Professional Experience

Reckon/Advance Local

Editor-in-Chief/Senior Director of Content

Birmingham, Ala.

April 2020 to April 2025

Developed and executed a strategic vision for a startup national newsroom dedicated to producing news and content for America’s emerging majority
Oversaw an organization that included 30 journalists and producers working remotely across more than a dozen states; directly managed two directors and two editors to foster a collaborative, motivated, and equity-focused culture that embraced innovation
Managed a multimillion-dollar budget; identified and pursued revenue opportunities; secured and oversaw grants; represented the company in sales and sponsorship meetings; and ensured financial sustainability and accountability
Delivered quarterly presentations to Advance Local’s board of directors and provided regular updates to the company’s co-president and chief executive officer
Served as the primary spokesperson for the newsroom, cultivating relationships with key internal and external stakeholders and representing the company at industry events and in media interviews

Key Achievements:

Successfully led the spin-off of Reckon into a standalone company with its own P&L under the Advance Local umbrella of news brands
Oversaw a team that developed a newsletter-forward strategy, growing our suite of brands from four to 11 newsletters, increased newsletter subscribers by 390% in less than one year using a combination of paid promotion and organic tactics (e.g. partnerships)
Oversaw journalists awarded a national Edward R. Murrow award, a Southeast regional Emmy, and served as an editor on two projects awarded Pulitzer Prizes

Mississippi Today

Editor-in-Chief

Jackson, Miss.

May 2018 to May 2020

Set editorial vision and strategy that focused on ambitious, high-impact journalism to attract local and national readers and donors
Oversaw newsroom operations, managing a staff of 16 journalists and a $1.2 million budget
Worked with the executive director and board of directors to secure millions of dollars in new grant funding from major funders and assisted with the management of existing grants from the American Journalism Project, Knight Foundation, Ford Foundation, and David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Cultivated and managed editorial collaborations, producing/publishing with local, regional, and national partners such as NBC News, The Marshall Project, ProPublica and Center for Public Integrity
Represented the newsroom in public appearances, including news media and industry events

Key Achievements:

Oversaw Mississippi Today’s growth into the state’s largest newsroom
Grew audience by 190% in new users compared to the period before becoming editor-in-chief
Oversaw journalism awarded local, regional, and national awards, such as the Sidney Hillman Foundation prize and Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Journalism

Mississippi Today

News Editor

Jackson, Miss.

February 2016 to May 2018

Managed daily coverage of statewide breaking news, features, and enterprise stories; oversaw one of the nation’s largest state legislative teams
Supervised social media manager in the distribution and promotion of content
Assigned/reported stories with an eye toward maximizing audience reach/impact
Used public databases and open records laws to produce data-driven investigative stories

Jackson Free Press

Editor/Reporter

Jackson, Miss.

November 2011 to February 2016

Oversaw staff of editors, reporters, interns, photographers, and freelancers to produce daily content for newsletters and a weekly print newspaper
Planned and executed a news strategy emphasizing narrative-driven enterprise reporting
Monitored and built real-time engagement with Google Analytics and other metrics tools, resulting in year-over-year increases in web and mobile traffic

Illinois Times

Staff Writer

Springfield, Ill.

June 2005 to August 2009

Covered local and state government, writing stories for print and web in a highly competitive news market
Used public databases, FOIA, and other resources to produce award-winning coverage, including a gubernatorial impeachment and the 2008 presidential race

Columbia University School of Journalism, Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program, 2024
City University New York, McGraw Center for Business Journalism fellowship, 2019
University of Colorado at Boulder, Ted Scripps Fellowship in Environmental Journalism, 2010-2011
Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Academy for Alternative Journalism, 2004
University of Missouri, Political Science, B.A.

Jackson Association of Black Journalists, president, 2015-2020

Center for Ideas, Equity and Transformative Change, board president, 2019-present

Friends of the Jackson (Miss.) Planetarium, board member, 2022-present