Résumé

Summary

I reach new audiences by clearly communicating complex topics. As an experienced professional media producer, certified urban planner, and organizational leader, I am looking for a leadership role on a communications team at a mission-driven organization.

Experience

Senior Public Affairs Specialist

Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)
September 2023 – Present

  • Manage content calendar and lead weekly content planning meetings.
  • Manage weekly and monthly newsletters and other ad-hoc newsletter publications.
  • Write and edit copy for SCAG external publications, including the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communications Strategy.
  • Write and manage all promotional campaigns for all SCAG signature events, including the Regional Conference and General Assembly (attendance: ~900), Southern California Economic Summit (attendance: ~400), and Southern California Demographic Workshop (attendance: ~150).
  • Write and edit executive talking points and scripts for SCAG Regional Council meetings and SCAG signature events.
  • Write, edit, and manage SCAG social media content.
  • Write a new SCAG Writing Style Guide for external communications and implement agencywide to ensure brand consistency for SCAG staff and contractors.
  • Contribute to the development of a new SCAG Brand Style Guide, pending adoption by SCAG staff and contractors.

Editorial Director

Planetizen
January 2014 – September 2023

  • Quadrupled revenue and increased site users by 1.1m between 2014 and 2022.
  • Assigned and edited all news, analysis, commentary, and features for Planetizen, a national planning and land use website.
  • Decided editorial strategy and managed day-to-day editorial operations across multiple websites and social media platforms.
  • Recruited and hired instructors for Planetizen Courses and managed the pre-production process, achieving a 15% increase in course ratings in 2022.
  • Identified and recruited institutional partners for Planetizen Courses.
  • Created and launched new editorial products, including Planopedia, drawing more than 10k monthly users.
  • Participated in numerous events as a speaker and a moderator on a range of planning-related topics.
  • Responsible for 40-60 editorial posts a week on Planetizen, totaling more than 12,000 bylined posts.
  • Managed Planetizen site redesigns in 2016 and 2021.
  • Wrote, edited, and managed the production of four editions of the Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs.
  • Managed social media marketing campaigns for all content and products.
  • Participated in numerous events as a speaker and a moderator on a range of planning-related topics.

Freelance Journalist and Consultant

November 2009 – Present

  • Bylines for TransitCenter, Curbed LA, LA Weekly, The Architect’s Newspaper, the California Planning & Development Report, KCET, and FORM.
  • Wrote, edited, and project managed numerous “Technical Assistance Panel” reports for the Los Angeles Chapter of the Urban Land Institute.
  • Hired by Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors to research and write the initial draft of the “LA2050: Who We Are, How We Live, Where We Are Going” report for the LA2050 initiative.
  • Wrote and researched “Regional Landscape Review of Climate Programs & Policies” for the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action & Sustainability, under contract for Adi Liberman and Associates.

Outreach and Data Coordinator

The College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
September 2011 – December 2013

  • Managed all communications for the College of Environmental Design (ENV): print and digital media, social media, public relations, and media relations.
  • Led design and hired freelance team for the first print publication for ENV, Link magazine (circulation: 9,000).
  • Launched suite of ENV social media products.
  • Promoted and planned all ENV events.
  • Wrote original copy for university publications: Panorama (circulation: 115,000) and PolyTrends (circulation: 15,000).

Editor

The Planning Report, Metro Investment Report, and VERDEXCHANGE NEWS
March 2006 – August 2011

  • Promoted three times, from intern to editor.
  • Developed, researched, wrote, and edited all content for monthly and seasonal insider journals, covering land use, infrastructure, and clean technology.
  • Project Communications Manager for the annual VERDEXCHANGE Conference.

Education and Certification

American Institute of Certified Planners
Certified Planner, October 2022

University of Chicago
Master of Arts – Humanities, June 2005

University of California, Berkeley
Bachelor of Arts – English (with honors), May 2002
Bachelor of Arts – Religious Studies, May 2002

Technical Skills

  • Style: The Chicago Manual of Style and the Associated Press Stylebook.
  • Production: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, HTML, MS Office, Google Drive, Dropbox.
  • Project Management: Asana, Jira, Notion.
  • Content Management: Drupal, WordPress, MailChimp.
  • Social media: Bluesky, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, Hootsuite, Sprout.