I have over thirty years of editing and writing experience, working on everything from technical publications, newsletters, news articles and training manuals to online training. I have written about and edited materials for a variety of topics including community and arts news, the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries, computers, printers — even dinosaurs and spiders.
I pride myself on being a reader advocate. One of my best assets is my ability to make complex material accessible to the general public. I have helped Intuit customers untwist the tax code, uncovered the mysteries of dental implants, and have transformed overwritten and directionless text into crisp prose. I am an uncompromising stickler for precise grammar and spelling.
My editing career began in “the pit,” a basement study area in my sorority house. I was frequently called upon to edit term papers and reports — usually in the middle of the night — always at the last minute with a teary- and bleary-eyed sorority sister. I was part editor and part therapist! And still am.
After graduating with a B.A. in English from UCLA, I began my writing career as a technical writer for Xerox Corporation, where I wrote user manuals about printers and computers. My group won an award for establishing a process for receiving user feedback in order to improve our documentation. While at Xerox, I started a Masters in Public Administration at San Diego State University, and worked in the Land Use Development field after receiving my degree. After the birth of my daughter, Sarah, I began my freelance business and worked for companies including Hewlett-Packard, Intuit, and Sage Submissions LLC.
I recently received a Certificate in Teaching Writing at San Diego State University. The program focused on academic writing and rhetorical strategies, and I was able to customize my studies by working as a tutor at the SDSU Writing Center.
Our home is in Point Loma, San Diego. I enjoy a good book, riding my bike with my husband, Dave, cooking, traveling, exercise classes, entertaining, being Dave’s “umbrella girl” at the racetrack, and hanging out with my family. One of my most memorable travel moments: kissing a baby gray whale in San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja, California!
Testimonials
Kerri has a passion for the written word - she has taught me so much about expressing information in a readable and logical order. Her ability to extract information from technical resources is something to be seen as a work of art. Although she is a tough editor—I know from experiece, many times there was more red on the paper than black—she is patient and more importantly respectful in how she conveys the required changes. ... I enjoy her style, and her ability to express ideas, principles, visual aspects, and processes.
—Beth Epperson
It would be an understatement to suggest my clients have benefitted from Kerri’s expertise. Beyond simply editing, she has carefully reviewed and helped improve the way these products communicate. Her ability to put herself in the “reader’s shoes,” and advocate for a narrative that is both efficient and effective is unique—and apparent in each document she reviews.
—James Marshall, Ph.D.