Anthony DeBarros

My resume, posted below, also is available for download in two versions:

– One-page brief.
– Full CV.

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ANTHONY DeBARROS
www.anthonydebarros.com
adebarros[at]gmail[dot]com
(540) 751-8669

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EXPERIENCE

USA TODAY, McLean, Va., 2008 to present.

Senior Database Editor

• Lead team of five responsible for data gathering, statistical analysis, programming, reporting and other tasks to support investigative journalism and web interactives.
• Hire and develop staff, set goals and standards, monitor results via Omniture metrics.
• Oversee development of USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list, including transition to inclusion of e-book titles.
• Act as organizational change agent, promoting greater use of data and technology in news reporting and bridging gaps between newsroom and IT leaders.
• Co-winner of 2009 Education Writers Association award for investigation of school lunches, Trouble on the Tray.

USA TODAY, McLean, Va., 1997 to 2008.

Database Editor/Investigative Journalist

• Gathered and analyzed data for investigative and daily stories on health, education, religion, music, movies, books and TV for Life section.
• Co-winner of 2007 Missouri Lifestyle Journalism award for investigation of college student deaths. Finalist in 2001 for investigation of amusement park safety.
• Lead analyst of data behind USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list.
• Co-creator of USA TODAY’s Celebrity Heat Index.
• Built ASP.NET and Microsoft Access tools to support reporting and analysis.
• Conducted dozens of Excel and Access training sessions to teach analysis techniques.
• Key member of team that added social networking tools to USATODAY.com in 2006-07.

Poughkeepsie Journal, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., 1986 to 1997.

Editor, Reporter: Police Reporter, Community Reporter, 1986; Music/Lifestyle reporter, 1987-88; Systems Editor, Copy Editor 1988-91; Assistant City Editor, 1990-91; Life Section Editor, 1991-94; Technology Editor, 1994-97.

• After start as obituary writer and police reporter, promoted into reporting and editing roles with increasing responsibility and impact.
• As Life Editor, led staff of seven through redesign of two print sections. Coached writers to improve readability, impact.
• As Technology Editor, in 1992 launched one of the first dial-up online services at a daily newspaper by creating a newsroom computer bulletin board system.
• Key leader in overall newspaper redesign and product development that led to newspaper being named “Most Improved” in Gannett chain.

The Summer Institute for the Gifted, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., 1994-1996.

Instructor. Taught news writing and creative writing to gifted middle school and high school students. Three summers.

Marist College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., 1989; 1992.

Adjunct Instructor of Journalism. Taught three semesters of college-level introductory journalism courses.

Freelance writer, 1990 to 2005.

Columns, reviews and features for Computer Reseller News, CCM, Sevenball and other publications.

WEOK/WPDH Broadcasting, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., 1983 to 1986.

On-air personality and news reporter at the top-rated AM/FM station in New York’s mid-Hudson Valley.

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EDUCATION

Master of Science in Computer Science/Information Systems. Marist College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., 1997. Systems analysis and technology management. 3.8 GPA.

Bachelor of Arts in English. Marist College, 1986. Concentration in writing and journalism. Editor on staff of student newspaper, The Circle. 3.7 GPA.

Associate in Science in Communications and Media Arts. Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., 1983. Focus on mass media, television and radio broadcasting.

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AWARDS

Education Writers Association, National Awards for Education Reporting.

• First Prize, Investigative Reporting (Large Media), with Blake Morrison, Peter Eisler and Elizabeth Weise for Trouble on the Tray, 2009
• Special Citation, News Feature or Issue Package, with Tamara Henry for The School Construction Divide, 1999

Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards.

• Winner with Robert Davis for First Year in College is Riskiest, 2007
• Finalist with Gene Sloan, Consumer category, for Park Safety Rules Lax, 2001

The Association of Educational Publishers. Distinguished Achievement Award Finalist, 1999, for The School Construction Divide

USA TODAY Enterprise All-Star Team member. 1999 and 2000

The Center for Education Reform. Excellence in Journalism Award, First Place (team), for Learning Curve I: A Yearlong Poughkeepsie Journal Project, 1997.

New York State Associated Press Association Writing Contest. First Place, Business/Finance, 1995, for Cirrus Logic.

Employee of the Year. Poughkeepsie Journal, December 1989.

Excellence in English. Senior class award. Marist College, May 1986.

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TECHNICAL SKILLS

SQL Server: T-SQL, data design, stored procedures, functions, XML output, data parsing.

Visual Studio: Design and coding of database-driven Web applications using C# and ASP.Net.

SPSS: Statistical analysis including crosstabs, regression, correlation, analyzing weighted survey responses, recoding data.

Microsoft Access and Excel: Advanced data analysis.

HTML/CSS/JavaScript: Coding techniques for web page design and interaction.

Sonar/Cakewalk: Audio recording, editing and mixing.

ArcView: Building maps and analyzing spatial data.

Currently learning: Django, Python, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Apache, Ubuntu.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Northern Virginia Community College. One-semester class in Visual Studio/C#/.NET. 2008.

National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting/Investigative Reporters and Editors. Frequent attendee and speaker at IRE boot camps and conferences. Completed Stats and Maps boot camp, SQL Server boot camp, Django mini boot camp.

Wilmington News-Journal. Wilmington Writers’ Workshop. Wilmington, Del., April 1993.

American Press Institute. Feature and Lifestyle Editors’ Seminar. Reston, Va., March 1992.

American Newspaper Publishers Association. Technical Exposition and Conference. Las Vegas, June 1990.

Filed under: by Anthony on Oct 13, 2009
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