I love storytelling, especially when it’s for the purpose of moving an audience to reconsider their assumptions about the world and themselves at the deepest levels. Whether I’m helping people understand difficult concepts or express themselves with language, I find lasting transformation begins with the kind of engagement that sparks curiosity, invites questions, stimulates creativity, and creates avenues of conversation that extend beyond the training or class session.

English Instructor

Taught college-level English courses at George Mason University while earning my MFA in Creative Writing/Poetry. Completely responsible for course design, organization, teaching, and evaluation of:

• Freshman Composition, 2 sections, Fall 1999, 2000
• Reading Texts: Introduction to Literature, 2 sections, Spring 2000
• Creative Writing, 2 sections, Spring 2001

Writing Tutor, University Writing Center, Fall/Spring 1998-1999
Specialized in teaching students with learning disabilities. Tutored graduate nursing students within the department. Developed workshops demonstrating APA format.

We worked together at various organizations. At one point I hired her as a freelancer, and then she hired me as a freelancer. She’s an amazing talent who taught me so much about writing.

-Jennifer Stover, Senior Writer, Aha Media Group

Web Writing Instructor

Designed and delivered training programs for staff, consisting of classes focusing on professional communications for digital publishing:

• Writing for the Web, CFA Institute, 2005-2008
• Web Writing, Lynchburg University, 2009-2010

In every role, I have provided editorial guidance, mentorship, and education on the practice and discipline of creating content that aligns to best practices and principles of:

• SEO
• Usability
• Accessibility
• Readability and literacy

Additionally, my experience includes crafting copy to meet standards, user needs, and organizational goals, as outlined or derived from:

• Brand voice/tone standards
• AP style
• In-house style guides
• Audience/persona research
• Analytics data
• Marketing research
• Survey data
• A/B testing

Presenter

• Transgender Care: Creating Communications and Engagement Guidelines – presented at the Society for Health Care Strategy & Market Development annual conference, 2019, and podcast feature
• Annual Healthcare Internet Conference, 2019
• Writing for the Web, Central Virginia American Marketing Association, 2016
• SEO From Novice to Expert: LSP Conference, 2014

Featured Speaker & Panelist

• UVA Health Leadership Summit on Diversity & Inclusion, 2018
• Inclusion at Work, Business Women’s Roundtable, 2017
• Q Award Recipient address, Quadruplicity conference, 2016
• Positive Action Conference, Piedmont Virginia Community College, 2016
• UVA Queer Student Union family panel
• Commencement address, UVA Lavender Graduation, UVA LGBTQ Center, 2013
• Virginia Festival of the Book session moderator several years, Poetry: Threads of Identity, Gay & Southern: Living, Writing, and Dealing with Discrimination, Little Star: Finding Hope through Hardship
• Numerous panels for college classes, community events, intersectional nonprofit gatherings, media events, protests
• Presented at a variety of meetings of Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, Charlottesville City Council, Charlottesville School Board, Downtown Business Association, Augusta Chamber of Commerce

Safe-Space Trainer: Educating the Workforce

SafeCville began as a coalition of community organizations that created a library of standard trainings each individual trainer could modify as needed. Founded on a classic academic curriculum received at the UVA LGBTQ Center, we developed modules that addressed issues relevant to distinct organization types, including health, religious, education, government, social services, community nonprofits.

Customized Curriculum

I further modified the training to address the lingering concerns and questions posed to me during trainings or in my role at Cville Pride. And with every training request, I conducted an intake session to determine how best to customize the training for that specific organization. We used surveys to measure the impact of the work and to inform updates to the training content.

“…an outstanding teacher and leader.” – Catherine Casey, MD , physician and collaborator

LGBTQ+ Healthcare at UVA Health

I collaborated with several doctors who were championing inclusive healthcare to create focused trainings for providers. We built momentum for leadership buy-in through a Trans Healthcare Symposium, by partnering with community advocacy organizations, and with the patient experience group at UVA Health. Eventually, the organization formally adopted the training program, mandating an online version of employees across the board and offering the in-depth, in-person certification through its human resources platform.

Training Throughout the Community

SafeCville trained educators, religious leaders, and associations throughout Virginia. I personally trained the following organizations, as well as dozens of others:

• Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges Multicultural Conference
• The Center, What to Do When Your Grandkid is Gay
• CFA Institute
• Community Investment Collaborative (CIC) 
• Region Ten Social Services Agency – Emergency Services, Community Services Board, Boost, Child & Family Center departments
• Sexual Assault Resource Agency
• SunTribe Solar
• Molsen Coors
• Willow Tree
• City of Charlottesville Social Services, Benefits Division
• Charlottesville Direct Primary Care
• First United Methodist Church, 2-part series
• City of Charlottesville Fire Department
• Unity of Charlottesville
• First Presbyterian
• Pediatric Associates of Charlottesville
• Junior League of Charlottesville
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia
• Tom Tom Festival
• PACEM
• 3Q Digital
• Population Health at UVA Health
• Blue Moon Diner
• Albemarle County
• Gorilla Theater Productions of Charlottesville
• Firefly Restaurant & Game Room
• Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville board

Writing Coach

I employed my writing teaching experience in a volunteer capacity for:

• The Women’s Initiative – coaching essay writers submitting to the Challenge Into Change competition
• Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville – leading a pilot course on Mindfulness and Writing

I didn’t understand how to apply mindfulness to writing, or how they could be similar. Through this course, I was able to uncover an entirely new practice that blended both.

-Participant, Mindfulness and Writing Session, led Fall 2024

Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers

Community fundraising at its finest and most fun – I was lucky to participate several times to help raise money for nonprofit causes. The screenshot below came from their Facebook page.