KELLY VIRELLA

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EDUCATION
University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism
Masters in Journalism, May 2003

Stanford University
B.A. in Political Science, June 1997
Coursework included: Calculus, Statistics, Linear Algebra, Game Theory, Computer Science and Economics
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EXPERIENCE
City Limits, Deputy Editor, April 2010 – now
Develop, write, assign and edit news and investigations for the website and for the bi-monthly magazine. Set and
enforce deadlines. Find writers and manage relationships with them. Help expand the online audience, raise money
and establish content distribution partnerships.

The Chicago Reporter, Investigative Reporter, March 2008 – April 2010

Produce three to five investigations per year, for a bi-monthly news magazine targeting Illinois elected officials.
Develop project plans for investigations. Write news, features and blog entries for the web. Train staff in computer
assisted reporting. Coach and edit interns. Facilitate fact-checking.

Freelance Writer, August 2004 - now

Write essays, news, features and magazine articles for various publications.

St. Petersburg Times, One-Year Intern, June 2003 – July 2004

Wrote 160 deadline, breaking news, feature, news analysis and investigative stories for metro and four regional
editions. Covered cops, courts and business beats.

Urban Ecology, Magazine Fellow, January 2002 – May 2002

Wrote news and feature stories about the architecture of the new federal building in Oklahoma City, cuts in
public housing in Mass., urban renewal in Houston and the rebuilding of Afghanistan for an Oakland, Calif.-
based, niche-market, urban planning quarterly with 3,000 subscribers.

AlterNet, Associate Editor, June 2000 – June 2001

Edited and wrote news and feature stories for the 120 alternative news weeklies and online publications that
subscribed to AlterNet’s San Francisco-based news syndication service. Publish weekly edition of website via the
content management system.

Visa International, Systems Analyst, June 1997 – January 2000

Co-designed a computer network that secures credit card transactions conducted via the Internet. Developed
an accounting system for the marketing department.
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AWARDS & FELLOWSHIPS
2010 Herman Kogan Award
2009 Center on Media, Crime and Justice/Pew Advanced Journalism Fellow
2009 Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism, Best Business Journalism
Academy for Alternative Journalism at Northwestern University, 2007 fellow
St. Petersburg Times – How I Wrote the Story contest, Honorable Mention (second place) March 2004
UC Berkeley – 2003 Roy and Barbara Passini Fellowship for promising young journalists

COMPUTER SKILLS
SQL programming, Microsoft Access, Excel, SPSS, Basic HTML, ArcView, Photoshop