My Bio

Bio

I’ve been called the passionate, creative writer who breathes life into feature stories, creative briefs and even press materials. My writing experience ranges from business communiqués to magazine features, from social commentary to short stories, from public relations plans to advertising copy, from restaurant reviews to poetry. In 2009, I became a contributing author of a published non-fiction book entitled Family Affair: What it Means to be African American Today (Agate/Bolden). The book was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

I’ve been called the rainmaker, the strategist, the idea generator and the communications & marketing thought leader. I’ve been called one of the creative forces behind myriad successful public relations and marketing campaigns ⎯ from Walt Disney World’s Disney Dreamers Academy to Daddy’s Promise, a national initiative designed to focus national attention on the positive relationship that can and should exist between fathers and daughters.

I am the mother of two wonderful sons and a beautiful daughter. This means I am a de facto coach, doctor, chauffeur, motivator, enforcer and all around teacher. My children truly mean the world to me because in my opinion there is no greater love. I am a wife, a sister, a daughter, a mentor and a best friend. I am a runner, having run ten marathons and six half marathons. I am a Bikram yoga and Pilates enthusiast. I am a music and movie lover. An idealist. A closet comedienne. A dreamer. And I plan to become an agent of change through my writing.

I have lived in far too many places ⎯ Chicago, Illinois; Champaign, Illinois; Kona, Hawaii; Atlanta, Georgia; Wichita Falls, Texas; Rochester Hills, Michigan; Fabriano, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; and Kawasaki, Japan. Yes, far too many places, but for reasons too complex to mention here, I have loved and appreciated them all.

Driven & Passionate

I earned a bachelors degree in advertising from the University of Illinois. I earned a masters degree in humanities from the University of Chicago. I was the owner of a PR consulting business for seven years. In the late 90s, I was recruited and hired as Vice President, Consumer Products by Edelman Worldwide followed by another Vice President position with urban advertising powerhouse, Burrell Communications. In both roles, I ran public relations and marketing programs for blue chip brands. Building my career at two prestigious agencies taught me how to lead, how to follow and how to take calculated risks. My work experience also taught me to solve complex communications problems, how to think on my feet, how to manage client relationships and how to be gracious and diplomatic in the face of controversy and stress. After a few challenging yet rewarding years, I went to work for the University of Chicago as the Executive Director of Development Communications & Creative Services. There I honed my art directing and managerial skills, along with my love for higher education. Five years and fourteen design awards later it was time to move on so I left the world of academia to pursue writing opportunities and to return to an industry and an agency near and dear to my heart—multicultural marketing at Burrell Communications. After my second stint with Burrell I went to the non-profit world as Senior Vice President of External Affairs for the Chicago Urban League. As a member of the executive leadership team, I oversaw communications, marketing & events and development. Today I am a senior level communications and marketing consultant in addition to managing strategic planning and program management for Ed Gordon Media.

Some may call me crazy for being incredibly ambitious but I would call myself driven. Driven, passionate and humbled by the many doors that my writing and communications expertise, and the people I have met along the way, have opened for me. And all the while I’ve never stopped growing, learning or writing.