Boards
director, Virginia Coalition for Open Government (current) strategic planning ad hoc, technology, legislative committees
president, Society of Professional Journalists Virginia Pro Chapter (current)
president, Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism (current)
committee member, Karsh Institute for Democracy and Virginia Humanities Virginia Local News Summit (current)
director, Tree of Lives, communications committee (past)
Awards
2024 selected Virginia Film Festival, Whistleblower Festival, Chicago Shorts Film Festival, Uprooted
2024 Pictures of the Year International, First Place long-form documentary, Uprooted
2024 Regional Emmy award, production, editing and DP, Uprooted
2022 NETA award for audio production, Working Virginia Series, VCIJ
2023 Communication Arts Photo Annual, Photo editing and direction, Black Midwives
2018 Society of Environmental Journalists honorable mention Explanatory Journalism for Invisibles, the plastic within us
2018 Association of British Science Writers finalist for Invisibles, the plastic within us
2017 INN Photography of the year honorable mention
2015 Eddie Award Gold Medal from Folio Magazine for video, "Making Forever Love"
BFF Audience Award, Thao's Library (other numerous festival awards)
2013 Golden Eagle Cine award for “Gold Star Children” Audio engineering
Communication Arts 55th Photo Annual selection
National Telly, Bronze, award for short documentary, “Building Peace on Desktops.” 2011
2007 First Place National Press Photographer’s Association Newspaper Editing Special Section Multimedia “A Quiet War”
National Award Winner for the National Mental Health Association Media Awards for project on jailing of the mentally ill 2004
Best In Show for Photojournalism from the Virginia Press Assoc. 2004
First Place Sports Picture POYi 2004
Virginia News Photographer of the Year 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007 with more than 40 single awards
2003 First Place Photo Story from NABJ
Second Place for NPPA’s Cliff Edom Award 2001
Third Place sports picture NPPA POY 2001
Award of Excellence for sports picture POYi 2001
Pew Fellowship finalist for project on AIDS orphans in Botswana
Slover Award winner 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007—Landmark Com. Award—judged by Mark Edelson, Palm Beach Post, Jamie Francis-The Oregonian, Bill Greene-Boston Globe, Carolyn Cole-The Los Angeles Times
Award of Excellence for Portrait/Personality, NPPA 58th Annual Pictures of the Year
Third Place for Spot News Photograph, NPPA’s 54th Annual POY
Third Place Sports picture Atlanta Photojournalism Competition
Five First Place Clemens Awards from the Associated Press for news, sports, and multiple picture story and feature photos, design
Several other general NPPA Clip Contest and Maryland, Delaware, D.C. and Virginia Press Association awards
Mentor to summer interns at The Virginian-Pilot
Numerous picture editing awards from internationally recognized media organizations
Speaking engagements/Workshops/Panels
Virginia Local News Summit moderator
Speaker, James Madison University “Behind the story, Microplastics” 2018
AMA Nonprofit Conference, DC, 2015; Hitting the bulls eye with video
Bloom Film Challenge Judge, sponsored by Pivot TV, Silk and Students of the World
Speaker, Virginia Association of Fundraising Professionals, The Power of the Narrative Story, 2012
Speaker, Photo Night, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2012.
Panel speaker, James Madison University, September 2011. Photojournalism in the world today.
Panel speaker, Students of the World Summit, Austin, 2011.
Storytelling and Visual Communication Workshop at the Academy for Nonprofit Excellence, Tidewater Community College, October, 2010.
Panel Judge, Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management, 2010.
Still photography and story instructor, Western Kentucky University’s 2010 Mountain Workshop.
The Cliff Edom Truth With A Camera Photojournalism Workshops National and International. 2002, 2003, 2008, 2011 to present.
Guest lecturer for journalism classes at Hampton University, Virginia Wesleyan, Ohio University, Tidewater Community College, Salem High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Guest speaker at the 2006 NPPA Flying Short Course-Philadelphia, PA.
Panel Judge, Academy of the Arts Photography Contest, Easton, Maryland, 1995.
Exhibitions
Norfolk Collegiate School, 2012.
First Presbyterian Church, 2011, 2012.
Tidewater Community College Visual Arts Center, 2010.
Cross Roads Art Center, Physicians for Peace, Richmond, 2010.
Peninsula Fine Arts Museum, Newport News, Virginia, 2008.
The Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia, 2006-2007.
The Courthouse Galleries, Portsmouth, Virginia 2006.
Exhibited in the Virginia Poverty Law Center exhibition 2005.
Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, Clifton Forge, Virginia, 2003.
Pictures of the Year International, traveling exhibition, 1995.
Additional Training
Graduated from the nationally recognized multimedia workshop, Platypus, 2006.
Mentor program under Master Photographer, Ernesto Bazan. New York City 2004.
Adobe Flash immersion program, Landmark Media, 2003.
Publications
The Guardian
BBC
CNN
Deutsche Welle
PRX International
Folha
la Republica
The Irish Independent
Tempo
Science Times
USA Today Network
Seeker
The Hindu
Nieman Reports
NEED Magazine
Mother Jones
The Virginian-Pilot
Multimediashooter.com
People
Newsweek
The Los Angeles Times
The New York Times
The Washington Post
Time
U.S. News and World Report
Frontline
Orb Media
The University of Virginia Magazine
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Education Week
Films
UPROOTED, producer, editor, and DP
THAO'S LIBRARY, 2015 2nd camera
GLEN CAMPBELL, I'LL BE ME, 2012, 2nd Camera
POWERING ON: THE STORY OF BYTE BACK, 2013, Director, Producer, Writer, Editor, DP
FOSTER LOCAL, 2013, Director, Writer
USPS STAMPS.COM ICON SERIES: 2013-2015, Director, Producer, Writer, Editor, DP
ANY WAY YOU WANT IT: MUSIC VIDEO, 2013, CO-Director, Editor, DP
WOMEN HEART, 2012, Director, Producer, Writer, Editor, DP
GOLD STAR CHILDREN, 2012, Ast. DP Camera, Audio
BUILDING PEACE ON DESKTOPS, 2011, Director, Producer, Writer, DP
THE PURPOSE PROJECT, 2011, CO-Director, Writer, Editor, DP
TREE OF LIVES: LOST BOY DOCTORS RETURN TO SUDAN, 2011, Director, Producer, Writer, DP
Produced, directed or filmed over 200 documentary shorts for clients: National Geographic TV, Discovery Channel, CNN, the BBC,
The Virginian-Pilot, The University of Virginia, Physicians for Peace, National Suicide Prevention Agency, Friends of Guest House, and many other nonprofit agencies and news outlets.
Books
Dean Woo, cover photo
Earl Washington, cover photo
A Century of Great Photography, The Virginian-Pilot, 2006. Photographs featured throughout.
Life 2001 Album The Year in Pictures, ppg 90-91. Photo featured.
The Best of Photojournalism by the National Press Photographers Association. 1995, 2002. Photos featured.
Virginia 24/7, 2004. Several photos featured thoughout.
Virginia Poverty Law Center exhibition catalog, 2007.