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.
Measles Outbreak | Fatal West Nile Virus | Man Found Dead In Restaurant Vent | Music Festival | Schools Remove Sexually Explicit Book
An Atlanta-based criminal defense attorney will put her resilience and strength to the test on a new season of "Survivor 51: Open Era."
Don't have a "crashout" or the "Sunday scaries," but Merriam-Webster decided to "glow up" with these new words.
Don't have a "crashout" or the "Sunday scaries," but Merriam-Webster decided to "glow up" with these new words.
A book written by a popular novelist has been removed from Cobb County schools due to its sexually explicit material, officials say.
Douglasville Police will host the Fall Festival and Safety Expo, which will feature kid activities and costume contests.
"We can’t wait to welcome the community," restaurant owners told Patch earlier in the year.
The mass shooting killed one person and injured 10 others in Atlanta, police say.
See where cases of West Nile virus, caused by infected mosquitos, have occurred in Georgia.
With weekend storms on the horizon in Georgia, forecasters say they are monitoring a tropical disturbance in the Atlantic Basin.
Area visitors will be able to take a walk and view at least 150 scarecrows in downtown Alpharetta.
Food and fellowship will be the focus of two upcoming events that will be hosted in Douglas County.
Georgia's wealthiest person is a known public figure in the state's sports arena.
The judge's order came hours after Georgia's parole board denied clemency for the death row inmate.
More than 60 wines will be featured alongside restaurant pairings at an upcoming festival in Alpharetta.
A southern Georgia eatery is among the top 50 restaurants in the U.S., critics say.
Officers were told an employee found the deceased man stuck in the kitchen vent, Atlanta Police say.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office and Douglasville Police will come together to host a Halloween trunk-or-treat for the community.
Indie rock, soul, folk and bluegrass will be on the main stage at the 13th Annual Wire and Wood Songwriters Festival. See featured artists.
Measles cases are increasing amid an outbreak at a metro Atlanta daycare, according to state public health officials.
