QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY:
- More than 32 years experience producing mainstream journalism in staff, editor and contributor positions, including reporting, writing and editing content for newspapers, magazines, books, radio and online sites.
- More than 20 years experience in public speaking on issues of media, advocacy for women and public affairs before audiences up to 1,000.
- More than 15 years of award-winning instruction, management, innovation, creative instruction, training and curriculum creation and staff coordination on the university graduate and undergraduate levels at the country’s leading journalism school. Responsible for broad-scale mentoring of students and faculty, program inception, coordination, implementation and training of instructors.
- More than 15 years expertise in creating and delivering editorial workshops and training, specializing in effective messages.
- Author of three award-winning, top-selling nonfiction books.
- Expert at delivery of compelling multimedia storytelling including photo, audio, video, slideshows and text.
- Television, radio and digital commentator and innovator with leadership in national and local professional groups.
- Proficient in effective social media networking and messaging.
PROFESSIONAL GOALS:
Editorial content production, speech writing,, content review, content solicitation, collaboration, executive media training, creative implementation of ideas, program creation, public speaking, workshop coordination, editing and deadline-driven messaging across platforms for corporation, association or non-profit organization in a range of industries, fields and concentrations.
EDUCATION:
BSJ, Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, December, 1978
MSJ, Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, September, 1979
SKILLS/ PROFICIENCIES:
Microsoft Office Tools, Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, Audacity, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Elements, InDesign, Soundbooth, Soundslides, Flipshare, Excel as well as photo, audio and video gathering.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
7/2011-Present: Seminar leader, The OpEd Project
7/2011- Present: Leader, Public Voices Fellowship, Stanford, Princeton and Northwestern universities
7/2003-Present: Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism
- Graduate and Undergraduate levels
9/2001-7/2003: Senior Lecturer, Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism
6/1996-9/2001: Adjunct Lecturer, Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism
11/2000-7/2003: Writing columnist, Personal Journaling magazine, Writers Digest
9/1999- Present: Author of three nonfiction books
9/1999–Present: Owner, “Michele Weldon’s Writing To Save Your Life Workshops”
6/1996–Present: Columnist, West Suburban Living magazine, Elmhurst, Ill.
6/1994-6/1995: Contracted copywriter of direct mail newsletter, Leo Burnett USA
1/1989-2008: Regular freelance contributor, Chicago Tribune including:
- Select opinion editorials, 2000-2004, 2008
- Weekly News Column, WOMANEWS, 1997-1999
- Weekly Business Column, WOMANEWS, 1994-1997
- Monthly “Her Say” news opinion column, WOMANEWS, 1990-94
- Monthly essays in Style, TempoWoman, WOMANEWS, Health & Family sections 1989-1999
7/1984-12/1988: Columnist, feature writer, Dallas Times Herald , Dallas, Texas
9/1981-7/1984: Midwest market editor, Fairchild Publications, Chicago
3/1980-9/1981: Associate editor, ADWEEK magazine, Chicago
9/1979-3/1980: Managing editor, North Shore magazine, Winnetka, Ill.
BOOKS PUBLISHED:
2008: Everyman News: The Changing American Front Page (University of Missouri Press)
2001: Writing To Save Your Life: How to Honor Your Story Through Journaling
(Hazelden Publishing, Health Communications, Inc.)Translations: French, German, Japanese, Spanish
1999: I Closed My Eyes: Revelations of a Battered Woman (Hazelden Publishing)
Translations: French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Norwegian, Dutch, Russian
BOOK CHAPTERS, ETC.:
2011: “A Father Is Born From Many Strangers,” chapter in NPR’s This I Believe: On Fatherhood (John Wiley & Sons, 2011)
2009: “The Changing Nature of News,” chapter in 21st Century Communication: A Reference Handbook (Sage Publications, 2009)
1989: “Making Readers Want Novels is Writer’s Hardest Job,” chapter in Conversations with Joyce Carol Oates (University Press of Mississippi)
SELECT ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN:
Alternet.org; Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Baltimore Sun, Bride’s; Chicago Magazine; Chicago Parent; Chicago Sun-Times; Chicago Tribune; CNN.com, Dallas Times Herald; Dallas City; Dial; Journalism Education Review; Los Angeles Times; Newsday; New York Times; Nieman Reports; Parenting; react; Personal Journaling, Seventeen; Spirit; West Suburban Living; Woman’s Day; WomensEnews; Women in Media News blog; Writers Digest; more than 60 newspapers in Tribune Media Services.
SELECT SPECIAL HONORS AND AWARDS:
2010: Best Chicago Magazine or Newspaper Columnist, honorable mention, West Suburban Living
2009: National Federation of Press Women, First Place, Nonfiction book
2007: Best magazine column, Illinois Press Women’s Association
2007: Twenty Years/Twenty Heroes Award
2006: Between Friends, Chicago, Hero Award
2005: Donna Allen Award for Feminist Advocacy, Association for Educators in Journalism & Mass Communications
2003: State of Massachusetts “Step Up and Read” One-Book Program, I Closed My Eyes
2002: Chicago Women In Publishing, Excellence Award, Nonfiction Book
2000: International Women’s Peacepower Media Award, Nonfiction Book, Florida
2000: Bread and Roses Individual Courage Award in Publishing, Chicago
OTHER DISTINGUISED RECOGNITION:
2010: Trademark renewed by United States Patent & Trademark Office for original concept and process, “Scribotherapy” awarded in 2004
2005: Co-investigator, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s Buehler Center on Aging, “Effects of Narrative Writing on Family Care Givers During End of Life Care” project/study
October 2003: Guest of The White House for domestic violence policy announcement
October 2002: Amazon.com No. 5 Bestseller, October 2002 (Writing to Save Your Life)
SELECT PRINT MEDIA INTERVIEWS/BOOK REVIEWS:
Interview, “Afternoon Magazine with Celeste Quinn,” Illinois Public Radio, Jan. 24, 2008
Book review and interview, Chicago Public Radio, “848,” February 2008
Interview, “The Milt Rosenberg Show,” WGN-AM Radio, March 13, 2008
Guest Interview, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” June, October, 2002; October 1993
Guest Interview, “Midmorning with Katherine Lanpher,” Minnesota Public Radio, October 1999
Guest Interview, “The Jenny Jones Show,” NBC-TV, 1991
Guest Interview, “Later Today Show,” 1990
ADDITIONAL SELECT MEDIA INTERVIEWS/REVIEWS:
ABC-TV; Art and Healing Network; Associated Press, ceque (France); BBC Radio, BBC TV; Bakersfield Californian; Bookforum.com; Booklist; CBS-TV; Chicago Public Radio; Chicago Reader; Chicago Sun-Times; Chicago Tribune; Choice(American Libraries), Cleveland Plain Dealer; Columbia Journalism Review; Daily Herald; Editor & Publisher; Empower; Evanston Review; Faith, Hope & Fiction; Fargo Forum; Feline(Germany); Gulfshore Life; HealthyWomen.com; Inside Higher Ed Chronicle, Journalism & Mass Communication Educator; Literarische Agentur (Germany); Los Angeles Times; Milwaukee Journal; Minnesota Public Radio; Naples Daily News; Newspaper Research Journal, North Shore; Oprah.com; Oprah Winfrey Show; Ozaukee Press; Pioneer Press; Publisher’s Weekly; Science & Spirit Magazine; Story Magazine; StoryCircle Network; Toastmasters International; Today Show; Washington Post; Waukegan News-Sun; Wharton School of Business’ Knowledge; WideThinker.com; WGN Radio; Writer Gazette; Writers Digest; Yahoo News, Zest Magazine
SELECT PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT:
10/2010: Moderator, “Career Portfolios,” Journalism & Women Symposium, San Antonio
10/2009: Panelist on Multimedia Journalism, Journalism & Women Symposium, Salt Lake City, Utah
8/2009: Moderator of Multimedia Panel, AEJMC, Boston
9/2008: International Newspaper Marketing Association conference, Chicago
3/2006: Speaker, Women, Action & The Media Conference, Boston
4/2005: Completed course, “Protection of Human Research Subjects,” Social Behavioral Sciences, NU
9/ 2004- 6/2005: Searle Center for Teaching Excellence Fellow, NU
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
2007-Present: National Federation of Press Women
2004-2006: 1st Vice president, Board of Directors, Journalism & Women Symposium
2004-Present: Association for Educators in Journalism & Mass Communications
1996-Present: Journalism & Women Symposium
1999-Present: Association for Women Journalists
VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS:
1992-Present: Children’s Memorial Guild
2002-2005: Sarah’s Inn, Advisory Council
2002-2009: Friends of Battered Women & Their Children, Advisory Council
2002-2003: Amicus, Advisory Council to Cook County Domestic Violence Court
1999-2002: Sarah’s Inn, Board of Directors
REFERENCES:
Available upon request.