FREELANCE INVESTIGATIVE DATA JOURNALIST
I have a track record of doing it well with impact. My award-winning investigative data work led to changes in laws and policies, exposed an international human trafficking ring, inspired the American Civil Liberties Union to sue Denver Police, prompted a Congressional inquiry, and led to the creation of a task force in Colorado.
I think of myself as a reporter who can dig deep and access data as another potent tool in my arsenal to break news. I spent months fighting the Denver Police Department for body camera footage and police records in my pursuit to understand a warrant that upended a 77-year-old grandmother’s life. The Denver Police Department's SWAT team searched Ruby Johnson’s home - but I discovered that the police did minimal due diligence before executing the warrant. Using R and SQL, I found police activated SWAT more often in minority neighborhoods. The ACLU cited my reporting in their lawsuit against Denver Police that won millions of dollars.
I have a decade of experience finding potent stories in troves of data. I found more than 100 CO nursing homes that experienced COVID-19 outbreaks were fined for poor infection control and other pandemic-related failures — but those very same facilities also pocketed financial bonuses tied to infection rates. I spent months merging and analyzing three datasets with SQL, creating maps in ArcGIS, collecting inspection reports and interviewing whistleblowers/family members. The story won a 2022 Heartland Regional Emmy and prompted a Colorado congressman to send letters to state and federal officials demanding answers about our findings. I love leveraging records, data and sources to do impactful reporting.
Journalism is my passion. I'm fueled by the intricate puzzle of merging people, data and records into my reporting. Numbers can help identify countless systematic problems and possible solutions. My work has won a regional Emmy, a national Edward R. Murrow award, a national Sigma Delta Chi award, a national Headliner award and has been nominated for ten regional Emmys. I am an Eagle Scout that graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Missouri.
To recharge -- I love backpacking, birding, climbing, camping, improv comedy, video games and scoops of ice cream.
