Print journalism was my first love. I was the kind of reporter who wrote about how many Hail Mary's a family who lived near Arcadia, Ohio, prayed while a tornado ripped apart their home above them. I showed up to government meetings early when I knew that elected officials were doing the same to reach consensus illegally. I authored an investigative series about people waiting more than a year to serve jail sentences and how it was keeping them in limbo when all they wanted to do was serve their time and move on with their lives. After a devastating downtown fire that destroyed a low-income apartment building, I highlighted the juxtaposition between the poorest people in the city living right across the street from the headquarters of one of the world's most lucrative petroleum corporations in the world. I even wrote a Dr. Seuss-esque front-page story (it rhymed!) about how the Mayor of Findlay admitted he was being a grinch for trying to save money by choosing not to display downtown holiday lights one year.

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Over time, I developed a knack for identifying and sharing information that grabbed attention and sometimes galvanized. People got excited - in positive and negative ways - about what they'd read of mine. And if I did my job really well, my narratives changed things for the better.

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My professional ethos centers on values alignment, connection, creativity, and information dissemination in ways that are impactful. That's why upskilling has always been a career hallmark. My evolution from print to digital interests and practice has been distinguished by a self-imposed and never-ending improvement mission. Much of what I've learned has resulted from my own independent initiatives sparked by simple curiosity. I've asked myself pertinent questions like:

• How can online tools and software such as social media, the newspaper's website, and image production improve my newspaper reporting? The result: A multi-part educational series called "Digital Ideas" that I taught my colleagues in 2015. We learned about aspects such as Twitter best practices for journalism, breaking news techniques for the website, and how to consider light and background when shooting video and taking photos. The takeaway: Bringing colleagues with you on an educational journey is a rewarding approach.

• What can be learned and avoided from communications and marketing perspectives when it comes to emerging AI? The result: presentations to my Ohio Northern University colleagues and departmental policy development on what AI is, different tools to use, and ethical and legal considerations. Much of my foundational understanding stems from the PRSA Icon conference held in Nashville, Tenn. in fall 2023. I also spoke with academics, legal experts, staffers and others to acquire a more comprehensive knowledge base. When ChatGPT debuted, I knew it would revolutionize creative professions and I thought it should be an imperative for us to get a jump on this rapidly changing technology. The takeaway: Staying on top of tech trends and options is essential for creativity and efficiency.

• Should the Findlay Family YMCA's website be upgraded? The short and obvious answer was yes, but how to do it was a conundrum when I began working at the Y in summer 2024. An outdated Drupal version meant that the site would soon not be supported. Upgrading was needed, but the nonprofit couldn't afford to spend much to do it. I formally proposed four upgrade options and we went with #3: pay for page templates to be designed and for dark site hosting, and have me do the rest of the work. The result: I redesigned and edited all 70 website pages - nervously but also enthusiastically - to create a more colorful, dynamic, and user-friendly site. As the communications and marketing director who had limited Drupal experience, I'm very proud of pulling off this project within our established timeline and for saving the Y tens of thousands of dollars in upgrade costs. The takeaway: Put a challenge in front of me and I'll not only find a way to figure it out, but will often discover some aspect of it that I really like, too.