Professional Experience

2016 to present: Investigative reporter, WINK News. Previously worked as a producer at KPRC-TV in Houston, WKMG-TV in Orlando and WINK News.

Awards & Recognition

  • Florida Associated Press Finalist for Investigative Reporting, 2018
  • Suncoast Regional Emmy Nominee for Crime News, 2017
  • Lonestar Emmy Awards, winner for Best Investigative Story, nominee for Best Business/Consumer Story, 2016.
  • Houston Press Club, first place for TV Consumer News, 2016.
  • Texas Associated Press Broadcasters, second place for news series, 2016.
  • National Press Club Award, third place for investigative reporting, 2012.
  • IRE/NICAR, Holly Wisenhunt Stephen Fellowship recipient, 2011.
  • Suncoast Emmy Awards, winner for Crime Story, 2008. Five-time nominee, 2010 - 2014.
  • Edward R Murrow Awards, 2008 and 2009 regional winner for Investigative Reporting.

Hobbies, Interests & Community Service

Cooking, fitness, running, yoga, scrapbooking,  reading the New York Times' travel section, dreaming about places to travel and sometimes going there, watching my husband golf, taking the dog to the beach, rooting for the Steelers and Nittany Lions, and spoiling my nieces and little ‘sister’. I'm also a Big Brothers & Big Sister mentor, volunteer at PACE school for girls and WGCU's radio reading for blind and visually impaired.

Education

Penn State University

Likes best about Southwest Florida

"The people."

Birthplace

Western Pennsylvania.

Unvaccinated kids entering schools in Southwest Florida at four-year high

According to Florida Department of Health immunization data, 319 Kindergarten students cited a religious exemption for common childhood vaccines in Southwest Florida for the 2018/2019 school year. Children are required to be vaccinated against polio; measles, mumps and rubella; Diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough; chickenpox; hepatitis B; and haemophilus influenzae type b unless they cite […]

Health, recovery focus of Congressman Rooney’s private meeting on algae

Representative Francis Rooney is hosting a roundtable of federal, state and local leaders to discuss harmful algal blooms at Florida Gulf Coast University on Tuesday. Representatives from the CDC, EPA and NOAA will attend the event, which is not open to the public or press. “I am encouraged that these key agency officials are coming […]

Southwest Florida fights for inclusion in closed-door water quality roundtable

The federal government needs to catch up in helping Florida manage water and prevent harmful algal blooms. That’s the message Congressman Francis Rooney delivered on Capitol Hill this week. As he asks for billions of dollars in federal support, he’s catching flack back in his district for keeping the public out of an important roundtable […]

Officials schedule private meeting for SWFL water crisis

Federal, state and local legislators are coming together in Southwest Florida to fight the water crisis, but you’re not invited. Congressman Francis Rooney is hosting a roundtable discussion at Florida Gulf Coast University on Tuesday. Among the attendees: scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and the NOAA’s National Central for Coast Ocean Science, the […]

Secret investigation into FMPD costs taxpayers at least $360K

A federal investigation into the Fort Myers Police Department began after the City of Fort Myers hired the Freeh Group International Solutions to look for problems within the department. In early 2017, the Freeh Group released an audit report that included a recommendation to have an outside agency investigate potential misconduct at the police department. […]

FDLE says no criminal investigation into Sheriff Marceno in paternity suit

There will be no criminal investigation into the Lee County Sheriff over allegations he threatened the mother of his unborn child. Deanna Williams claims Sheriff Carmine Marceno threatened her if she wouldn’t have an abortion. After the suit was filed in November, we asked Williams if Marceno flat-out asked her to have an abortion. She […]

Everglades National Park. (CBS photo)

Natural cure to water quality crisis comes with uphill battle

Driving through one of Florida’s man-made wetlands doesn’t feel like a man-made experience at all. It feels like a day in the Everglades, with similar plant and wildlife and tourists and recreation seekers from all over the world. The wetlands are known as stormwater treatment areas, or STAs, clean phosphorous out of water coming out […]

Roundup ruling gives promise to Southwest Florida plaintiffs

A California jury unanimously ruled in favor of a 70-year old man suing the makers of the popular weed-killer, Roundup. Monsanto, which is owned by Bayer, is facing 11-thousand lawsuits around the country from people who claim the product caused or contributed to their non-Hodkins Lymphoma. Jeff Joffe, a dentist from Charlotte County, is among […]

2 Fort Myers police collected salary on leave since 2017

UPDATE:  Fort Myers city manager Saed Kazemi sent a letter to the US Attorney in Tampa asking for information related to their ongoing investigation into the officers on leave.  Read the letter. Since February 2017, Officer Jason Jackson and Captain Melvin Perry have been on paid administrative leave. Jackson and Perry were two of four […]

Bruno insider describes sales tactics

A former employee of Bruno Total Home Performance said the company trained air conditioning technicians to sell product whether or not the customer needed it. The company is under criminal and civil investigation by the Florida Attorney General’s office. “They don’t teach you to work on air conditioning systems and how to repair them, they […]