Lori Houston

Santa Rosa, California
phone: 707-528-9902 / e-mail: lorijh@pacbell.net

A versatile, productive editorial professional with 15+ years of experience spanning a breadth of areas including Internet/web content, technical software documentation, journalism, and marketing/copy writing.

Five years of feature and technical web content development

• Web content and resource development for Cooperative Community Energy (http://www.ccenergy.com), a buyers' cooperative for purchasing and installing renewable energy systems.


• Developing and writing articles about web services technologies for Sun Microsystem's Dot-Com Builder web site (http://dcb.sun.com) as an independent contractor.


• Produced and maintained content/online help system for one of the first, award-winning open source software exchange marketplace sites (sourceXchange), developed by CollabNet (http://www.collab.net).


• Created, developed and maintained online help system/content for SourceCast, a web-based collaborative project environment combining software development applications, communications features, and integrated third-party tools (http://www.collab.net/products/sourcecast/). Also contributed to developing and writing SourceCast functional specification.


• Generated web content and developed online help system for technical staffing firm's web site (http://www.techs.com) and web-based recruiting tool (Web-Trak).


• Developed and wrote feature content, interviews, and news for O'Reilly & Associates (http://www.oreilly.com).

Two years as business/technology journalist

• Covered business news and high tech industry in the north and east San Francisco Bay Area (Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties).


• Created and wrote a monthly column "North Bay Software and Multimedia."


• Wrote articles on multimedia, software, telecommunications, and Internet business news and industry issues; also wrote business articles on other industries, including health care.


• Researched and compiled extensive business list/directories; performed copy editing and proofreading.


• Collaborated on book research and writing with key telecom industry figure.

Three years as daily newspaper staff reporter/assistant editor

• Covered business, agriculture, and general assignment as staff writer (including hard news, features, and in-depth news analysis). Received Society of Professional Journalists award for feature story.


• Wrote features, designed special weekly pages (business, agriculture, arts and entertainment, religion, and society), and designed special tabloid editions (annual local fair edition).


• Appointed assistant city editor for six months; shared staff assignment and copy editing responsibilities. Filled in as proofreader periodically.

Three years marketing, advertising, and broadcast copy writing

• Wrote and produced television and radio commercials for automotive services company.


• Received Sonoma County Ad Club's Silver Sadie Award in 1994 for television commercial production.


• Scripted and produced company training and safety videos.


• Conceptualized, wrote copy, and provided art direction for design aspects of direct mail pieces.


• Wrote company policy and safety manuals.

• Freelance Writer/Independent Contractor - September 1994 to present (Santa Rosa, CA)


• Technical Writer - CollabNet: June 2000 to June 2001 (Brisbane, CA)


• Web Reporter - O'Reilly & Associates: December 1999 to June 2000 (Sebastopol, CA)


• Technology Business Reporter - The Business Journal: February 1996 to March 1998 (Santa Rosa, CA)


• Marketing/Administrative Director - Oil Stop Inc.: September 1991 to September 1994 (Rohnert Park, CA)


• Assistant City Editor / Staff Writer - Lodi News-Sentinel: February 1982 to February 1985 (Lodi, CA)

Bachelor of Arts Degree - Government / Journalism, California State University, Sacramento

• Proficiency with Web authoring/file tools: HomeSite, DreamWeaver, FrameMaker+SGML, RoboHelp Office, RoboHelp HTML, PhotoShop, and various FTP clients.


• Familiarity working with HTML, Webmacro, Java servlets, UNIX bash shell language, UNIX vi file editor.


• PC: Windows 3.1/95/98/NT, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel), StarOffice, Novell Perfect Office for Windows v. 6.1 (WordPerfect, Quattro Pro), AMIPRO for Windows.


• Macintosh: Microsoft Word, ClarisWorks, Aldus PageMaker, and Microsoft File.

Training/participation as amateur triathlete; reading, gardening, wine, travel.