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.
GA Pilot, Crew Chief Killed In DC Crash | Laken Riley Act Becomes Law | YSL Murder Convictions | Measles Detected | Deadly Police Standoff
A nationwide franchise breaks ground in Georgia for the first time, while a local taco eatery continues to expand its footprint.
Gwinnett County Police said a domestic dispute between roommates led to the shooting death of a 32-year-old man.
A pilot and crew chief from Georgia were among dozens killed after an American Airlines flight crashed with an Army helicopter near D.C.
Officials on Thursday said there were no survivors of the collision between an American Airlines jet and Army helicopter at Reagan Airport.
Gwinnett County fire crews responded to two house fires, one of which caused an older woman to be hospitalized.
A man told counselors "that he was suicidal and indicated that he wanted to shoot himself," prompting Gwinnett County Police response.
Merely seconds before a deadly crash at Reagan Airport, an air traffic controller asked a helicopter to reroute and land, officials say.
Making plans for Valentine's Day? OpenTable says these Florida eateries are two of the most romantic restaurants in America.
Making plans for Valentine's Day? OpenTable says these Georgia eateries are two of the most romantic restaurants in America.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed the Laken Riley Act into law. The GA jogger was killed on UGA's intramural fields a year ago.
The man in Ocean Ridge was caught head-first in a wood chipper up to his shoulders and was decapitated, media reports say.
Three men were convicted of murder and sentenced in a gas station shooting that killed a 30-year-old man, Gwinnett prosecutors say.
The metro Atlanta resident contracted the measles while traveling in the U.S., Georgia health officials say.
A 54-year-old man is facing murder charges after police say he shot and killed his 26-year-old stepson in Gwinnett County.
North Atlanta High School was locked down on Tuesday due to an emailed threat, school officials told Patch.
The Trump administration's pause on federal grants and loans, which drew criticism from some FL elected officials, was rescinded Wednesday.
The Trump administration's pause on federal grants and loans, which drew criticism from some GA elected officials, was rescinded Wednesday.
Bird flu is a primary driver of the higher prices Florida consumers have been paying for eggs.
Respiratory viruses are at high or very high levels across most of the country. Here is a snapshot of how Florida is faring.
