Judy

Freeman Mills

Proofer / Editor

VIEW

To really “see,” to be clear about what something is and how it works, you must see the forest, the tree and the rectangular hole from the pileated woodpecker. That’s a life skill; but it’s especially critical for my work as an editor and proofreader, to ensure that everything we produce is both technically perfect and broadly impactful.

STORY

Most people might not immediately recognize the common qualifications necessary to be a professional editor and a school bus driver. But Judy knows from experience that success in both jobs ultimately depends on one core skill: paranoia. We are happy to have Judy steering us around semantic snares and grammatical gremlins, examining every fact and figure to ensure that our communications are clear and accurate.

 

Aside from her brief but happy time driving big yellow buses, Judy has worked her entire career in media and communications. She spent years in Washington, D.C., and Denver as a trade magazine reporter and editor covering the politics, operations and financial dealings of the media industry; she has also freelanced extensively for magazines and newspapers across the country. With a master’s degree from the prestigious University of Missouri School of Journalism, Judy can just about recite the AP Stylebook; her years in pre-med studies lend her an ability to wrap her head around complex subjects. What’s more, she pretty much knows our clients’ graphic and style guidelines off the top of her head, having worked on every account in the agency in recent years. Thus our clients rest assured that their communications meet the highest professional editing standards.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

High school wrestling. Judy can wax philosophical for quite a long breath about how wrestling — and the coaches in her community — positively impacted her son. And now her younger is studying jiu jitsu and muay thai.

 

If you like scones, you will like Judy. Show enough curiosity and she might even invite you over for a baking session — her recipes are easy to learn if you’re of a mind to kind of make it up as you go.

 

One word: Packers. A few more: cheese, beer, brats and Wisconsin. Among Judy’s prized possessions are her Ray Nitschke and Bart Starr autographs, procured over August afternoons watching practice.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Canine Companions for Independence puppy raiser volunteer
Tarboo Creek, Jefferson County, Washington sustainable forestry / salmon stream restoration volunteer
Tutor language arts & study skills
West Linn High School, Ore. library aide, tutor, exam proctor (past)
West Linn (Ore.) Community Task Force (teen substance abuse prevention and help) board member (past)
Youth sports and youth community service project officials coordinator, coach, organizer mom (past)

EDUCATION

University of Missouri M.A., journalism
Denison University B.A., English literature
Marylhurst University course work toward MAT, secondary language arts

SEE MORE PEOPLE