A strong writer with the ability to take complicated material and present it in a simple, concise and easy-to-understand manner. Several years’ experience in government writing (notably, briefing notes and ministerial correspondence), editing and proofreading, journalism, and writing for the Web.

Skills and Experience

Government work: briefing notes, executive correspondence, knowledge of legislative and regulatory processes, principles of legislative drafting.

Editing and writing: copyediting and proofreading, fact-checking, journalism.

Internet: blogging, content management systems, web design (HTML, CSS and PHP, including HTML5 and CSS3).

Other: historical research, photography, public speaking.

Recent Employment History

Senior Editor/Writer, Executive Correspondence Division, Health Canada, Ottawa ON

July 2007 – June 2008; May 2009 – December 2009

Editing, reviewing and writing drafts of ministerial correspondence; providing advice, feedback and mentoring on grammar and style. Medium-term contracts.

Writer/Editor, Ministerial Correspondence Division, PWGSC, Gatineau QC

September 2008 – October 2008

Editing and writing briefing notes, memoranda and ministerial correspondence for senior officials. Short-term contract.

Reporter, The Equity, Pontiac Printshop Ltd., Shawville QC

August 2003 – January 2004

Journalism, photography and page layout for a weekly community newspaper.

Legislative Revisor, Transport Regulations Unit/Legislative Services Branch, Department of Justice, Ottawa ON

May 2000 – February 2003

Editing and proofreading drafts of laws, regulations and statutory instruments, mostly for Transport Canada.

Planning and Analysis Officer, Income Security Programs Branch, HRDC, Vanier ON

September 1999 – April 2000

Writing briefing notes and other documents for the Assistant Deputy Minister, Deputy Minister and Minister, including material for the ADM’s appearance before a parliamentary committee.

Government Ratings

Bilingual (E/C/C); last tested in March 2000.

Security clearance: Level II (Secret).

Education and Training

Legislative Drafting and Statutory Interpretation courses (Department of Justice, Ottawa, 2002).

Ph.D. student, History (Alberta, 1996-1999). Fields: modern western European history; cultural studies; gender theory. Withdrew from program.

M.A., History (Waterloo, 1996).

B.A. (Hons.), History (Winnipeg, 1994).

Awards and Scholarships

University of Alberta: Walter H. Johns Graduate Fellowship, 1998-1999; SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship, 1998-1999; Province of Alberta Graduate Fellowship, 1997-1998; Graduate Studies and Research Tuition Scholarship, 1997-1998; Walter H. Johns Graduate Tuition Scholarship, 1996-1997.

University of Waterloo: University Graduate Scholarship, 1994-1995.

University of Winnipeg: Academic Proficiency Scholarship, 1991.

Significant Online Publications

The Map Room

March 2003 – June 2011

A popular blog about maps and cartography with thousands of daily readers.

DFL

August 2004, February 2006, August 2008

A blog about last-place finishes at the Olympics; received national and worldwide media coverage (see below).

Summary of Print Publications

Approximately 120 news stories for The Equity; approximately 30 articles and book reviews for amateur herpetological newsletters.

Media

DFL: Television: Appeared live on CBC Newsworld and CTV NewsNet. Radio: Appeared live on the BBC (World Service ×2, Radio Ulster) and talk radio stations in Toronto, Montreal, Kitchener and Regina. Print: Featured in the National Post, Sports Illustrated, Toronto Star, Folha de São Paulo and, through Reuters and Agence France-Presse wire stories, dozens of newspapers worldwide.

The Map Room: Quoted in the Boston Globe; interviewed by Dailysonic.

Other: Quoted in stories about cameraphones (2003) and folksonomies (2005) in the Ottawa Citizen’s “Tech Weekly” section. Profiled in the West Quebec Post’s “Faces of West Quebec” feature in May 2005.

Selected Volunteer History

Volunteer, Pontiac Archives, Shawville QC

2005 – 2008

Drafted the group’s constitution; building supervision; collection management; website.

President, Ottawa Amphibian and Reptile Association

2001 – 2003

Negotiated terms of new animal control by-law with City of Ottawa officials; organized events and presentations; website.

Editor/Publisher, Ontario Herpetological Society

1999 – 2001

Edited the OHS’s quarterly newsletter; wrote and copyedited articles; page layout.

Interests

Astronomy, cartography and maps, classical music, cycling, film, herpetology, hiking, Macintosh computers, paleontology, photography, piano, railroads, science fiction, writing.