Résumé

April 2021 to January 2023

HIred as a senior reporter for community accountability and then was enlisted into the Investigations Team. Helped report and write “Legal Weed, Broken Promises,” a multi-part series that investigated and exposed systemic breakdowns in California’s legal cannabis market. Series was a 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist in local news and won a Gerald Loeb Award, Barlett and Steele Gold Award and Scripps Howard Award. Also produced a series of reports detailing breakdowns in how sexual misconduct cases were investigated across the 23-campus California State University system, leading to a state law that will increase accountability by requiring the higher education system to file annual reports with the California Legislature beginning in 2024.

Associate Vice President for the Office of Communications and Public Affairs California State University, Los Angeles

September 2014 to March 2021

Directed the Office of Communications and Public Affairs and oversaw 15 employees who designed web pages and produced a magazine, news articles, photos, videos, graphic designs, bookstore apparel and athletics uniforms. Oversaw the production of visual and text content for key web pages, including the homepage, as well as news releases, internal and external campus publications and social media content on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Oversaw hiring, procurement and budgetary issues for the office and served as the university media spokesperson.

Investigative Reporter/Staff Writer Los Angeles Times

August 1992 to August 2014

Reporter on California/Metro investigation teams, 1996 to 2014; general assignment reporter on the Metro Desk, 1994 to1996; law enforcement and small business reporter for the City Times section, 1992 to1994. Part of a team that won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for exposing government corruption in the city of Bell. Wrote other government investigative pieces, resulting in the conviction of a powerful Los Angeles councilman and resignations of three city fire chiefs. Also helped report and write investigative pieces on crime and corruption along the U.S-Mexico border and how widespread deportations of convicted felons transformed an L.A-based street gang into a transnational criminal network.

Digital Journalism Instructor U.S. Department of State (Part time)

September 2009 to September 2011

Taught workshops and delivered presentations to college students, academics, newspaper reporters and television journalists in three different locations in South America, the Caribbean and Middle East as part of a distinguished speaker program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Topics included digital journalism, social media and investigative reporting.

Digital Consultant USC Annenberg School for Communication (Part time)

October 2008 to December 2008

Advised journalism graduate students on producing interactive content and developing web pages for their online master’s theses. Taught basics of shooting and editing video.

Adjunct Faculty Member USC Annenberg School for Communication (Part time)

September 1997 to June 2000

Taught news writing and investigative reporting for five semesters.

Staff writer The Oakland Tribune

August 1989 to August 1992

Covered higher education, police and general assignment beats. Co-wrote a story after a devastating urban wildfire that led to a state law requiring rescue agencies to systematically coordinate resources during major disasters.