Maria serves all company accounts by creating compelling content and editing basically every public piece of work the team generates.

• Possesses extensive writing experience across media, including digital, video and print.
• Immersed in local media and works closely with account executives and creative staff to help serve our diverse client base.
• Provides vital versatility, handling multimedia platforms including social media, where she has an active and engaging presence.
• Entrenched as an accomplished author and sportswriter with bylines in local, regional and national media.
• Engages in deep community involvement, which serves her well in public relations.
• Protects client brands by ensuring correct tone, terminology and other intricacies particular to each client.
• Combines deep expertise and a passion for accuracy to deliver wonderful results.
• Provides quality control for client content.

How Maria creates magic

• As the final stop for all company content before publishing or submitting to clients, Maria summons expert editing skills to ensure excellence at the end.

Successful project snapshot

• Served as resident expert and main content source for announcements for the new Knoxville multi-use stadium, return of Smokies baseball and related events since the initial announcement in 2020 through the present for Boyd Sports.
• Conducted interview with Lady Vols basketball coach Kellie Harper at a welcome reception in her honor hosted by local companies, including MoxCar clients, Pilot Company and Cherokee Distributing Company.

Education & experience

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, University of Memphis
• Maria previously worked for 14 years at the News Sentinel, where she rose through the ranks from reporter to assistant managing editor.
• She is the author of the award-winning book, “The Final Season: The Perseverance of Pat Summitt,” which was published by The University of Tennessee Press and chronicles the last season of the legendary Lady Vols basketball coach. Boosted by promotion by Moxley Carmichael, the book sold 4,000 copies in the first five days after release.

Joined firm in

• 2013

Community involvement and recognition

• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) member, current president of the East Tennessee chapter, board member since 2016
• Making Strides Against Breast Cancer committee member since 2015 for annual walk; instrumental in bringing pack the pink jersey game for Smokies Baseball; 2019 Making Strides’ Ashley Slagle Roback Courage of the Heart Award
• Leadership Knoxville Scholars mentor for University of Tennessee junior majoring in public relations with interest in sports and education, 2024
• Introduction Knoxville, Class of 2018
• U.S. Basketball Writers Association member and mentor
• Association for Women in Sports Media member
• NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists member
• Tennessee Sports Writers Association member
• Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) member; named 2020 recipient of the Mel Greenberg Media Award by WBCA presented annually to someone who has best displayed a commitment to women’s basketball and to advancing the role of the media in the women’s game.
• Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame board of governors; served as chair of fundraising and development committee from 2020-23
• American Cancer Society ResearcHERS ambassador in 2020, 2021 and 2022 to raise money for female scientists in cancer research; former Champions for a Cause board member

A little more

• Roots are in North Carolina.
• Has been in East Tennessee since 1988 and lives in Seymour.
• Rescue dogs Gus and Sansa and rescue cats, including the angelic Patches, a diva named Sophia Maria, precious Peanut, Sweet Puff, two mischievous house panthers named Mox and Harper, a tortie with all the ‘tude named Moon, and two orange boys named Chase and Carter. Six of the cats were adopted from Young-Williams Animal Center; the others found alternate paths to blissful life at Chez Cornelius.
• Enjoys basketball, including Lady Vols and Tar Heels, football and baseball – Atlanta Braves and Tennessee Smokies top the list.
• Enneagram 1: The Reformer / Perfectionist