I’ve had the pleasure of being at The Gazette since 1998, when I started as the reporter for the Port Towns paper, one of the first editions in the company’s extended rollout for coverage in Prince George’s County. In this role, I worked closely with community members on municipal government, education, business and feature profiles on residents making their cities and towns a better place to live. For a year, I covered the arts and entertainment scene in the county before returning to the Port Towns beat, which eventually expanded to include the Hyattsville communities. I started a decade-long run as The Gazette’s movie critic in 2000, with my reviews garnering national exposure. Seeking a new challenge, I accepted a position as an assistant managing editor in 2006. During my tenure as assistant managing editor for the Laurel paper, The Laurel Gazette was a first-place winner in the annual Suburban Newspapers of America General Excellence contest in 2009. I recently spent four months covering the county government as well as returning to my old Port Towns/Hyattsville beat. Now as the Prince George’s managing editor, I work closely with reporters to help them excel in the field and to continue exploring their passion for journalism.