Recent
I've been a professional writer for more than 25 years, first at a communications consulting startup, then as a writer/editor/publicist for a major public-radio network, and later as a senior copywriter at a marketing agency.
Since 1997, I've been a full-time freelancer specializing in corporate and nonprofit communications.
I help my clients identify the stories they want to tell — and then I tell them in ways that speak to the customers, employees, donors and community members they need to reach.
You'll find a few work samples below; I'd be glad to send you more upon request. I'd be glad to put you in touch with some of my happy long-term clients, too.
And I'd love to talk with you about how I can help your organization tell its most important stories. Click on the email icon below to drop me a note.
(Banner image photo of Bill Holm by Jonathan Chapman)
Recent
A comprehensive report that details Rush's diversity, equity and inclusion progress and plans.
By May of 2020, Katya Nuques and her colleagues at Enlace Chicago in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood had been "panicking for weeks," she said. Members of the community, where 84% of residents are Latinx, were testing positive for COVID-19 at a rate almost three times the state average, and the Little Village ZIP code had the highest number of virus cases in Illinois.
When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Illinois' governor to issue a stay-at-home order in mid-March, many Chicago small-business owners immediately saw trouble ahead.
The Chicago Urban League's IMPACT Leadership Development Program was launched in 2014 to give midcareer African American professionals tools to thrive in increasingly responsible leadership roles, both in their careers and in the community.
Q&A with Gerri Kahnweiler, co-founder of InvestHER, the the first venture capital fund in Chicago dedicated to female-founded tech startups.
A 2003 National Endowment for the Arts report on nonprofit dance companies noted ruefully that "dance companies of all genres face the reality of a ruthlessly short lifecycle." Now celebrating its 25th year of presenting world-class dance in Chicago and around the globe, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater has defied that trend through thoughtful leadership and planning.
Becki suffered severe facial injuries after a traumatic biking accident while vacationing in Italy. Today, she's facing the world with confidence.
The Rush Education and Career Hub (REACH) provides STEM education to Chicago students from pre-K through college.
Debunking common myths about this potentially dangerous trend
With UChicago support, black-owned businesses thrive on 53rd Street.
Q&A with Kathryn Finney, the smart, funny, force-of-nature founder of digitalundivided.
This report is the foundation of Rush's work to eliminate health disparities on Chicago's West Side.
I wrote about three women who are working to solve some of their city's most pressing social challenges.
When a rare head and neck tumor brought 81-year-old John Scambler, DDS, to Rush, the head and neck cancer team used transoral robotic surgery (TORS) to both remove the cancer and preserve John's ability to lead a full, active life.
The Community Programs Accelerator at the University of Chicago helps community-based nonprofits strengthen their impact on the communities they serve.
Steve Jobs famously advised budding entrepreneurs to "stay hungry." For Boyede Sobitan, hunger was more than a metaphor.
Every time Camille McKenzie and her daughter pass a construction site, the five-year-old says, "That's where Mommy works!"
Digital
Plastic and reconstructive surgeons at Rush change lives by restoring form, function and quality of life.
NORC delivers insight, impact and innovation that has shaped research and policy all over the world.
The fashion landscape has changed dramatically since Intermix made its debut in 1993, and Intermix has expertly navigated every twist along the road from strictly bricks-and-mortar to a digital-first landscape.
The work-day pause that refreshes.
Rush orthopedic surgeons are the best in the business at treating injuries, but they're happy to share advice about how to avoid getting injured in the first place.
A child psychiatrist offers insight about what to watch for and how to handle bullying.
Publications
I revamped and edited this edition, winner of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table's 2018 Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award for the best published work about intellectual freedom.
Foodservice News asked me to choose, profile and photograph 10 Chicago chefs who deserved recognition.
I researched and wrote this piece for the University of Chicago's Graham School, celebrating its history and looking to its future.
From 2004–2015, I edited the book honoring each year's McKnight Distinguished Artist. This was one of my favorites.
Find beauty and holiness in new and necessary facts.
Ranee is a dancemaker and performer whose work is based in the classical Indian dance form Bharatanatyam.
Feature Stories
Every time Jason Bonaparte drives by UChicago Medicine's Center for Care and Discovery (CCD), he says, "I look up at that tall, shiny masterpiece and think: There's my work."
My articles for RED kept Target's 350,000 employees informed — in a fast, fun and friendly way — about what was happening around the company.
Walgreens partnered with hip cosmetics phenom Nonie Creme to create an exclusive line.
UChicago programs prepare Chicago public high school students for success as first-generation college students.
A look at some Target team members' work to build stronger communities.
This story for the University of Chicago's Office of Civic Engagement spotlights a program aimed at giving South Siders access to jobs on campus.
Nonprofit Communications
Rush works to improve the health of the individuals and diverse communities it serves. The first step is understanding who Rush patients are.
This publication reports on progress toward the goals laid out in Rush's Community Health Implementation Plan.
Donors to Minnesota Philanthropy Partners learn about community initiatives through MNSights.
Akanksha Shah '17 wanted a flexible work opportunity that aligned with her passion for education and with her UChicago class schedule. She couldn't find one — so she started one.
The MNSights By the Numbers feature presents quick-hit data in a fun, graphic way.
Rush University Medical Center is an "anchor institution" on Chicago's West Side — and is a national leader in channeling its economic power for the benefit of the community.
Porter heads eta Creative Arts Foundation, a home for the performing and visual arts on Chicago's South Side.