Editing

Only a month into my freshman year, I was asked to transition from reporting to be the Iowa State Daily’s special projects editor. I’ve been an editor since. And in the small newsrooms I’ve worked in, that means far more than simply line editing — I work on projects or stories from their inception through their promotion once published.

After graduating in 2018, I was the news editor at my hometown newspaper, the Marshalltown Times-Republican, and much of my time was spent leading reporting following an EF3 tornado that tore through Marshalltown. In August 2019, I moved to Des Moines to become associate editor of the Business Record and was promoted to editor within a year. I led the newsroom until June of 2023, when I started my MFA program. At that time, I transitioned to a part-time role as special projects editor to elevate the Business Record’s magazines and special issues. I’ve edited everything from breaking news to full-length features to guest commentary to photo books. Here are a few of my favorite projects and stories that I’ve edited.

Marshalltown tornado coverage

An EF3 tornado walloped Marshalltown on my ninth day on the job. We were in the direct path. Despite not even being fully trained on our website yet, I led our newsroom through disaster coverage, and worked in tandem with the publisher, Abigail Pelzer, to get the paper off to the printer the day after the disastrous storm with no power or cell reception. On the storm’s one-year anniversary we planned a special newspaper that was delivered to all households regardless of if they were subscribers and we produced a Sunday magazine.

That is the role of journalism — to press on, to keep people informed and to inspire hope. The Times-Republican won awards for community leadership and best special section from the Iowa Newspaper Association for tornado anniversary coverage.

Fearless: Meet 5 inspiring Iowa women

In 2020, the Business Record launched Fearless. The goal was simple: to empower Iowa women to succeed in work and life. In addition to coverage of women’s and gender issues in a weekly e-newsletter, we publish an annual edition telling the stories of a few inspiring Iowa women. Read the 2024 stories.

Fearless — Annual survey on the status of gender equity in Iowa

In our 2024 annual survey on the status of gender equity in Iowa, we heard a common theme from respondents: It’s difficult to balance all the expectations put on women. I distributed the survey and then compiled key themes for our coverage. See coverage

Personal essays

One of my favorite parts of overseeing the Business Record’s Fearless initiative is working with those interesting in submitting personal essays. Many of the guest contributors don’t have formal writing backgrounds, and I often work with them on multiple drafts to ensure they’re telling their story in the most powerful way possible. Here are a couple of the best ones from 2024.

Essay: Demanding change for mental health care in Iowa | Read the essay

Guest essay: The invisible burdens of caregiving for aging loved ones | Read the essay

Forty Under 40

Each year at the Business Record I get to plan and execute coverage of our Forty Under 40 awards. The 40 local leaders, who were chosen by past award winners, are under the age of 40 and have demonstrated impressive career achievements and unparalleled community involvement. (Photo by Duane Tinkey.) See our 2024 publication