Ian's Resume
Career Focus
Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist with executive management experience seeking a venue to apply broad range of skills.
Experience Summary
- Broad experience in all aspects of the newspaper industry, from reporter to executive editor.
- Experienced investigative reporter/editor with a strong background in government and political corruption.
- Well balanced in reporting, writing, data analysis and sourcing skills.
Freelance journalist/consultant
Professional Experience
- Communications Consultant for the Edward J. Bloustein School of Public Policy and Planning at Rutgers University.
- Independent investigative piece for The Humane Society of the United States.
- Consultant for start-up website. Providing content strategy and editorial services for several corporate research projects.
- Political speech writing and strategic consulting.
- Auxiliary Editor, consulting and editing for international non-profit, whose mission is to assist minority journalists toward publication in mainstream media on indigenous issues.
- Freelance piece in NJ Monthly.
The Star-Ledger
Newark, NJ
1998 – 2008
Investigative Reporter – 2004 – 2008
- Pulitzer nominee for a series exposing Newark corruption, resulting in the indictment and conviction of Newark Mayor Sharpe James.
- Several investigative pieces on political corruption in Union County, NJ, leading to state and federal probes.
- Investigative piece on fundraising practices of then NJ U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, and his brother.
Statehouse Bureau Chief – 1999 – 2004
- Supervised the largest statehouse bureau in the country.
- Led Pulitzer-winning statehouse coverage of the resignation of NJ Gov. James McGreevey.
- Supervised several award-winning investigative pieces, spanning three governors.
Night Metro Editor –1998 – 1999
- Supervised three editors and several reporters, with extensive rewrite responsibilities.
- Personally broke story of wrongly accused cop-killer suspect who died in police custody.
The Herald-News
Passaic, NJ 1995 – 1998
Executive Editor
- Resuscitated a struggling, ineffective daily into a respectable publication.
- Oversaw comprehensive graphic redesign and won more writing awards than any paper in the state.
- Sent on four-month special assignment in 1997 as Acting Executive Editor to restructure Lowell Sun news operation in Massachusetts after acquisition by owner of the Herald-News.
The Houston Post
Houston, TX 1992 -1995
Special Projects Editor
- Oversaw several award-winning projects.
- Led coverage of the Branch Davidian siege near Waco, TX.
- Hired as assistant metro editor, coordinating political coverage.
The Herald-News
Passaic, NJ1989 – 1992
Executive Editor
- Hired as a reporter, promoted to metro editor and then editorial page editor before gaining the top position.
- Led investigation that resulted in the indictment of a Passaic mayor.
Freelance
New York, NY 1986 -1989
- Head researcher Johnson vs. Johnson, a New York Times best-seller about the Johnson family will contest, a story I broke at the Trenton Times.
- Unit publicist for feature film, Bright Lights, Big City, while doing freelance writing.
The Times
Trenton, NJ1983 -1986
Reporter
- Learned the basics as police reporter, local government reporter, county court reporter.
- Traveled throughout Central America on special assignments to cover the 1984 presidential election in El Salvador.
The Trentonian
Trenton, NJ 1981 – 1983
Reporter
- Consistently beat competition as police reporter.
- Left when offered a job by the competition.
The College of New Jersey
Ewing, NJ 1977 – 1981, 2009
Education/Professional Affiliations
Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, minor in Spanish. Left 18 credits short to accept job at Trentonian in 1981. Returned in 2009 to earn degree.
Rutgers University
Newark, NJ 1999
Adjunct Professor
- Taught advanced journalism for one semester.
Poynter Institute
St. Petersburg, FL, 1997
Guest Faculty
- Led seminar on ethical challenges of NJ’s sexual predator law.