A package arrived today from the U.S. Dept. of State. It contained a certificate of appreciation from John Kerry thanking me for my service as an intern to USAID.

SUMMARY

Recovering journalist with 15 years experience in the newspaper industry seeking to build on more than five years experience in public relations. With a blend of academic and professional experience, and technological savvy, I aim to use my communications skills for any entity with a mission that aligns with my values.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Journalism: As managing editor of Lehigh Valley News Group, I helped select staff and launched five weekly newspapers. As editor of Blue Valley Times, I expanded content of “good news” weekly to include hard news. At each of my positions, I have trained freelancers and interns. Prolific with any type of copy including book reviews, entertainment, editorials, opinion, news, features, school, health and business articles. Well-versed with AP style. I currently review books for Hippocampus magazine.

• Editing: I have edited several weekly newspapers and supervised newsroom. Write, proofread and/or edit letters, essays, press releases, history dissertations, and fiction manuscripts in AP and Chicago style. Translate French to English. Designed, wrote and edited external and internal, print-ready newsletters for YWCA of Bethlehem (YWCA), Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (GLVWG) and Lafayette College. Also at Lafayette College, I wrote alumni publications that went to press every six to eight weeks.

• Non-profit Public Relations: At United States Agency for International Development (USAID), I designed color flyers and logos within existing branding standards. At the YWCA of Bethlehem (YWCA), I designed and wrote modern, clean-looking brochures and event programs; revamped end-of-program celebratory event for 60 children plus families to include more activities, more media coverage and better food within existing budget; drafted annual appeal letter; created new publicity strategies such as distributing weekly press releases, updating the web site every Friday and hosting photo opportunities for local media which tripled agency presence in media. For the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (GLVWG), I designed two-color ads and promoted regional writers conference in local and national media. At Lafayette College, I drafted press releases on student activities and pitched them to media across the country, yielding a placement rate of approximately five stories per week.

• Computer skills: Perform basic desktop publishing and graphic design in PageMaker, Quark and InDesign/Creative Suite. Basic Photoshop skills. Social media skills include Facebook (GLVWG, Mary Meuser Memorial Library, YWCA of Bethlehem), Twitter (creativelyangel), LinkedIn, Instagram (angelackerman), Blogger, some Google Plus. Some Dreamweaver, FrontPage and HTML. Some Filemaker database script. Utilize PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezy, iMovie and iDVD to create videos and slideshows. Maintain two blogs (on food: http://www.angelfoodcooking.blogspot.com and on writing: http://www.angelchatting.blogspot.com).

JOURNALISM EMPLOYMENT (1991-2007)

Freelance Reporter, Morning Call (2001-06); Managing Editor, Lehigh Valley News Group and Editor, The Bethlehem News (2006-07); Reporter, Phillipsburg Chronicle (2003-05); Editor, Blue Valley Times (2002-03); Reporter/Photographer, Free Press (2001-02); Stringer, The Star-Ledger (1994); Features Writer, Blue Valley Times (1991-97)

OTHER RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE

• eIntern, USAID Internal Communications Washington, DC
• Media Liaison, YWCA of Bethlehem Bethlehem, PA
• News Editor, Lafayette College Easton, PA
• Publicity Assistant, Lafayette College Easton, PA
• Public Relations Intern, Crayola Forks Township, PA

EDUCATION

Lafayette College, Easton, PA GPA 3.6
Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, 2013

Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA GPA 3.47
Bachelor of Arts in English, French minor, 1997

FOREIGN LANGUAGES

FRENCH; very minimal German, Spanish and Irish Gaelic, desire to learn Arabic

OTHER LEADERSHIP/VOLUNTEERISM

Trustee, Mary Meuser Memorial Library Wilson, PA, September 2008 to Present
President, Mary Meuser Memorial Library Wilson, PA, January 2011 to January 2013
Board Member, GLVWG Bethlehem, PA, February 2007 to June 2013
President, GLVWG Bethlehem, PA, July 2007 to June 2008, also July 2009 to June 2010
Secretary of the Advisory Board, Penn State Extension Northampton County Nazareth, PA, January 2008 to December 2011
4-H Leader, Northampton County Wilson, PA, October 2007 to April 2008
Girl Scout Leader, Cheston Elementary Easton, PA, September 2001 to March 2003
Stage Manager, Moravian College Theatre Bethlehem, PA, August 1993 to August 1997

HONORS AND RECOGNITION

• Editor and panelist, The Write Stuff conference, 2008 and 2009
• Media panelist, Penn State Cooperative Extension regional conference, 2008
• NJ Library Association Journalism Award, 2004
• Nominated for the Morning Call’s publisher’s Call to Excellence Award, 2004
• Inducted to academic honorary societies of Sigma Tau Delta (English), Alpha Phi Omega (theatre), Phi Sigma Iota (foreign language) and Sigma Iota Rho (International Relations)
• Josephine Farace Award for Excellence in Journalism from Express-Times, 1992

BLOGS/INTERNET PRESENCE

LinkedIn; Instagram: AngelAckerman; Twitter: creativelyangel

Article: From Morning Call via Library of Congress www.openworld.gov/article/printphp?id=27&lang=1

Book Reviews: “My Battle of Algiers” (April 2012), “Steve Jobs” (June 2012), “Jimi Hendrix” (July 2012), “House of Stone by Anthony Shadid” (February 2013), Hippocampus Magazine

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Honors Thesis at Lafayette College: How colonial stereotypes of Algerian Muslim inferiority influence the rights of Muslim citizens/immigrants in France today. Presented at the National Conference for Undergraduate research, April 12, 2013 at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Other interests: 20th century France, religion and citizenship, postcolonial Francophone Africa, haute couture

Travel: United States, France, Quebec, Tunisia