Kara Watkins

Los Angeles, CA USA
Website: https://kswcommunications.com
Contact

Professional Experience

Give me an assignment; I'll deliver. A well-rounded, experienced freelancer, I offer a full package of communications and editorial services, ranging from producing, writing and editing print/online content to social media and website management, soup-to-nuts website design and development, desktop publishing, and children's book design. I approach each project with expertise, enthusiasm, and attention to detail—whether it's building a professional-quality website, or writing a direct mail fund-raising campaign, an engaging marketing collateral package, a breezy lifestyle/arts/culture/travel article, or an insightful personality profile. Based in the metro Los Angeles area, I am available for projects worldwide.

Expertise

Copywriter
24 Years
Copy Editor
24 Years
Web Developer
3 Years

Specialty

Arts & Humanities
25 Years
Consumer Products
25 Years
International
15 Years

Industries


Pr/marketing - all
25 Years
Online/new media
14 Years
Other
14 Years

Total Media Industry Experience

25 Years

Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

The World Bank Group (10+), Big Hearts for Little Hearts Children s Hosp Guil (3-5)

Other Work History

Senior Public Relations Manager for a global international development agency based in the Washington DC metro area. Publications Manager for a school of medicine alumni association.

Technical Skills

Desktop publishing (Adobe Creative Suite CC); photo editing (PhotoShop and Lightroom); video editing; web design and development (coding with HTML, CSS, Jekyll)

Foreign Language Skills

Italian (proficient); Spanish (conversational, reading)

Computer Skills

Microsoft Office, OS 10+ and Windows, Adobe Creative Suite CC, Web Development (coding with HTML, CSS, Jekyll)

Equipment

Mac laptop fully loaded with word-processing, desktop publishing, and photo-editing programs; digital camera; voice recorder

References

Gladly provided upon request.

Showcase

Writing Samples

Welcome to H Street
(Latitudes/American Eagle Inflight Magazine (HCP/Aboard Publishing) 11/1/2011)
[Final Manuscript; published November 2011] Arts & culture article introducing American Eagle airlines passengers/Latitudes readers to Washington DC's burgeoning Atlas District.
Catherine Cole: Living Like She Means It
(Woman magazine (SB News-Press) 11/6/2005)
1700-word cover story profiling Catherine Cole, Ph.D., UC Santa Barbara drama professor, cancer survivor, and amputee.
From Punk to Pastor
(Columbia Union VISITOR 12/1/2008)
Feature profile of young man's journey from angry, rebellious teen on the run from law to committed Christian pastor.
The Savage Art of Taking Risks
(Coastal Woman 6/1/2004)
Feature profile of Santa Barbara artist and Westmont College professor Susan Savage.
Hope & Glory (& Oratorios)
(Columbia Union VISITOR 8/1/2009)
Feature profile of musical prodigy, composer, and orchestra conductor Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse.
Healthy Skin
(Woman magazine (SB News-Press) 8/28/2005)
Fun, informational article highlighting skincare options available in the Santa Barbara area.
Women in the Arts: Nicole Strasburg
(Coastal Woman 11/1/2005)
Feature profiling Santa Barbara landscape painter and issue cover girl Nicole Strasburg. One of three artist profiles written for the Winter 2005 "Women in the Arts" issue of Coastal Woman.

Website Design + Development

Artist Portfolio Website
(Elyse Whittaker-Paek: Artist + Illustrator 7/19/2019)
Designed and built to showcase the work of Los Angeles-based Elyse Whittaker-Paek, an artist and illustrator specializing in custom watercolor portraits of homes and digital backgrounds for newborn photography. https://www.elyse-illustrates.com
Photography Portfolio Website
(Jason Watkins Photography 1/6/2020)
Designed and built this photography portfolio and business site for a young photographer based in Southern California. https://jasonwatkinsphotography.com/

Children s Book Design

The Magic Red Dress
(Authors 9/1/2018)
Designed and produced this an independently published book by Ella Roseborrough and Karen Loewenstern. Ilustrated by Elyse Whittaker-Paek. Design package included the dust jacket, front and back cover, and interior pages with text. Follow the adventures of a little girl named Ella and a very special red dress — a dress that helps transform Ella's first time dancing in The Nutcracker into a magical experience. But what happens when Ella outgrows the dress she loves so much? Will her younger sister Hazel wear the dress and experience its magic too, or will the dress be left behind — unworn and forgotten?

Editorial

Fielding Focus (Winter 2006)
(Fielding Graduate University 1/9/2006)
Winter 2006 issue of Fielding Focus, the news and events magazine of Fielding Graduate University. As editor, I managed production, and wrote and edited content. See my cover story on disaster psychologist Gil Reyes, Ph.D., who discusses the mental health issues surrounding disaster survivors.
Fielding Focus (Summer 2006)
(Fielding Graduate University 6/30/2006)
Summer 2006 issue of Fielding Focus, the news and events magazine of Fielding Graduate University. As editor, I managed production, and wrote and edited content. See my interview with cover subject Yvette Burton, Ph.D.