Amy Leona Havin
I’m a journalist and editor specializing in long-form reporting on environmental issues and the arts, with a focus on in-depth storytelling that connects policy, place, culture, and community impact. My work includes feature writing, investigative and narrative reporting, and arts criticism, often centering environmental change, cultural institutions, and creative communities. I develop stories from initial pitch through publication, collaborating with editors and sources to produce accurate, engaging, and context-rich journalism for digital audiences.
Skills: Long-form reporting, environmental journalism, arts and culture criticism, feature writing, investigative storytelling, interviewing, editorial development, copyediting, SEO-informed digital publishing, multimedia support (basic video and photo editing), and cross-platform content development.
The Oregonian
(Commerce, Entertainment, Music, Interviews)
Work with an in-house team in collaboration with affiliate partners to write arts and culutre coverage and create SEO copy for high-impact user reachability on high-impact brands. Compose SEO headlines in cooperation with latest search best practices utilizing Google Analytics to put stories on the top of every user search page. Brought in a single post with $80k commerce revenue for OregonLive.
Oregon ArtsWatch Long Form Articles
In honor of Joan Didion: Prolific author, journalist, truth-teller, and
American icon (Oregon ArtsWatch, 2021)
Staff writer and contributor covering literature, books, and dance. Created and produces the “LitWatch," "Poet Q&A," and "Dancemaker Discussion" columns featuring event previews, festival coverage, artist profiles, and reporting on Oregon’s literary scene, including author readings and community writing programs. Writes arts criticism and reviews with a focus on dance and interdisciplinary performance, along with broader arts and culture coverage across the region.
The Who Cares Clock: A Contemporary Time Capsule, Tropic of Cancer,
and the USPS (Oregon ArtsWatch, 2021)
Tech Mahindra for Google
(Gemini & MAGI AI Language learning)
Work with a large team of AI language learning programmers and writers to develop the pilot and first user-friendly iteration of MAGI and Gemini through Tech Mahindra. Rated, graded, reviewed, and wrote curations to implement feedback to the AI while troubleshooting language and comprehension errors for real-time search results. Created Google search result overviews and ensured that the AI model would be able to repeat these sentence structures.
Halstead Media Group
Collaborated directly with CEO, editing team, writers, UX designer, and engineers to develop fresh and creative copy for over 100 external clients, ensuring excellent SEO and readability to inspire future users to engage and interface with various pages and information. Compiled research and industry-relevant terms and research to create blogs, later distilling the information into concise narrative snippets to be used for websites, socials, and marketing campaigns.
Children's Cancer Association
Worked with foundations team to help write and form initial grant application process by providing strategic storytelling, accessible language, and impactful storytelling focused on large-scale donor organizations for operations and individual program granting. Created internal newsletter drafts and initial written B2B communications. Developed initial copy for web, newsletter, and marketing campaigns.
The Holding Project
Created artistic direction plan and marketing and copy for website, newsletter, emails, social media, and high-quality video to communicate with donors and users. Collaborated with the theatrical team to develop narrative-based snippets for national distribution as well as photographers, designers, and cinematographers to create emotionally charged and impactful content including photo campaigns.
Indeed Senior Executive Profile Building
Lead copywriter for internal executive profile copy and web content working closely with the senior copy and design manager. Wrote internal communications and resumes.
Gravity Storm Software
Collaborated with programmers and designers to create content for global emails, client website, push notifications, product copy, and newsletters. Executed briefs from multi-national company collaborators to help reach SEO and sales goals.
Portland Metro Arts
Worked with small team of artists, educators, and engineers, to develop website content, SMS push notification alert text, newsletters, and internal email communications.
Clark County Public Works
Collaborated with safety team, engineers, and foundations team to write and secure grant funding for city transportation projects. Wrote internal communications to plan meetings and send newsletters. Created user and SEO-friendly website copy to encourage engagement and community volunteer sign-ups.
