A Professional Writer

MCGRAW-HILL/DODGE, 1988-89. Readership: 1,000's of contractors, developers and architects in San Diego County and nationwide subscribe to Dodge Reports (now known as Dodge Data & Analytics) to prepare their bids for construction projects. I was a Reporter at the projects bidding stage so my sources were contractors and subcontractors (other reporters were at the planning stage making their sources architects and consulting engineers). I had two daily deadlines to let these "sources" and subscribers know the bid results. I would report who the awarded bidder was (the contractor or developer) and then report on which of the seventeen sub-trades they were looking for bids on (plumbers, framers, glass & glazing, etc.). This was at the height of construction for San Diego so I reported on many signature projects that were added to the city skyline. The flagship project, without a doubt, was the Emerald Shapery Center with the unmistakable Emerald green rings (my source was Sandor Shapery, the owner/architect out of Australia). While there, I won first place in our district in the "Summer Sub-Bid Heatwave Contest". Each participating reporter would receive one point for the report and another three points if they were able to obtain the plans & specifications for the project. It was a three month contest and a great deal of fun! Basically, I saw it as doing my job only more of it. My score of 197 points was highest in the district and our district was highest of all twelve nationwide.