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.

Pandemic creates financial burden for hundreds in Collier County

So many Southwest Florida families are under a tremendous financial burden that local charities can hardly keep up with the demand. A half-mile-long line of cars waited for meals provided by the Boys and Girls Club of Collier County, and the organization said they were shocked by the types of people who showed up. Megan […]

Immokalee farmworkers want a field hospital, county says not yet

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is circulating a petition and has sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis asking for a field hospital and additional personal protective equipment for farmworkers. Thursday, a spokesperson for Collier County told WINK News by email that right now there is not a need for a field hospital in the […]

COVID-19 test results could take time and cost you money

Lee Health said it has cleared its testing backlog from 300 down to 25 thanks to faster in-house testing. The turnaround time on results is about 24 hours, but the wait could be longer if the test is sent to a private lab – and not all testing is free of charge. If you’re getting […]

Farmworkers petition governor for field hospital, protective gear

The Coalition of Immokalee Farmworkers sent a strongly worded letter to Gov. Ron Desantis, asking for protections for workers who are considered essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CIW said Immokalee is especially vulnerable due to the conditions in which workers are transported by bus to fields and the crowded conditions in which they live. […]

Contact-tracing apps promise to track COVID-19 without compromising privacy

Experts such as Dr. Anthony Fauci have been echoing sentiments that additional contact tracing needs to take place to properly identify and isolate people who might have come into contact with the coronavirus. The tech world is taking note. Contact-tracing, smartphone applications are in the works, and some claim to effectively trace those who’ve come […]

How COVID-19 test waiting period can affect physical, mental health

The number of reported positive coronavirus cases in Southwest Florida are nearing 300 Friday. And the results coming in are from tests done up to two weeks ago. So no one really knows how many cases there are at this time. And thousands of people tested are left to wonder what their results are. We […]

Could expanded testing bring life back to normal, sooner?

When will the school and business closures and stay-at-home orders end? It’s a question weighing heavily on David Mastrangelo, a violinist for the Naples Philharmonic. Mastrangelo has been effectively off the job since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the United States put an end to large gatherings and the Naples Phil had […]

Fort Myers City Councilman Kevin Anderson recovering from COVID-19

A Fort Myers City Council member has COVID-19. Kevin Anderson tested positive about a week after returning from a cruise that left New Orleans on March 6 and ended in California on March 20. His travel home from San Diego took him through Chicago before he landed at Southwest Florida International Airport late on the […]

Publix allows employees to wear masks, implements social distancing

You should see changes at your neighborhood Publix this week. The company said by email that as of Monday, it changed its policy to allow employees to wear masks and gloves. Publix employees, who wished to remain anonymous, have sent emails and messages to WINK News regarding concerns over safety. Some of the emails claimed […]

Friends say death of beloved DJ is wakeup call about COVID-19

Family and friends are mourning the loss of a popular Fort Myers DJ to the coronavirus. Conrad Buchanan, known as DJ Griff Gotti, died Thursday after suffering from COVID-19, according to friends. It’s not clear where or how Buchanan contracted the virus, but according to his Facebook page, he knew by March 21 he had […]