Buckle your seatbelts. My bio is long, varied and interesting (if I say so myself!).

 

I began my journalism career in television. I'm a multi-faceted, EMMY award-winning television  journalist with vast experience in a wide variety of genres, as a producer, writer, editor and on-air network television correspondent. I'm also well-versed in photography as well as digital and social media. I'm also a community organizer 

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CURRENT

I wear two very different hats these days. I work as a media trainer teaching high-level executives how to speak in front of the media and give presentations. I also am the General Manager of the American Association of Singapore, a 104-year-old non-profit. I oversee all aspects of the organization including hiring and managing a team, finances, sponsorship and more. 

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PRINT

For several years, I worked for Expat Living, a popular lifestyle magazine in Singapore and Hong Kong. I oversaw special projects, writing stories and creating original video content for both the publications' websites and social media. I also wrote travel, environment and profile pieces for the magazine. 

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Prior, I was the editor-in-chief of Singapore American newspaper and the Communications Manager for the American Association of Singapore (AAS) where I oversaw a monthly publication covering local Singapore happenings, lifestyle pieces, travel stories and community news. I was also responsible for all social media and communication for AAS, which celebrated its centennial in 2017.

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ON-CAMERA

During my years as a correspondent for The Early Show on CBS (the most watched network in the United States), my assignments took me everywhere from a showgirl stage in Vegas to a snake pit in Texas. Originally concentrating on the wackier side of life, I developed one of the widest ranges of stories at the network. My uncanny ability to connect with every day people led me to file more in-depth profile pieces such as a series about childhood anorexia and reports on the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. I also covered breaking news, but I primarily did the stories that made people laugh - or made them cry.

Prior to joining The Early Show, I was a feature and traffic reporter at WPIX, covering New York's morning news. An established personality in the New York market, I was affectionately known as “The Chopper Chick.” I also proved myself a strong journalist. As the last airborne reporter on September 11th, I covered the collapse of both towers.

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I got my start as an on-camera journalist as the morning live feature reporter at News 12 New Jersey. My assignments had me doing everything from riding an ostrich to driving a race car - all before sunrise!

 

PRODUCING

Before I stepped in front of the camera, I worked at WCBS-TV as a news writer and field producer where I won my first EMMY. I also have an extensive background in production and have produced a variety of television genres, including nationally televised live events such as the Tony Awards and syndicated talk shows such as Sally Jesse Raphael. I worked as a senior producer on many pilots with television greats such as Dick Clark and Charlie Parsons. Additionally, I executive produced and co-hosted a pilot I developed for USA Network called SCAM.

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I also have experience in crowd-funding and new media having served as the Executive Producer of Global Content for EarthHour.org during a year they experimented with a massive, international crowd-funding campaign. 

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BOOKS

In 2002, I co-edited Covering Catastrophe: Broadcast Journalists Report September 11, a collection of accounts from journalists who covered the events of that day. The book is now published by the 9/11 Museum with all proceeds going to the museum. The oral history I gave to the 9/11 Museum is also included in The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11. I have also contributed to Broadcasting through Crisis and On-Camera: How to Report, Anchor and Interview.

AWARDS

I was one of two NYC reporters nominated for an EMMY for 9/11 breaking news coverage. A year later, I won an EMMY for my 9/11 anniversary piece. While at WB11, I also won an EMMY for Outstanding On-Camera Achievement for Feature Reporting and a New York State Broadcaster's Award for Best Feature. Additionally, I was nominated for an EMMY for a series of reports on a row house fire. My work as a writer on a breaking news story at WCBS garnered me an EMMY for writing.In 2018, I was named the Journalist/Writer of the Year by the Media Publishers Association of Singapore (MPAS).

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PERSONAL

When having children proved challenging, I left television to pursue a family and am now the mother of two. Between professional stints, I authored a parenting blog for Westchester Magazine and a personal blog about my experiences living and traveling in Asia.

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I began my career in broadcast sales, working my way up from receptionist to sales manager in three years at the largest radio rep in the world. As the Director of Classical Musical Marketing, I raised revenue for the stations 60% in my first year.

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I grew up in Midland, Texas and graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in journalism. I have a passion for traveling, but when I'm home in Singapore, I divide my time among a wide variety of interests including charity work, school involvement, entertaining, writing and various sports.

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VOLUTEERISM

I am heavily involved in Girl Scouts and am a member of the Council of Advisors for USA Girl Scouts Overseas. I'm also National Volunteer Partner for USA Girl Scouts of America and a Global Facilitator for USA Girl Scouts Overseas, a volunteer job which has me traveling to train Girl Scout leaders around the world. In Singapore, I lead a Cadette troop, train new leaders and run many large events. I've also served as Chair and Secretary in Secretary. Under my leadership, the Singapore Girl Scout community went from a group on the verge of folding to being officially recognized as one of the top three overseas Girl Scout communities in the world within a two-year span. For my work in Girl Scouts, I've been recognized with the Thanks Badge, the Honor Pin and the Appreciation Pin and received the First Class Scout as a girl (equivalent of Boy Scout Eagle). I also volunteered with the Cub Scouts in Singapore as the group's Events Chair.

I've always been involved in charity efforts, often taking a leadership roles, managing budgets, leading teams of diverse backgrounds and helping craft marketing messages including redeveloping websites and social media efforts. I have been described as "evangelical" for causes in which I believe.

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With the onset of COVID-19 in Singapore, I created an effort called "Scouts & Guides Care" which saw all eight international Scouting groups (18,000 kids) writing letters to health care workers with the President of Singapore attending the handoff ceremony. I also created #PayaMealForward, an efforrt to lift up those in need while supporting Singapore restaurants. In the past, I created "100 Acts of Charity," an effort by the American Association of Singapore to get their members to do 100 charitable acts during the organization's centennial year.