More about me

Work

  • January 2021-Present: Executive Director of Surel’s Place, a nonprofit artist residency in Garden City, Idaho
  • March 2013-October 2020: Associate Vice President for communications and marketing at Boise State University
  • October 2011-March 2013: Host and producer at Idaho Public Television
  • December 1999-October 2011: Reporter, columnist and editor at The Idaho Statesman
  • March 1997-December 1999: Reporter and bureau chief at The Times-News in Twin Falls, Idaho

Education

  • 1997: Master of arts degree in journalism from New York University
  • 1994: Bachelor of arts degree in anthropology at the University of California at Santa Barbara

Teaching

At Boise State University

  • Purpose and promotion: Helped develop and continue to teach an Honors College course that helps students put their college experience in context and prepare them for grad school or the workforce. The course has helped shape new requirements for all Boise State students.
  • Media Law and Ethics: As an adjunct in the Communication Department.
  • Politics of the Extreme: A one-time seminar cross-listed in communication, history and political science.

Elsewhere

  • Non-fiction and fiction writing at The Cabin, Boise’s literary center
  • Place-based writing and chorizo sausage-making at The Atlanta School, an art and folks school in the Idaho mountains

Volunteer and civic work

  • City Club of Boise board member, chair of the Forums Committee and frequent event moderator
  • Regular moderator of community events for groups including Leadership Boise, the Idaho Environmental Forum, Boise Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals and others
  • Founding organizer of Hackfort, the high tech portion of the annual Treefort Music Fest
  • Ad hoc member of the Downtown Boise Association board
  • Past member of the state’s Educate Idaho Steering Committee and past president of the Idaho Capitol Correspondents Association

Freelance writing and editing

  • Edited the book “Treasure Valley Gardening” by longtime Statesman columnist Margaret Lauterbach and wrote the introduction for the coffee-table photo book “Idaho 24/7”
  • Freelance credits include Alaska Airlines Magazine, ArtIdaho, McCall Magazine, StateNet, PoliticsNow, National Journal, Time Out New York and Newsday
  • Short fiction published by Swink magazine and Adirondack Review and shortlisted in a GlimmerTrain annual contest

Kim O’Connor captured the moment we were named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize at The Idaho Statesman. (It is bittersweet — a great honor but you find out at the same time you learn you didn’t actually win it…)
One of the early, amazing groups of Honors College students to go through the class that later became mandatory for all 1,000 or so of them. That meant the end of using this lake-side cabin in McCall for the weekend retreat.
Nights at the Atlanta School are pretty magical.
Treefort, man.

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