Dave Jackson

Current

National Coordinator at Awake In America, Inc.

Past

beta tester at Centercode, Inc.
member at Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE)
Investigative journalist, editor at News industry

Moderator at PhillyBlog
Editor at The Sleep-e Times
Online columnist at Newsguy.com
Editor at Liberty Suburban Chicago Newspapers
Correspondent at Kankakee Daily Journal
Editor / Reporter at Russell Publications, Inc.
Editor, Prospectus at Parkland College
Freelancer at News Gleaner
Freelance writer at Scoop U.S.A.
Freelance writer at Northeast Times
Summer Intern at Philadelphia Journal

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Education

Parkland College
Lincoln High School
Newspaper Institute of America

Longfellow/Stetson annex

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1 more...

Recommended

1 person has recommended Dave

Connections

83 connections

Industry

Non-Profit Organization Management

Websites

Dave Jackson’s Summary

David Jackson serves as the National Coordinator of Awake In America, which is the equivalent of Executive Director. Because of the direct outreach, Awake In America's Board opted for a friendlier name for the position, making it more approachable by individuals calling for assistance.

Involved since the early planning stages of Awake In America, Dave has helped lead the organization through many growth stages, keeping the organization running smoothly, as well as increasing services; revamping the organization's site; coordinating national disaster assistance programs with FEMA, the American Red Cross, and other national, state, and local disaster and governmental agencies, placing needed equipment directly into the hands of individuals; and has helped the organization attain a high level of respect in the media and medical community.

Dave Jackson’s Specialties:

Copyright, contract negotiations, bid specifications, desktop publishing, design and layout (newspaper and magazine), B&W darkroom, military (weapons and tactics), government accountability, databases, spreadsheets, investigative reporting, research, Freedom of Information Act

Dave Jackson’s Experience

National Coordinator

Awake In America, Inc.

(Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

January 2003 — Present (7 years )

David Jackson serves as the National Coordinator of Awake In America, which is the equivalent of Executive Director. Because of the direct outreach, Awake In America's Board opted for a friendlier name for the position, making it more approachable by individuals calling for assistance.

Involved since the early planning stages of Awake In America, Dave has helped lead the organization through many growth stages, keeping the organization running smoothly, as well as increasing services; revamping the organization's site; coordinating national disaster assistance programs with FEMA, the American Red Cross, and other national, state, and local disaster and governmental agencies, placing needed equipment directly into the hands of individuals; and has helped the organization attain a high level of respect in the media and medical community.
beta tester

Centercode, Inc.

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Computer Software industry)

2002 — 2008 (6 years )
member

Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE)

(Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

1995 — 2008 (13 years )
Investigative journalist, editor

News industry

(Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

1979 — 2008 (29 years )
Moderator

PhillyBlog

(Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

2004 — 2005 (1 year )
Editor

The Sleep-e Times

(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Publishing industry)

July 2002 — December 2005 (3 years 6 months)

Served as editor of The Sleep-e Times, a quarterly print and electronic publication focused on sleep and sleep-related issues. It presented news and information about sleep research, sleep-related products, and sleep disorders in plain English, but was geared to the general public, primary care physicians, and other audiences. Had a circulation of more than 4,000.

Presently on hiatus while we work on some re-design issues, as well as some concepts for electronic publication/online delivery, etc.
Online columnist

Newsguy.com

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Online Media industry)

November 1999 — June 2002 (2 years 8 months)

Dave Jackson, writing under his online moniker of Dave J. (Scoop0901), wrote a twice-monthly column for Newsguy.com, an ISP and Usenet (newsgroup) provider.

"The Political Scoop" was a column focused on timely political issues, and all were tied to various discussions on Usenet, as well as the day's headlines. Dave expressed his opinions on many of the topics, and often erngaged in back-and-forth banter with many of his loyal readers.

An archives of the columns may be found at:
http://member.newsguy.com/features/archjackson.htm
Editor

Liberty Suburban Chicago Newspapers

(Privately Held; 1001-5000 employees; Newspapers industry)

August 1998 — October 1998 (3 months)

Editor for the Naperville, Illinois, and Wheaton, Illinois, papers.
Correspondent

Kankakee Daily Journal

(Newspapers industry)

May 1996 — October 1998 (2 years 6 months)

After leaving the corporate world, Dave took a position a freelance writer, earning the title "correspondent", for the Kankakee (IL) Daily Journal.

During his sojourn with the Kankakee Daily Journal, Dave covered various meetings and events, including issues in Aroma Park, Monee, Momence, Peotone, Joliet, Chebanse, and other areas.

While he had many assigned beats, it was his enterprising nature that brought home the paycheck. He'd drive throughout the areas he covered, looking for newsworthy events, including stories at local schools. Not everything in the newspaper has to be bad news. Other times, though, bad news can actually result in good things happening, and those were stories that he followed, as well.
Editor / Reporter

Russell Publications, Inc.

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Newspapers industry)

May 1995 — August 1996 (1 year 4 months)

I was editor for newspapers covering the towns and villages of Monee, Joliet, Frankfurt, New Lenox, and covered events in Matteson, University Park, Manhattan, and other communities for Russell Publications.

When not in the office, I'd be driving throughout the communities, making contacts, looking for news stories and photo opps, and often finding more than a handful each day.
Editor, Prospectus

Parkland College

(Educational Institution; 501-1000 employees; Higher Education industry)

1990 — 1992 (2 years )
Freelancer

News Gleaner

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Newspapers industry)

August 1979 — February 1982 (2 years 7 months)

Started as a freelance writer for the News Gleaner, a weekly newspaper in Northeast Philadelphia, writing a weekly column about the high school I attended. That led to other opportunities -- for writing and photography.

During my sojourn at the News Gleaner, I covered murders, a series of articles on a serial rapist, covered the visit to Philadelphia by Pope John Paul II, and wrote many feature stories.
Freelance writer

Scoop U.S.A.

(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Newspapers industry)

March 1981 — January 1982 (11 months)

Wrote several articles for this West Philadelphia-based publication, including a multi-part series on teenage sex, pregnancy, and sexually-transmitted diseases, looking at dropout rates and ages, intervention/agencies that assisted school leaders with keeping teenage mothers in school, and other aspects of what was becoming a serious issue nationwide. Also did several articles on teen drug use, intervention in the communities, as well as at school; drug raids by the Philadelphia police department using undercover narcotics officers in public high schools; and resources for parents, as well as resources for teens addicted to drugs.
Freelance writer

Northeast Times

(Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Newspapers industry)

February 1979 — March 1981 (2 years 2 months)

Wrote several articles for this Northeast Philadelphia newspaper. Most were feature stories about historical events related to Northeast Philadelphia.
Summer Intern

Philadelphia Journal

(Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Newspapers industry)

June 1978 — August 1978 (3 months)

Summer intern at the Philadelphia Journal. The paper had, at the time, the largest sports section of any daily newspaper in the U.S., and some of the folks in the newsroom -- some who are still see in the news industry today -- were absolutely wild. Great experience.

Dave Jackson’s Education

Parkland College

Mass Communications/Journalism , Journalism, Sociology, Psychology , 1990 — 1992

Notable firsts at Parkland: first editor to be publicly censored by the college administration. TWICE.

The first time was over an editorial cartoon the administration didn't like. The second time over an in-depth investigative piece detailing details of what may have been bid rigging at the college for a carpet bid.

I was fired over the second instance, but I knew I would be first before anyone knew I was working on it. The other reporter who worked on the article was not included in the byline. That's one of the great things about being the editor: you have final pre-press approval. She kept her job and suffered no retaliation. This story made the state and national wires, and the Student Press Law Center got involved. I didn't fight the case, as the story was well-documented. I didn't need a "settlement" to prove I had the facts right.

It goes to show there's no humor in higher education.

Activities and Societies:

The Prospectus
Lincoln High School

Journalism 1978 — 1982

* Nominated to Who's Who Among High School Students (1981) for series on teenage sex and pregnancy
* Caused controversy for the school administration by breaking a story in a local newspaper that an undercover narcotics agent had sat in on some group counseling sessions for students using illegal drugs

Activities and Societies:

ROTC, AFJROTC, PA772, The Lincoln Log, newspaper, printing, print shop, photography, ROTC Drill Team
Newspaper Institute of America

Feature writing course , Feature writing , 1980 — 1980

Took a feature writing course to help me "soften" the news of the day.
Longfellow/Stetson annex

Additional Information

Dave Jackson’s Websites:

Dave Jackson’s Interests:

Reading, history, military history, culture, biographies, autobiographies, FOIA, photography, writing, freelance writing, database research, medical writing, coffee, driving, daytrips, family, dog, cat, pets, computers, technology, software, hardware, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, government, politics, reporters, editors