor: Political Science
 
Certifications
  • College Media Association Adviser Certification Program                                                                                                            July 2016 and 2017
  • Mental Health First Aid USA                                                                                                                                                                              August 2017
 
TECHNICAL SKILLS
  • Design Software: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop
  • Social Media: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
  • Additional: Audacity, Adobe Audition, iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Garage Band
 
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Marketing and Communications Manager
May 2022 - Present 
Horizon Health Care, Howard SD
  • Oversee social media coordinator and creative content coordinator (includes video and graphic design).
  • Craft patient stories for Horizon Health Care and Horizon Health Foundation.
  • Shoot photos and videos for Horizon projects.
  • Update and create content for the Horizon's website - www.horizonhealthcare.com. 
  • Write news releases promoting Horizon people and initiatives. 
  • Coordinate Horizon marketing campaigns.
  • Oversee Horizon marketing agency projects.  

​Program Specialist - Communications
September 2020 - May 2022
Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD
  • Manage social media channels - Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook - organically increased following on all platforms by 300 followers in one year .
  • Edit and create videos promoting Center initiatives.
  • Update and create content for the Center's website - www.sdcpcm.com. 
  • Write and distribute news releases to USD marketing channels. 
  • Design Center publications and promotional materials.
  • Increase public knowledge of Center initiatives through engaging communications using multiple public relations techniques. 

Media Advisor                                                                                                                                                                                       
January 2012 – Present
South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD          
  • Advise The Collegian newspaper and KSDJ Radio Station
  • Coordinate training of both groups
  • Advise students on content, design, production of digital content and management and increased use of digital media in weekly production schedule.
  • Complete weekly critiques of newspaper
  • Complete weekly individual meetings with 15-20 student leaders, including management meetings with newspaper editor, managing editor and senior designer and station manager and program director
  • Provide oversight of FCC compliance and radio station licensing
  • Help to coordinate and implement the May Day Music Festival, a spring event put on by KSDJ that brings regional, local and student musicians to SDSU.
  • Supervise advertising department, including business manager.
  • Advise and coordinate budget management, equipment replacement, staffing needs and travel
  • Combined sales efforts of newspaper and radio station so both entities are sold under the banner of SDSU student media
  • Maintain advertising accounts for weekly Collegian issues and the annual student orientation issue, including sales and design
 
Advisor                                                                                                                                                                                                 
September 2007 – January 2012
South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD
  • Advised students on content, design and leadership development
  • Supported students by suggesting story ideas and evaluating performance and future production planning via weekly one-on-one meetings
  • Worked with financial programming assistant to develop advertising sales training and comprehensive rate card for sales use
  • Developed advertising relationships with new clients that are now in their 10th year
 
Publications Manager                                                                                                                                                     
September 1998 – September 2007
South Dakota Newspaper Association (SDNA), Brookings, SD         
  • Designed promotional materials and quarterly newspaper for association members
  • Managed 60-newspaper legislative news service during the South Dakota Legislature, tailoring coverage to individual legislative districts and posting the stories to Community News Service website
  • Supervised three college interns over 9 sessions of the South Dakota Legislature and the SDNA Annual Convention
  • Managed SDNA Better Newspapers Contest
  • Acted as SDNA photographer during events
  • Oversaw compliance of annual United States Postal Service published statements
  • Sold and designed advertising for the South Dakota Newspaper Directory and the South Dakota Newspapers publication

Reporter/Copy Editor                                                                                                                                                                   
August 1998 – October 1998
Columbus (Nebraska) Telegram, Columbus, NE
  • Wrote business, agriculture, general news and features stories
  • Shot photographs as needed and for assigned stories
  • Edited pages of weekend editions
 
Staff Reporter and Page Designer                                                                                                                                              
September 1997 – August 1998
Pierre (South Dakota) Capital Journal, Pierre, SD
  • Wrote general news and feature stories about the Pierre area, the Fort Pierre City Council, and the Pierre Police Department, and Hughes and Stanley County Sheriff’s Departments
  • Designed six pages of the five-day-a-week print edition
  • Developed photography film
 
City Reporter                                                                                                                                                                                    
July 1996 – September 1997
Waseca (Minnesota) County News, Waseca, MN  
  • Wrote news and feature stories about Waseca County area and Waseca city government, including police department, business community and agriculture
 
FREELANCE EXPERIENCE
  • Dakotafire Magazine, 2015
  • College Media Review, 2013-2015
  • South Dakota Electric Cooperative Connections, 2015
  • College Media Matters, 2018
 
TEACHING EXPERIENCE

PUBR 243 Public Relations Principles South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD                                                                                          Fall 2018
  • Created lectures and activities based on the provided syllabus and selected textbook. Engaged guest speakers to discuss public relations careers. 
MCOM 314 News Editing, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD                                                                                                                  2012-2014
  • Created coursework based on design and writing that mimicked a newsroom. Students were mentored to coach their peers in the manner of Roy Peter Clark.
MCOM 492 Newsgathering, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD                                                                                                           2008-2010
  • Course taught in The Collegian for newspaper staff students. Coursework expanded on skills learned in Basic Newswriting, such as beat development, coaching writers and enterprise reporting.
Journalism Camp, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD                                                                                                             2011-2014 and 2016
  • Building on the strengths of an historic program, evolved curriculum to involve hands-on interviewing experience, building on-campus and community partnerships, such as Aviation Department and South Dakota Newspaper Association, and multimedia opportunities with Yeager Media Center.
 
SERVICE AND MEMBERSHIPS
Member, Professional Staff Advisory Council, SDSU                                                                                                                                           2014 – present
  • Elected twice to represent Division of Student Affairs
  • Serve as 2018 Events Committee responsible for coordinating Annual Meeting, Spring and Fall Coffee Sessions, Summer Staff Luncheon and Fall Orientation Session held in conjunction with Faculty Orientation
 
Co-chair, Higher Learning Commission Reaccreditation Communications Team, SDSU                                                                       2017 - present
  • Responsible for creating a communication plan, announcement and frequently asked questions about the accreditation process that will culminate in 2019
 
President, South Dakota Press Women                                                                                                                                                                      2017 - present
  • Administer the National Federation of Press Women’s Communications Contest for South Dakota, manage clerical duties, plan annual convention and market organization on Facebook
 
Member, Common Read Committee, SDSU                                                                                                                                                              2017 - present
  • Suggest and read suggested books for the Common Read selection, a work that is widely read by the SDSU campus community; organize and facilitate programs for the year’s book
 
Member, College Media Association                                                                                                                                                                          2007 - present
  • Serve as co-chair of Leadership Committee, which approves sessions for three annual conferences
 
Imagine 2023 Strategic Plan Leadership Team, SDSU                                                                                                                                               2017 - 2018
  • Facilitated sessions soliciting feedback from campus community on the university experience, processed information received, and participated in initial team information-gathering sessions

Professional Representative, Thesis Defenses, School of Communication & Journalism                                                                                      2018
  • Reviewed thesis presentations for candidates in the Online Masters of Communications. 
 
PRESENTATIONS
          “Stress is a Mess,” Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association Fall Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 2014 and Associated Collegiate Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 2015
          “Making a Yearbook from Almost Nothing,” Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association Fall Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 2014
                “Marketing Your Yearbook,” Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association Fall Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 2014
             “Access to Leader, A Shared Governance Analysis,” co-presenter with Jessica Lewis of South Dakota State University; South Dakota Higher Education Association Convention, Deadwood, South Dakota; 2018
         “Resources for Advisors,” co-presenter with Kelley Lash of Rice University in Houston, Texas; College Media Association Spring Convention, New York, New York; 2018
  
HONORS AND AWARDS
  • SDSU Woman of Distinction Nominee, 2017 (Nominated by students)
  • Outstanding Advisor, 2015 SDSU Student Organization Awards (Nominated by students)
  • South Dakota Better Newspapers Contest, Best Headline Writing Honorable Mention, 1998