Amanda is a 10-time award-winning journalist who has been in the field for more than a decade. A graduate of Valdosta State University, where she was a features editor for the campus newspaper, Amanda has since moved on to embark on a career that has led her to winning top state awards through the Georgia Press Association.
She has been a lifestyles editor for The Valdosta Daily Times and a magazine editor for The Daily Times' monthly publication, Valdosta Scene, overseeing a small staff and being third-in-command in the newsroom. While at the Daily Times, she revamped the company's magazine, acted as a link between the community and readers and took on hard-hitting assignments that garnered her multiple accolades while remaining committed to community journalism.
Her leadership then took her to The Griffin Daily News, where she was a managing editor and department head who worked closely with the publisher and marketing manager. While there, she brought new light to the newspaper and its bimonthly magazine, Southern Crescent Living. She established new weekly departments for the newspaper while correlating opportunities for advertising and editorial to come together and share space on the pages.
Her awards include: two for Investigating Reporting (first and third place), Feature Photo (second place), three for Lifestyle Coverage (first and second places), Best Magazine Overall Design (first place), Magazine Cover Design (third place), Magazine Product (second place) and Religion Writing (third place).
The Associated Press has run 13 of her stories through its weekend wire, and she has had multiple stories to circulate both nationally and internationally in several print and digital publications. National Public Radio Atlanta (WABE) has interviewed Amanda about her work.
She has interviewed Adrian Peterson, Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp, Super Bowl Champ Malcolm Mitchell, Elizabeth Smart, two Harlem Globetrotters, Pam Tebow, Misty Copeland and the late Burt Reynolds. She has also photographed Shaquille O'Neal, Flo Rida and other public figures.
Amanda has a passion for storytelling and enjoys being a voice for the local community. While her work ranges from crime to business to education news, her heart lies in features journalism as it offers the chance to meet diverse people and share their stories in a way that matters. The readers and those she interviews will always come first for Amanda.
A man involved in a Midtown road-rage incident turned the gun on himself Tuesday while a person who was shot is being treated at a hospital.
"I'm sorry to whoever found us. I am sorry to everyone I hurt," GA firefighter Raegan Anderson said in a suicide note, per a media report.
The body was found after a 911 caller reported seeing a person not moving in a grassy area near I-285 east in Dunwoody.
“Our guests lead busy lives, and we’re focused on designing our restaurants to best serve their needs,” Chick-fil-A's Jonathan Reed said.
A GA deputy, who was serving a GBI search warrant Tuesday, was injured in a shooting three days after another deputy was shot and killed.
Gwinnett prosecutors say a self-proclaimed "patriot" shot a man in the head, killing him, because the man envied his U.S. citizenship.
A metro Atlanta resident was exposed to measles while traveling internationally, the Georgia Department of Public Health said.
The charges against a Duluth man accused of trafficking methamphetamine stem from a probe involving a confidential source.
The Bartow County man, who was shot and killed by SWAT, was accused of threatening his wife, witnesses and authorities at the scene.
WATCH: Police release bodycam footage showing the arrest of five people accused of having guns and $10,000 at an Atlanta music video shoot.
Sandy Springs Police said a woman bought fentanyl-laced pills, which led to her death.
An accused gunman shot a rifle about 16 times, killing a Georgia deputy responding to a domestic dispute, authorities said Monday.
Officials said customers were complaining of metal wire embedded in their chicken nuggets and tenders from Georgia-based Perdue Foods.
Disney says when a subscriber agrees to terms and conditions, they are opting out of settling lawsuits in court, reports say.
With its Southern roots, VA lands among the best states to live in the U.S. See how the East Coast state fared on the national list.
With its mid-Atlantic roots, MD lands among the best states to live in the U.S. See how the East Coast state fared on the national list.
The best cheap eats in Georgia serves a variation of pies, including a chicken and bacon pie.
In the Southeast, winter could feel warm with above average temperatures. See what to know in Georgia.
The rare blue moon coming to the skies above Georgia on Monday is the first of four consecutive supermoons.
With its Southern roots, Georgia lands among the best states to live in the U.S. See how the Peach State fared on the national list.
