Ilona Meagher | Resumé
Experience
- Columnist : Northern Star : 2007 — Present
- Covered a variety of subjects including the downtown DeKalb, Ill., revitalization project; the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and their effect on returning troops and military families; fear in the post-9/11 era; and coping with the fall-out and fate of Cole Hall in the midst of the February 2008 NIU school shooting.
- Author : Ig Publishing : 2006-2007
- Researched and wrote manuscript for Moving a Nation to Care: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and America's Returning Troops.
- Contributor/Researcher : ePluribus Media : 2005 — Present
- Collaborations with this citizen journalism initiative include being the initial creator and current lead researcher of the PTSD Timeline -- a first-of-its-kind database of reported OEF/OIF PTSD incidents -- as well as co-authoring the 3-part series Blaming the Veteran: The Politics of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and book reviews The Corroding Effect and The Stories They Tell.
- Editor, Writer : PTSD Combat: Winning the War Within : 2005 — Present
- Maintain one of the top online journals covering topics of interest to veterans coping with post-combat reintegration issues and/or post-traumatic stress disorder. Features research, news, resources, and events postings.
- Public Speaker : 2004-present
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- Panelist, veterans issues (alongside Illinois Dept. of Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth and State Sen. Dan Kotowski, VFW-Park Ridge, 2008).
- Keynote speaker (Nashville Public TV/NAMI Healing the Hidden Wounds Conference, 2008)
- Congressional witness (offering testimony to House Veterans Affairs Committee, Stopping Suicide: Mental Health Challenges Within the Department of Veterans Affairs, 2007).
- Keynote speaker (Dixon Elks Lodge Veterans Day Dinner, 2007).
- Panelist, veterans issues (alongside Gen. Wesley Clark, YearlyKos Convention, 2007).
- Speaker, 15-city national book tour (Moving a Nation to Care, 2007).
- Panelist, citizen journalism/media issues (Media Giraffe Project, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 2006).
- Workshop presenter, entrepreneurial topics (North Central College, Self Employment in the Arts Conference, 2005).
- Opening speaker, Senatorial Candidate Barack Obama press conference (Rock Valley College, 2004). - Freelance Content and New Media Developer : imprintink.com : 2002 — 2005
- Developed custom content, graphic new media, and marketing products for clients including but not limited to multimedia websites, flash invitations, print business card and letterhead pieces, press releases, and print advertisements.
- Flight Attendant : American Airlines : 1987 — 2001
- Employed in both the domestic (ORD) and international (IMA, JFK) flight service divisions, winning the Professional Flight Attendant Award in 1988.
- Word Processor Supervisor : UnibancTrust Company : 1985 — 1987
- Trained, motivated and oversaw employees in Trust Department's word processing unit.
- Word Processor Operator, Secretary : The Jacobson Group : 1984 — 1985
- Data programming, preparation of resumes for executive search clients, and proofing of ads for the National Underwriter.
Education
- Northern Illinois University : 2006-2009
- - BA, Journalism, New Media Communications (expected)
- Illinois Journalist of the Year Award - Student Scholarship (2008)
- Phi Kappa Phi
- National Dean's List
- Honors Program
- School Paper
- Rock Valley College : 2002-2004
- - AA, English, New Media Communications
- (post-degree class) Project Manager for student designer team winning bronze in in the World Organization of Webmasters Web Design Competition (2005)
- Div. of Composition and Literature Writing Recognition Award (2002-2003)
- Phi Theta Kappa
- National Dean's List
