Publisher

Writing Awards

Several of my stories were nominated by the editorial staff as best news article in successive years in The Chronicle of the Horse's annual journalism awards. 
 

Freelance Writing
and Editing

Sept. 18, 1995-Present

• Started publishing venture.
• Proofread medical and legal texts for Aspen Publishing Group.
• Write and edit a variety of advertising and non-fiction material.
• Edited material for Community Policing Consortium.
• Acted as managing editor for John Wells of W4C, Wells World Wide Web Consulting.
• Successfully completed projects for McGraw-Hill Publishing Company's Professional and Reference Division, New York, McGraw-Hill's Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., site, and International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press.

Senior Copywriter

TAB/McGraw-Hill, 
Blue Ridge Summit, 
Pa., Jan. 15, 1990-
July 7, 1995

• Wrote copy for main and alternate selections for 10 technical book clubs in the fields of computers, electronics, chemistry, and engineering, among others. 
• Examined blue-lines for accuracy. 

• If necessary to maintain work flow, proofread news bulletins.

Original position as Copywriter: Wrote copy for main and alternate selections for the clubs then numbering six.

Freelance Magazine Writing and Photography

1983-1992

• Specialized in equestrian sports and related topics, working from both queries and assignments. 
• Published more than 70 articles to nationally distributed magazines including Horseplay, The Chronicle of the Horse, and Dressage & CT. 
• Supplied photographs for most articles.

See "Awards"

Times and News Publishing Co.

Gettysburg, Pa.,

Typesetter/Paste-up Artist/Various Pre-Press Duties

• Coded and typeset copy in the commercial printing department. 
• Created mechanicals using hot wax cut-and-paste methods. 
• Shot and developed proof prints, halftones, and negatives.
• "Stripped" negatives onto flats. 
• Exposed and developed offset plates.

Editorial Duties

• Editor of the Item TV and entertainment supplement, including production duties 
• Copy editor
• Photographer, photography editor

Education

Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude) in English from Berry College, Mount Berry, Ga. 

Thirteen credit hours of English and education at Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Md.

Event Organizer

1995-Present

Organize folk music workshops on my property. Also organize folk music and dance events for several non-profit organizations. Plan, budget, contract, supervise, and evaluate the success of each project.

Lady of the Creek, a series of one-day music and dance workshops held on my property near Gettysburg.

• Schedule events, contracting with workshop leaders.
• Publicize the event via fliers, e-mail lists and newsgroup postings, local publications.
• Maintain the budget for each event.
• Provide meals or snacks and beverages,
• Prepare the site before and clean the site after.

SummerTunes: Dance Band Day in Frederick, Maryland,
1997 through 2006. 

• Proposed, developed, and organized an all-day music workshop. 
• Selected a site, hired workshop leaders, planned a program, set a fee schedule, tracked expenses, arranged catering, created a tune book using a music printing computer program, and publicized the event. 
• Achieved a near-capacity enrollment and participant evaluations were extremely and almost totally favorable.

American Dance Weekend at Buffalo Gap, a three-day contra dance camp. Committee chairman 1995, 1996, and 1997. 

• Oversaw a budget that exceeded $45,000. Contracted a site that could accommodate indoor sleeping for more than over 300 campers. 
• For each camp, negotiated contracts with three bands, several workshop leaders, and sound reinforcement personnel. 
• Scheduled music and dance activities during the weekend, being careful not to overwork staff while giving campers a variety of options for entertainment. 
• Worked with volunteer coordinators and camp staff on details that ranged from the number of mattresses available to developing a menu for a group of people whose diets vary from omnivorous to vegan and macrobiotic. 
• Recognized the opportunity fill a need in the dance community, founded this committee by recruiting enthusiastic supporters, sought expert advice on event operation, and followed through with a plan. The result was a money-making event under my three years of leadership.

WinterSong '96, Feb. 24, 1996. As program chairman, hired musical acts, scheduled the day's events, and stayed within a tight budget. 

Mid-Maryland Folk Arts Council, 1996-2001. 

• Served as a member of the council in making decisions on types and number of events to hold.
• Responsible for ''booking'': scheduling and contracting bands and caller the monthly contra dance series. 
• Distributed press releases to area folk organization newsletters and local newspapers.

Gettysburg Contradance, 1995-1996. Organized and ran a monthly contra dance series in Gettysburg, in association with the Adams County Arts Council as one of the arts council's founding members.