I started my public relations career in 1982 at Apple Computer, where I was fortunate to participate in a revolutionary moment in time—the birth of the personal computer industry. I helped to launch the Apple IIe, Lisa, and Macintosh personal computers. Over the years I held positions as corporate public relations spokesperson and manager of public relations for the education and consumer markets. I spent four years as an executive speechwriter to the CEO and other executives, which afforded me the opportunity to write and produce keynote speeches at international conferences such as The European University Consortium in Belgium, and Macworld Expositions in Australia, Boston, San Francisco and Tokyo.
Before Apple, I was Life/Style editor, writer and photographer at the Chico Enterprise-Record, a daily newspaper in Northern California. I once had lunch with and interviewed Hollywood star and Academy Award-winning actress Olivia De Havilland (“Gone with the Wind”, “The Adventures of Robin Hood”); oh, the stories she told! One of my favorite interviews was with a special effects technician from the original 1933 movie, “King Kong.” Even Vincent Price, legendary actor of film noir thrillers and horror movies, passed our way and stopped for an interview. Who knew Chico would be so interesting? One of my most fulfilling jobs was creating “Kid Stuff,” a weekly tabloid newspaper designed to help children develop the habit of reading, and give them a voice in the community by publishing their stories, poems, and opinions. It was a hit with kids, educators, parents and the community. This led to an annual poetry and short story contest for children, and my foray into public relations.