Amanda is a 10-time award-winning journalist who has been in the field for more than a decade. A graduate of Valdosta State University, where she was a features editor for the campus newspaper, Amanda has since moved on to embark on a career that has led her to winning top state awards through the Georgia Press Association.
She has been a lifestyles editor for The Valdosta Daily Times and a magazine editor for The Daily Times' monthly publication, Valdosta Scene, overseeing a small staff and being third-in-command in the newsroom. While at the Daily Times, she revamped the company's magazine, acted as a link between the community and readers and took on hard-hitting assignments that garnered her multiple accolades while remaining committed to community journalism.
Her leadership then took her to The Griffin Daily News, where she was a managing editor and department head who worked closely with the publisher and marketing manager. While there, she brought new light to the newspaper and its bimonthly magazine, Southern Crescent Living. She established new weekly departments for the newspaper while correlating opportunities for advertising and editorial to come together and share space on the pages.
Her awards include: two for Investigating Reporting (first and third place), Feature Photo (second place), three for Lifestyle Coverage (first and second places), Best Magazine Overall Design (first place), Magazine Cover Design (third place), Magazine Product (second place) and Religion Writing (third place).
The Associated Press has run 13 of her stories through its weekend wire, and she has had multiple stories to circulate both nationally and internationally in several print and digital publications. National Public Radio Atlanta (WABE) has interviewed Amanda about her work.
She has interviewed Adrian Peterson, Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp, Super Bowl Champ Malcolm Mitchell, Elizabeth Smart, two Harlem Globetrotters, Pam Tebow, Misty Copeland and the late Burt Reynolds. She has also photographed Shaquille O'Neal, Flo Rida and other public figures.
Amanda has a passion for storytelling and enjoys being a voice for the local community. While her work ranges from crime to business to education news, her heart lies in features journalism as it offers the chance to meet diverse people and share their stories in a way that matters. The readers and those she interviews will always come first for Amanda.
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A man is facing charges after a woman's body was found dismembered in a metro Atlanta apartment complex, police say.
Starbucks is closing 250 North American stores due to a lack of adequate financial results and customer experience, media reports say.
Teachers at four Douglas County schools now have free access to extra classroom supplies through a new effort.
Authorities say two dogs charged at police officers, leading one of the officers to shoot toward the dogs and injure a man in Fulton County.
" ... This is an incredibly difficult moment for our institution and, most importantly, our students," the GA-based beauty school said.
Two students, including a junior from Georgia, were found dead this week at the University of Mississippi.
"This location allows us to expand access to patients across the metro Atlanta area," a company executive told Patch.
Crews will be placing the last manhole for ongoing road work, leading to the temporary lane closure, Alpharetta city officials said.
Mad Hogg BBQ and the Eggroll Boyz will roll into the sheriff's office's parking lot for Foodie Fridays, authorities say.
A set of brothers were killed in the DeKalb County shooting that reportedly injured their pregnant cousin and aunt.
The rankings feature a new metric comparing graduates’ four-year post-college earnings within their specific fields of study.
After being approached by deputies, authorities say the murder suspect fell from a balcony railing and died in Fulton County.
The Cultural Arts Council's annual photography exhibit will feature member work at its downtown Douglasville gallery.
Fuel-tracker AAA recorded a price tag of $6.53 for diesel in the country - the highest-recorded average price. See what this means in GA.
Firefighters responded to a home in Cherokee County after it was hit by lightning during morning storms, they say.
A marginal risk for severe storms has been issued in Georgia, where nickel-sized hail and 60 mph wind gusts are predicted.
The local sheriff's office will collect donations to assist a senior living facility in Douglas County, authorities say.
Artists will paint the various settings of Alpharetta, capturing the town's streets, parks and other scenes on easels.
