Lori Foster
2399 Austinburg Road
Westfield, Pennsylvania, 16950
814-367-7621
SEO/Community Management/Social Media Experience
Community Manager, Health Union LLC, Philadelphia, PA. 01/2024 to present (part-time): Independently manage several health communities while working in teams on broader issues with other community managers. Duties include optimizing articles and stories for search engines (SEO) in WordPress and editing as needed; creating and scheduling Facebook posts; providing ideas for new content: overseeing assigned moderators; and responding to emails from members, health leaders, potential advertisers and researchers.
Senior Community Engagement Coordinator, Health Union LLC, Philadelphia, PA. 03/2020 to present (part-time): Provide support while also working to increase engagement and enforce community rules for the safety and comfort of members in several assigned online health communities. Guide newer employees in issues of moderation and conflict management. Work in teams to conduct member surveys and develop ideas for new content. Participate in problem-solving discussions with other employees on Slack and in Zoom/Google Meets calls.
Book Promotion, self-employed, 03/2020 to present: Built and maintain my own author website; regularly design and place ads on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Book Bub; maintain an author Facebook page; design and produce a monthly newsletter; speak on panels at writing conferences; design promotional materials for distribution at events; give interviews for blogs, podcasts and television; and regularly schedule book signing events and readings.
Professional Writing/Editing Experience
Author/Editor, self-employed. 01/2000 to present:
Novels: Traditionally published four novels with Level Best Books: A DEAD MAN’S EYES (Mystery, April 2021); NEVER BROKEN (mystery, April 2022), NEVER LET GO (thriller, December 2022), and NO TIME TO BREATHE (mystery, April 2023),
Nonfiction book: Raising Identical Twins: The Unique Challenges and Joys of the Early Years, self-published, September 2017. No longer in print.
Short stories have appeared in Aethlon, a journal of sports literature, and in the anthologies Short Story America, Vol. 1, and Childhood Regained.
Magazine articles published in Doctor’s Prescription for Healthy Living, Mountain Home, Parent.com, Literary Mama, Crimespree and Running Times magazines.
Newspaper Journalist, Syracuse Newspapers, Syracuse, New York: The Post-Standard, Herald-Journal, Herald American. 5/88 to 7/99:
Investigative Reporter: Beats included education, military, crime, courts, municipal government, Native American affairs and general assignment. Worked with team of education reporters to develop state and regional stories and to direct education coverage. Stories often carried on the front page.
Copy editor: Edited copy for content, style, grammar and spelling.
Columnist: Researched and wrote biweekly column about the sport of running for The Post-Standard sports section from 1992 to 1996.
Local Coverage Team: Assisted in development of content and design for new local news section for a weekly, zoned supplement to the Syracuse Newspapers.
Other Professional Experience:
Taxonomy Specialist, Gannett, Inc., McLean, VA, 12/2015 to 04/2017: Temporary, remote position. Reviewed, researched, and verified that candidate tag submissions met criteria for inclusion in the enterprise taxonomy used for classifying digital media assets and optimizing products. Created new tags.
Teaching Experience
Adjunct Instructor, Alfred University, Alfred, NY. 08/2018 to 12/2019: Taught English composition skills to classes averaging 20 students during the fall semesters. Classes included several ESL students. Held individual conferences with all students. Designed syllabus and all lesson plans.
Adjunct Instructor, Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale, Arizona. 09/2000 to 12/2000, 01/2003 to 05/2003: Taught English composition skills to classes averaging 25 students. Held individual conferences with all students. Designed syllabus and all lesson plans.
Education
Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, MA: English/Creative Writing.
Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York: Graduate courses in English.
State University College at Oswego, Oswego, New York, BA: Dual Major, Communications and English/Writing Arts.
Awards
Silver Falchion Award, Readers’ Choice 2023, Finalist for two novels
Agatha Award, Best First Novel 2022: Nominee
Shamus Award, Best First Novel 2022: Finalist