.
Bill Hethcock
7050 Arapaho Road, Apt. 1105
Dallas, TX75248
719-393-2743 (cell)
719-636-0232 (office)
EXPERIENCE
November 2005 County Government/Transportation Reporter
to presentThe Colorado Springs Gazette – 100,000 daily circulation, 111,000 Sunday
Investigate, report and write news stories and features about El PasoCounty government and transportation in Colorado’s most populous county. Stories cover topics such as water rights, taxes, the CountyCommission, budget issues, county operations, public access to government records, highway expansions and mass transit. Write weekly commuter column. Cover breaking news on other beats as needed.
October 1999Legal Affairs Reporter
to November 2005The Colorado Springs Gazette
Wrote breaking news and features about the judicial and criminal justice systems. Covered trials and developed long-term stories about issues, trends and people. Produced five to eight stories per week on topics such as capital punishment, juvenile justice and sentencing laws.
September 1998Assistant Managing Editor/Projects Editor
to September 1999Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, Texas - 30,000 circulation
Conceived, assigned, developed and edited Sunday Page 1 packages and special projects. Wrote breaking stories, features, enterprise stories and columns for daily and Sunday editions. Advised reporters on story development, organization, sourcing and writing.
April 1997Business/Agriculture Editor, Valley Morning Star
to September 1998Planned and carried out business and agricultural coverage. Generated, researched and wrote breaking stories, features and enterprise stories for daily and Sunday editions. Directed special projects. Wrote columns. Monitored business wires and selected stories for publication.
June 1993City Editor, Valley Morning Star
to April 1997Supervised city desk staff of eight reporters. Generated, assigned and edited news and feature stories. Wrote occasional feature stories, series and columns. Prepared daily news budgets. Trained new reporters. Assisted in a major newspaper redesign. Handled complaints. Directed daily news coverage and some special projects.
October 1992Coordinator of Student Publications/Campus Activities
to June 1993The University of Texas at Brownsville
Adviser for the student newspaper and yearbook. Supervised students in news gathering, writing, photography, layout and design. Organized campus events and extracurricular activities.
December 1990Reporter, Valley Morning Star
to October 1992 Covered Harlingen city government, business and general assignments across the Rio GrandeValley. Wrote breaking stories and features.
August to Staff Writer, The Battalion, 25,000 circulation
December 1990 Covered the Board of Regents and top stories for Texas A&M University's student newspaper.
May toIntern, Valley Morning Star
August 1990Covered general assignments including the courthouse, police, city and county government, business, agriculture and education.
September 1989Reporter, The Battalion
to May 1990Covered campus assignments for the student newspaper.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism, 1990
Minor in Economics
TexasA&MUniversity, College Station, Texas
Coursework emphasized reporting, editing, media law, public relations, graphics, media research methods, photojournalism, television production, layout and design.
San MarcosHigh School, San Marcos, Texas
Top 10 percent of 1986 graduating class
HONORS AND ACTIVITIES
- Colorado Society of Professional Journalists legal affairs reporting award, 2005
- First place Colorado SPJ award for deadline reporting, 2001
- Numerous Gazette staff awards for beat reporting, deadline reporting and Editor’s Choice
- Second place for column writing in the Texas Associated Press Managing Editor's statewide awards contest, 1997
- Project editor for series that won first place APME Freedom of Information award, 1996
- APME honorable mention for column writing, 1996
- Project editor for series that won second place in the Texas APME team reporting category and honorable mention for investigative reporting, 1997
- Member of Society of Professional Journalists
- Member of Investigative Reporters and Editors
- Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, 1995-1999
- Battalion staff award for best new reporter, 1989 fall semester
- TexasA&MUniversity Public Relations Committee
- Texas A&M Political Forum. Organized programs and debates about political issues.
- Texas A&M Intramural Sports Representative of the Year, 1989-1990
- Economics Society, Texas A&M
- Eagle Scout and member of National Eagle Scout Association
PROFESSIONAL SEMINARS
- Colorado Bar Association’s “Water Law” workshop, Denver, Colo., June 2006
- Colorado-Wyoming Judges/Journalists Workshop, November 2005
- Investigative Reporters and Editors National Convention, Denver, Colo., May 2005
- "Courts and Media: Free Press v. Fair Trial," National Judicial College, Reno, Nev., June 2000
- AmericanPressInternationalCity and Metro Editors seminar, Reston, Virginia, 1995
- Texas Associated Press Managing Editors seminars, 1993-1996
- APME Business Editors and Writers seminars, 1996, 1997
- Freedom of Information conferences, 1993-1996