Portsmouth, NH, 603-373-8153

email: blh@gardnerstate.com website: gardnerstate.com

Writer and editor with marketing and magazine experience; award-winning journalist with nearly 10 years of experience in New Hampshire daily news; and public relations specialist experienced in writing for both American and international clients.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

BLH Writing Solutions, Portsmouth, N.H.,   Founder and Editor-in-Chief   1/13-present

Operator of a freelance writing company serving communications and marketing firms, non-profit organizations and magazines. Specialize in business and travel writing, web content, social media content, inbound marketing content, case studies, email newsletters, and promotional materials for businesses.

Louis Karno & Company, Concord, N.H.,   Public Relations Contributor   2/09-present

Write promotional copy, case studies, web content and other materials for both short and long-term projects. Clients including Covering New Hampshire, Waterville Valley Resort, Bistate Primary Care Association, and the Portuguese wine cooperative Vini Portugal.

New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester, N.H.,   Staff Reporter/Columnist   10/09-12/12

Covered Manchester politics and wrote a behind-the-scenes column about City Hall. Regularly wrote on tight deadline and quickly learned complex government programs and budgets. I strove to translate often-confusing material into interesting and accessible stories.

Freelance Writer, Portsmouth, N.H.,   12/07-10/09                                                                                   

Freelance writer for local and national publications, including local newspapers, the Associated Press, Campaigns and Elections Magazine, and Yankee Magazine. Balanced multiple assignments for various clients on a wide range of subjects, from national politics to local farmer markets.

Campaigns and Elections, Washington, D.C.   N.H. Political Correspondent   4/07-12/07

Covered the New Hampshire primary and state politics for this monthly magazine and its website, NHpols.com. As sole reporter for the website, I wrote news stories, took photographs, and maintained event listings. Also wrote a daily email newsletter targeted at political insiders.

Portsmouth Herald, Portsmouth, N.H.   Staff Reporter   9/04–4/07

Covered general news in Maine and New Hampshire including personal features, town politics, and local crime. Created and wrote a political news column for the 2008 presidential primary and coordinated an award-winning right-to-know project.

OTHER EXPERIENCE

Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications, Manchester, N.H.,   Workshop Instructor   2011-present

Created a one-day workshop on freelance writing, stressing the importance of balancing multiple assignments, staying organized, and the ability to write in different styles.

EDUCATION

MA, Creative Writing and Publishing   Emerson College, Boston, Mass.,   December 2002

BA, Music; English minor   University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.,   May 1999

AWARDS

2011 New England Newspaper Press Association Award, 1^st place in health reporting at the New Hampshire Union Leader for uncovering a bone marrow registry’s questionable billing practices.

2007 New England Newspaper Press Association Award, 1^st place in government reporting for leading and writing an investigative news project at the Portsmouth Herald on public access to government records in the seacoast region.