My Résumé

WORK EXPERIENCE

Producer: TMZ Sports – Los Angeles, Calif.

October 2017 – Present

  • Work with industry contacts and freelancers to negotiate, obtain licenses and secure appropriate content rights for TMZ Sports on Fox Sports 1 and TMZ.com
  • Pull photos from professional photography agencies and social media (Instagram and Twitter) for writers and editors
  • Monitor restrictions for material on TMZ.com and TMZ Sports on FOX Sports 1
  • Enterprise and research original stories
  • Archived daily content and metadata in high detail for future reference

Sports Anchor/Reporter: WYMT-TV News – Hazard, Ky.            

May 2013 – March 2017

  • Anchored, reported, wrote and produced more than 3,500 sportscasts
  • Covered University of Kentucky athletics (mostly football and basketball), other small colleges in the coverage area, 43 high school football teams and over 100 high school basketball teams
  • One-man band reporter; conducted interviews, edited video on Edius, good with ENPS
  • Posted stories online with video; organized archive footage

Television Reporter: WVU News – Morgantown, W.Va.                

Aug. 2011 – Dec. 2012

  • Anchored, reported and produced a variety of news and sports packages as a one-man-band hybrid sports and news reporter for an award-winning newscast
  • Created, produced and developed several multimedia stories for online
  • Corresponded as an ESPNU sports reporter correspondent for Campus Connection, UNITE and College Football Daily

“USA Today” Internship  – McLean, Va.                                          

May 2012 – Aug. 2012

  • Wrote multiple National Football League articles and reports for online and print; interviewed NFL players one-on-one at the Pentagon; covered Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins training camps; posted stories on USA Today’s “The Huddle” blog, covered Tiger Woods and interviewed Billie Jean King one-on-one

ESPN Studio Production Internship  – Bristol, Conn.                   

Sept. 2011 – Nov. 2011

  • Edited, produced, created and published highlights (NFL, MLB, NHL and college football) and other program elements (b-roll, teases and bumps) for Sportscenter, multiple specialty shows (Baseball Tonight, College Football Live/Final) and ESPNEWS
  • Created and wrote shot sheets/talent scripts; logged and transcribed footage; organized melt reels; supported producers; operated studio prompter
  • Assembled clips using a non-linear video editing system

Production Assistant: Mountaineer Sports Network – Morgantown, W.Va.  

Aug. 2009 – Dec. 2012

  • Accounted for 100-plus hours of logged WVU football and basketball video using Avid and Final Cut Pro editing software
  • Assisted with scripts and organized tapes; controlled prompter during Mountaineer Magazine (1-hour taped program hosted by Tony Caridi).
  • Produced WVU football and basketball games for live television and online live streaming

WVMetroNews Staff Reporter/Producer – Morgantown, W.Va.            

Aug. 2009 – Dec. 2012

  • Wrote several articles for the website (wvmetronews.com); shot HD video for multiple WVU athletic events and created multimedia stories for online
  • Produced the statewide radio program, “High School Gamenight,” hosted by Fred Persinger; communicated with athletic directors, coaches and media

Columnist/Staff Writer: “The Dominion Post” – Morgantown, W.Va.  

May 2010 – Dec. 2012

  • Interviewed players and composed a variety of cover stories, features and game previews for the “Goal Post,” a special section of the paper, during the 2010 and 2011 WVU football seasons as a beat reporter
  • Wrote 40 sports, news and lifestyles stories during a 12-week internship
  • Pitched ideas and freelanced for the High School Preps page

Sports Staff Writer: “The Daily Athenaeum” – Morgantown, W.Va.    

Jan. 2010 – Aug. 2010

  • Wrote numerous feature articles on the West Virginia University gymnastics squad
  • WVU Rowing beat writer: wrote previews, sidebar pieces and feature columns

Freelance Producer: ESPN/CBS Sports – Morgantown, W.Va.                

Aug. 2008 – Dec. 2012

  • Stage-managed for the on-air talent (broadcast spotter, operated camera, adjusted audio and administered chords)
  • Programmed and produced for nationally televised WVU football and basketball games

Broadcaster: U92 FM (91.7) – Morgantown, W.Va.                                   

Aug. 2008 – Jan. 2012

  • Broadcasted live, on-air sportscasts and games (play-by-play, color commentating, pre and postgame, and halftime reports; composed several interviews with coaches and players for WVU football, basketball and hockey)
  • Frequent guest on The Sportspage (1-3 hour sports talk show)

WBOY Channel 12 – Clarksburg, W.Va.                                                    

April 2007 – April 2008 

  • Interned in the sports department 10-15 hours a week; covered local high school and WVU athletics; practiced writing broadcast style scripts in iNews
  • Worked in iNews and assisted the sports anchors with production work (interviews, camera operations and note taking)

AWARDS/ACTIVITIES

  • • 1st Place Kentucky Associated Press Awards (Best Sports Feature, 2017)
    • 1st Place Kentucky Associated Press Awards (Best Sports Prep Show, 2017)
    • 1st Place Kentucky Associated Press Awards (Best Spot News, 2016)
    • 1st Place Kentucky Associated Press Awards (Best Sports Prep Show, 2016)
    • 1st Place Kentucky Associated Press Awards (Best Sports Videography, 2015) • 3rd Place Broadcast Education Association (Best Sports Feature, 2012)
    • President’s List – 2011 and 2012 Spring Terms
    • Dean’s List – 2008-2012

EDUCATION

August 2008-December 2012 West Virginia University

Bachelor of Science Degree in Television Journalism, minor Communications

Overall GPA: 3.7. Graduated Magna Cum Laude

Recent Posts

A letter to my Dad and 25 memories that provide 25 smiles

Posted on by
6
1992 vacation.

1992 vacation.

Dear Dad,

Crazy how it’s been a decade already.

FYI: Everyone STILL hates cancer.

I don’t talk about you much – not even to Mom.

But damn, I sure think about you – and smile a lot. For me, it’s more therapeutic to think to myself than discuss. #emotionalselfwisdom Crap. You probably don’t understand what that number sign is meant to be or why those words are all crammed together – and neither does Mom, who will end up reading this. It’s OK. Let’s just say a lot of things have developed in the last 10 years.

Things are going well. I am working on goals. Every day is a step closer toward my ultimate goal. Mom is doing well. She has worked her butt off since you past away in order to help me out throughout high school and college, and to this day, she is still doing it! It’s going to be hard to out-Mom her (I should say out-Dad her) one day, but hopefully I will be able to do that.

Back to that smiling thing. You provided me with lifelong memories, Dad. And I’m about to hash them out. From 25 to 1, although the top five could all be number one. Every single one of these memories/moments/things made you unique, and that’s awesome. I love you. I miss you. Now let’s smile!

25) You labeled every single Polaroid photograph you took. That Polaroid camera went through hell. You took that thing everywhere, and when you got behind, you would sit down at the dining room table and write, in pen, the date and an explanation of what the photograph showed. We still have all those stored somewhere – there has to be thousands if not 10,000.

24) You had some wacky mathematical system you wrote out for the Powerball; tons of paper with numbers on it; no one could ever figure it out.

23) You never went into the store with Mom. Hilarious. There was no fun in grocery stores or Wal-Mart unless it was something you needed. We would always play the claw machines though. You won way more than me.

22) You caught the fish; Mom cleaned the fish. We ate the fish. In other words, Mom did the dirty work; we had it easy.

21) You named your/our St. Bernard “Yogi” and there are too many memories to list within this list with that dog. Whether it was going to Dairy Queen to get him a cup of vanilla ice cream to eat or taking random trips to Go Mart to get gas and beer just so you could load Yogi up into the truck and go for a ride.

20) Crushing beer and soda cans in your garage so I had spending money for the beach. You barley paid me for all the grass I raked so this was my best income. You taught me how to crush’em, bagg’em and sell’em. (We always tried to make sure the price was 40 cents or higher per pound.)

19) You called the basketball game  “Around The World” “Round Town.” You were deadly from the right wing. That was your shot. Thing is, you were not into that many sports but you always found time to shoot hoops with me, throw baseball and football with me. I mean, I am sitting here writing this first draft at 3 a.m. and wish I could do that tomorrow with you.

18) You made me stop shooting basketball to hold the flashlight for you. Driving truck, you traveled a lot for work and spent three days away from home at times, so when you were home during the weekends, being a mechanic was your passion. And I was basically your designated flashlight holder. I tried to learn things, but in all honesty, I don’t remember much. You were a pro. You had every tool a man could own.

17) Speaking of those tools. Well, nevermind. That’s too good of a memory to put at number 17. That’s at least top 15. But for No. 17 we will stick with the mechanic side of things. You would read all kinds of random mechanic books – the kind that are meant to literally fix things. Like, 500 page manuals.

16) You and I would go Christmas shopping for Mom. That was fine. But the time and effort you put into wrapping gifts was priceless. You were a horrible wrapper … unless you took a half hour to wrap a package, which you did … for every … … … single … … … one! I helped with the tape. You were not going to put any of Mom’s gifts under the tree unless they met your standards of wrapping. No one could tell you were a bad wrapper, but what went on behind closed doors was several minutes of folding paper juuuust right. Continue reading →