Latest works
Data visualizations on bank deposit market share: Giant banks pick up more of Washingtonians' cash (Nov. 2, 2011) is a Javascript-based interactive using Google API. This was a prototype for a more refined treemap for the newspaper (Nov. 6). The interactive has the advantage of showing two dimensions (market share, gain/loss in market share).
A sit-down with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Nov. 2, 2011.
Youngsters join Occupy Seattle protest, Oct. 16, 2011.
Quarterly roundup on bank earnings: State's banks made money in past 6 months, Sept. 14, 2011. This Sunday package included an enterprise story showing a decline in commercial lending and a Tableau data viz.
State adds jobs, but unemployment rate holds steady, Sept. 14, 2011.
Google plans 840-worker office in Bothell, Aug. 20, 2011. Though I'm not a tech reporter, I jumped on this as an economic story, analyzed state jobs data and found that tech employment has rebounded from the Great Recession, reaching its highest level on record.
Nalley's food plant closes in Tacoma, workers try to move on, Aug. 7, 2011. A feature on what the closing of a local institution means for its workers and the community in a globalized economy.
Credit-union champion Oakland has come a long way, July 17, 2011. A profile of the CEO of the nation's fourth largest credit union and the industry he's helped shape.
Surviving local banks are healthier, but not as 'exciting', June 18, 2011. First-quarter financial data on Washington-based banks and thrifts shows they are much healthier than they were two years ago, but the path to profit growth is going to be challenging. See the Tableau data viz that anchors this story.
State's job outlook brighter for college graduates, May 18, 2011. The odds that recent college grads will find jobs are improving as the economy recovers, according to local college career offices and national data.
Financial-salvage expert Patrick rejuvenates struggling banks, May 16, 2011. A profile of Seattle Bank CEO Patrick Patrick, aka P2.
Homeowners facing foreclosure win right to mediation, April 13, 2011. After extensive media coverage of systemic flaws in the foreclosure process, the Washington Legislature passed the Foreclosure Fairness Act.
Feds sue WaMu ex-CEO Killinger and others, March 17, 2011: Federal regulators sued the three men who led Washington Mutual as its loan losses ballooned during the financial crisis. WaMu is the nation's biggest bank failure in history. This story was followed up with an analytic piece on April 2 that featured interviews with defense attorneys and a former federal regulator.
Tacoma works to recover from economic blows, March 21, 2011: The state's third-largest city is feeling the ripple effects from the departure of Russell Investments.
Wheeler Street Kitchen: a salad-soup-sandwich gem in Magnolia, March 3, 2011. Restaurant review.
Data-driven news stories
Foreclosures don't always follow script, Dec. 19, 2010: The Seattle Times' first collaboration with ProPublica entailed building from scratch a database on some 1,200 foreclosures in three metro areas and ferreting out answers to basic questions about the foreclosure crisis. Relatively little public data is available on foreclosures, and researchers and consumer advocates want lawmakers to change that.
Dog-attack victims wait days or weeks for response, Seattle Times, A1, Sept. 13, 2009. King County Animal Care and Control's ability to respond to calls of vicious dogs and dog bites has deteriorated in recent years. This story was published with a sidebar - Vicious dogs quietly moved to new homes - and a video and database lookup. My colleague, Justin Mayo, cleaned and analyzed the data. Soon after the story was published, King County leaders announced they were closing the agency and planned to hand off its responsibilities to contractors.
Local foreclosures soar threefold in two years, Seattle Times, A1, April 26, 2009. How the surge in foreclosures is playing out in one neighborhood. This multi-media package includes photos, Flash interactives and a video.
Washington bankruptcy filings rise 40%, Seattle Times, A1, Nov. 24, 2008. This year's growth rate is on pace to be the highest since at least 1991. A cool Flash map displays county bankruptcy statistics.
Will closing school doors open others? Seattle Times, B1, Jan. 21, 2006. After compiling databases and working with a web designer, I gave readers a way to compare school programs and facilities and reach their own conclusions about which Seattle schools should be closed to balance the budget.
Schoolkids see success in learning English, Seattle Times, B1, Jan. 3, 2006.
A new way of judging how well schools are doing, Seattle Times, A1, Aug. 28, 2005. Value-added data may improve accountability, but not without controversy.
Florida's insurance crisis: Boy's case illustrates malpractice crisis, Palm Beach Post, A1, June 15, 2003. My analysis of state and national databases led me to this finding: Of the 15,000 people who filed malpractice claims in Florida during the 1990s, about half received no payment. Of those who did get paid, half were awarded less than $125,000, and three-quarters received less than $250,000.
Multimedia
Online mapping tool promotes bike safety, Seattle Times, B1, May 28, 2009. With summer here, thousands are riding their bikes. The Cascade Bicycle Club has launched a new mapping tool that lets cyclists self-report bike crashes, road hazards and bike thefts all in one place. The story is accompanied by a video, the first I've shot entirely with a Flip Video Camcorder.
Georgetown worries it'll be the next big thing, Seattle Times, A1, March 26, 2008.
Cadillac of worms rules as an urban composter, Seattle Times, B1, July 15, 2008. Meet the new goldfish of urban hipsters.
Bronzeville grasps for old glory, Hot Chai Media, July 2008.
Fremont Solstice Parade audio slideshow, Hot Chai Media, June 2008.
I Am A Journalist, produced for AAJA Seattle's Northwest Journalists of Color scholarship reception, June 9, 2009. My role in this production was small, as a supervising producer. Amy Phan did a remarkable job cutting the video.
Remembering Vu, produced for AAJA Seattle's Northwest Journalists of Color scholarship reception, June 9, 2009.
Business reporting
Fewer banks in region may fail in 2011, but weaker ones may sell out, Jan. 1, 2011: I also collaborated with my colleague Amanda Raymond on a simple Tableau on bank failures in 2010.
Umpqua banks on not feeling like a bank, Dec. 8, 2010: The Oregon bank is expanding into Seattle with a way of doing business that puts a twist on traditional retail banking.
Nearly one in five workers in state "underemployed," Nov. 18, 2010: The official unemployment figures vastly understate the number of people who want a full-time job.
Sharp divide on workers' compensation initiative, Oct. 20, 2010: Small business owners have their opinions on what Initiative 1082 would do for workers' compensation in Washington state. This overview explains what the Initiative would do and addresses some of the biggest misconceptions. Check out the cool data viz too.
Rescue from foreclosure? Frustration, anger grow, Sept. 6, 2010. More than a year since the federal government launched an unprecedented loan-modification program, many homeowners' experiences with the program have left them feeling frustrated and angry at mortgage servicers. This investigative report generated more than 200 comments, and calls to the state's foreclosure-prevention hotline doubled. I also created a data viz with Tableau.
Is your bank getting stronger or weaker?, Seattle Times, March 26, 2010. I created this data visualization with Tableau, a web-based tool, to accompany my colleague's story about local banks' struggles.
UW project explores Great Depression's impact on state, Seattle Times, Feb. 19, 2010.
Case shows how real-estate insiders scammed the system for profit, Seattle Times, A1, Feb. 27, 2009. As millions of loans default and go into foreclosure, banks are discovering massive mortgage fraud and inundating law-enforcement agencies with cases.
Investigative reporting
Big lenders out of local regulators' reach, Dec. 19, 2010: It remains unclear to state regulators whether the Dodd-Frank financial reforms passed by Congress will reduce abuses and the steady flow of complaints from consumers about mortgage servicers and banks wrongly foreclosing on them.
Assessor candidate Hara lacks permit for home remodel, Seattle Times, B1, Oct. 28, 2009. I broke this story through interviews and city records.
Home building boom relies on illegal workers, Seattle Times, A1, Sept. 17, 2006.
More perks thrown in to attract school chiefs, Seattle Times, Nov. 15, 2005.
'Get the Lead Out' lost steam in Seattle schools, Seattle Times, B1, July 4, 2004.
Pharmaceutical marketing practices, Palm Beach Post, 2000.
Metro reporting
Attic finds get a back story at Burke Museum's Artifact ID Day, February 12, 2011: For more than two decades, Artifact ID Day at Seattle's Burke Museum has offered surprises to curators and members of the public who bring in their treasures. Check out the photo gallery by my talented colleague Erika Schultz.
New Fremont park is an eye-popper, Seattle Times, A1, Oct. 30, 2007. The story behind the opening of an amazing park in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood.
Giving everyone a sidewalk is no walk in the park, Seattle Times, A1, Aug. 21, 2007. Why a sidewalk isn't just a sidewalk in Seattle.
How other cities handle clash of clubs and condos, Seattle Times, A1, Aug. 7, 2007. An explanatory piece that shed light during the city's debate over nightlife.
Fitness plan gives dogs at shelter new chance, Seattle Times, B1, June 26, 2007. A popcorn feel-good story.
Pedestrian safety becomes personal for councilman, Seattle Times, A1, Feb. 24, 2007.
Seattle School Board races and campaign finance, Seattle Times, 2005.
Deadline reporting
Two UW departments failed to report stalker threats, Seattle Times, A1, April 5, 2007. My pointed questioning elicited a surprising admission from the University of Washington's human-resources executive and a scoop for my paper. Months later, the state fined the UW for its role in the tragedy.
Racial tiebreaker will stand, Seattle Times, B1, Oct. 21, 2005. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately ruled on this case.
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster: 'Columbia is lost,' The Palm Beach Post, A1, Feb. 2, 2003.
Multimedia
I Am A Journalist, produced for AAJA Seattle's Northwest Journalists of Color scholarship reception, June 9, 2009. My role in this production was small, as a supervising producer. Amy Phan did a remarkable job cutting the video.
Remembering Vu, produced for AAJA Seattle's Northwest Journalists of Color scholarship reception, June 9, 2009.
Online mapping tool promotes bike safety, Seattle Times, B1, May 28, 2009. With summer here, thousands are riding their bikes. The Cascade Bicycle Club has launched a new mapping tool that lets cyclists self-report bike crashes, road hazards and bike thefts all in one place. The story is accompanied by a video, the first I've shot entirely with a Flip Video Camcorder.
Georgetown worries it'll be the next big thing, Seattle Times, A1, March 26, 2008.
Cadillac of worms rules as an urban composter, Seattle Times, B1, July 15, 2008. Meet the new goldfish of urban hipsters.
Bronzeville grasps for old glory, Hot Chai Media, July 2008.
Fremont Solstice Parade audio slideshow, Hot Chai Media, June 2008.
Other articles
"Useful Lessons From Reporting the Anthrax Story," Nieman Reports, p. 14, Vol. 57, No. 1, Spring 2003.
Special skills
Multimedia: Video/audio production, Final Cut Pro, After Effects, Flash, Photoshop, HTML/CSS. Data mining (Access, SPSS), mapping (ArcGIS, Google API), and statistical analysis (Excel, SPSS). Languages: Spanish.