Lisa Cunningham's Page

Title:

Writer/Editor

Company:

Prose to Go

Company Website:

http://prosetogo.squarespace.com

Media Type:

Service Provider

Media Realm:

Consumer Media

Home Region:

South

Past Companies & Brands

St. Petersburg Times, University of South Florida

I'm Looking For:

Friends, Networking, Jobs

Professional Background: (Resume)

Lisa Cunningham

Professional Summary: A writer/editor with public relations, social media and SEO experience seeks assignments that educate readers.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in mass communications (news-editorial) from the University of South Florida Tampa.

Experience:
Self-employed, (October 2003 – present).
Writer and Public Relations Consultant
Research and write articles for dozens of magazines, Web sites, weeklies and the Associated Press’ newspapers. Topics range from getting out of credit card debt and cancer survivors' concerns to the local jazz scene and stiffening competition to get into college.
Consult with nonprofit organizations, including the Kids Charity of Tampa Bay, about media relations, publications, branding, Web sites and social media.
Completed a small business management textbook with a local philanthropist/auto dealer.
Writing the biography of a student-focused manager who survived five types of cancer.

Florida Department of Children and Families, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
(March 2006 – January 2007).
Child Protection Investigator Trainee
Interviewed children, parents, neighbors, relatives, guidance counselors and others about allegations of sexual, physical and verbal abuse and neglect to assess whether the children should be removed from their homes or their parents should receive counseling and other services.

St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg (June 2004 – August 2005).
Site Marketing Coordinator
Promoted and contributed to branding the daily newspaper, which has the largest circulation in Florida, by acquiring new and renewing existing subscriptions.
Suggested, implemented and updated standards and procedures; wrote headlines for the electronic ticker; supervised contests; installed signs and organized booths and tables at trade shows, athletic arenas and shopping venues in the Bay area.

University of South Florida Office of University Relations, Tampa (September 1993 – October 2003).
Editor (February 2000 – October 2003).
Researched, assigned and wrote stories; proofread copy; laid out all 12 pages; and supervised production of Forum, the monthly employee newsletter for 6,000.
Handled multiple on-deadline tasks, interviewing and writing stories while editing all articles.

Media Relations Coordinator (March 1996 – February 2000).
Utilizing university’s research emphasis, wrote hundreds of news releases and pitched stories to national and international print and electronic media. Produced the most hits of the five media relations coordinators.
Biggest hits included an MSNBC all-day broadcast about the 2000 presidential election and stories in Self magazine and The New York Times.
Assisted in planning over 10 news conferences and prepping dozens of professors for interviews.

Editor (September 1993 – March 1996).
Assigned stories, wrote at least six stories per issue, took photos, designed pages and oversaw production for Inside USF, the faculty/staff newsletter.
As alumni editor of USF Magazine, wrote or assigned three to four alumni profiles per issue and supervised all writing and editing of 16 pages.

St. Petersburg Times, Tampa (May 1992 – September 1993).
Correspondent
Wrote three virtually error-free columns a week for Tampa edition about Temple Terrace events and two columns a week on the unincorporated county’s neighborhoods.
Also wrote more than 10 human interest and news stories, and took photographs.

Volunteer Work:
Member, Fundraising Committee, Kids Charity of Tampa Bay (foster children's shelter), 2009
Member, Public Relations & Marketing Committee, SPCA of Tampa Bay (animal shelter), 2005-06

Personal Interests

Reading, swimming, shopping and travel.

Education:

University of South Florida, Tampa, bachelor's degree

My LinkedIn

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Relationship Status:

Single