Jackie Devereaux

Editor-in-Chief of the Desert Valley Star 

by Dean Gray, Publisher

October 1, 2008

I am very proud to introduce you to a hard working writer who knows a good
story when she sees it and knows how to communicate that in more ways than
one. Jackie has helped to focus my writing, many times taking a story and working it into something better than I ever imagined.

I admire her courage and her integrity, she is a woman who I met accidentally but believe the fates manipulated the introduction. My appreciation for her contribution to writing and my community cannot be measured.

Jackie is a prized addition in our media and public relations work. She has been a star performer in many newsrooms, businesses and political campaigns.  Her enthusiasm, vast experience and media connections makes her and ideal editor for The Desert Valley Star.  It culminates her 25-year career in journalism, communications, investigations and public relations. Below is a brief description of her qualifications, achievements and experiences.

Jackie is a magna cum laude graduate from the University of California, San Diego, earning her bachelor’s degree in the double major of Literature and Writing.  She also completted the rigorous Muir Writing Program during this time earning high honors.

Early in her writing career, she worked as a freelance reporter for newspapers, magazines and the local wire services, specializing in courts and government in San Diego.  She is well-known for her work at County News Service, San Diego News Source and the Associated Press, where she supplied three to 13 stories daily to Television, Radio and Print Media clients.

From this work experience, she was recruited into Broadcast Journalism, first working in
radio as an on-air anchor for Metro Networks and Shadow Broadcasting. She anchored between 6 to 17 radio stations a week under various aliases’ for both radio networks.  

Jackie also reported, produced and edited News, Weather, Traffic and Sports covering San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.  She covered the O.J. Simpson murder trial; the Malibu and Laguna Beach fires; the Northridge earthquake, as well as, numerous other major news stories such as, California wildfires, environmental disasters, plane crashes, high-profile homicides.  Her vast experience covering the Law makes her an expert on jury consulting and the trial process.

In addition to her work as an Assignment Editor, Executive Producer, Producer,
Anchor and Reporter, she worked as a  Press Secretary for two highly controversial mayoral campaigns: The 1992 Susan Golding for Mayor campaign in San Diego; and the 1999 Oscar Goodman for Mayor campaign in Las Vegas.  While Golding won her scandalized and hotly contested race by a decent margin, Oscar won his higly-publicized race by a landslide. Jackie was the first person Oscar Goodman thanked on national television after winning. 

Her work experience naturally expanded into public relations where she helped clients in entertainment and tourism, high-technology, beauty and fashion, law and medicine, and companies too numerous to recount over her 24-year career.  

She is most proud of her ground-breaking Public Relations work done to bring national awareness to the misuse of toxic mercury in medicine and dentistry.  She along with colleagues Divina Infusino, Attorney Shawn Khorrami and Toxic Teeth lobbyist Charlie Brown, launched a nationwide public relations campaign to bring to light the misuse of a 150 year old practice of putting mercury amalgums into human teeth.  They also informed the nation about the horrible decision made by pharmacuetical companies to put toxic mercury vapors (thimerasol) into our children’s vaccines, which studies show has contributed to the alaming 661% rise in autism during the past few decades.  

For more information on this critical health issue, go to www.toxicteeth.org

ASK YOUR PEDIATRICIAN FOR MERCURY FREE VACCINES.

  
Jackie has volunteered for many charities over the past 24 years, including:  The San Diego Crime Victim’s Fund, to help families shattered by murder, rape, kidnapping and other heinious crimes; Share Our Strength, Taste of the Nation, to help feed the hungry in San Diego; and The Sail America Foundation, to help promote safe boating, sailing and international competitions.

EDUCATION: University of California, San Diego; Bachelor of Arts degree awarded High Honors -magna cum laude in the double major of Literature and Writing - 1984 ; Ph.D applicant in Comparative Literature 2008

Graduate and Language Studies include: Literature and Writing; Psychology; World Religions; Mysticism; Spanish; Japanese; German; and French

Lifelong studies in: World Religions and Mysticism; Philosophy and Thought; History and Law; Biology and Genetics; Medicine and Acupuncture; Astronomy and Cosmology; Psychology and Behavior; Geography; Sports; and Music

Raised a military brat; traveled extensively; and attended schools to numerous to recount.

OTHER EXPERIENCE: athlete; galley girl (at 14) on a sports fishing boat; waitress; bartender; musician; singer; physician’s assistant in acupuncture and herbs; astrologer; psychic counselor; bookkeeper; executive secretary; property manager; fundraiser; press secretary; and private investigator assistant/court runner.

REFERENCES & SOME NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS:

KOGO/KSDO Radio (ABC), Deb Welsh, Managing Editor, 858.715.8554 private

KNSD-TV, (NBC), Ken Kramer, Anchor, Reporter, Historian, 619.250.3873

The Associated Press, Amanda Covarrubias, currently LA Times, Features Editor, 213.237.5000

Las Vegas City Life Magazine, Steve Sebellius, Editor, 702.871.6780

Dr. Robert Julian Milner, Professor, Penn State Medical School, 717.531.6407, Lifelong Friend

Mrs. Elizabeth Milner, Former President PA League of Women Voters, 717.533.1188 Lifelong Friend

Mr. Keith Zakarin, Esq, San Diego, CA, 858.952.3430, Lifelong Friend

Ms. Kimberly Lutjen, President KLPS, Inc., San Jose, CA 408.892.0974, Former Boss and LifelongFriend

Mr. Fred & Sheila Hoar, Weber-Shandwick, Inc., Silicon Valley PR Pioneer for Apple and Genentech, 650.327.7454 (Public Relations Mentor)

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, 702.229.6241, (Landslide Victory in 1999)

Former San Diego Mayor Susan Golding, 619.236.6330 (Won Controversial Campaign in 1992)

CURRICULM VITAE

JOURNALISM EXPERIENCE:

Associate Publisher, Editor, Producer, Reporter, Photographer for: Television, Radio, Wires and other  media covering state and federal courts; politics; entertainment, and general assignment news in California and Nevada - 1984 to present

Public Relations for: Weber-Shandwick; Hewlett Packard; KLPS, Inc.; Psychic Eye Bookshops; SandWorld International; art galleries; restaurants; lawyers; comedians and musicians in California and Nevada - 1984 to present

Press Secretary for two highly successful and controversial mayoral campaigns - 1992 San Diego Susan Golding for mayor campaign; and 1999 Oscar Goodman for Mayor campaign in Las Vegas, Nevada

Media outlets served include:

• KFMB-TV, News 8, San Diego, CA; Contract Reporter

• KGTV/10 News, San Diego, CA; Contract Reporter

• KNSD-TV-7/39, San Diego, CA, Contract Reporter

• KUSI-TV, Channel 9, San Diego, CA; Contract Reporter

• KLAS-TV, Channel 8, Las Vegas, NV; Weekend Assignment Editor

• KSDO-AM, 1986-89, Producer for: “The Stacy Taylor Show” and “The Ken Kramer Show”

• Noble Broadcast Group, 1989, XTRA-AM, Executive Producer for: “The Steve Garvey Sports Show”

• MetroNetworks, 1990-94, San Diego, CA, On-Air Anchor, Producer, Reporter, Writer

• Shadow Broadcasting, 1994-98, San Diego, CA On-Air Anchor, Producer, Reporter, Writer

• The Associated Press-S.D. Bureau, Freelance Reporter, covering courts, government an. General Assignment News.

• County News Service, SD News Source, Staff Reporter covering courts, crime, city hall, immigrations and local general assignment news.

• The Los Angeles Times-SD Bureau, Freelance Reporter

• San Diego Union-Tribune, Entertainment Freelance Writer

• Escondido Times-Advocate, Contract Reporter

• Oceanside Blade-Tribune, (North County Times), Contract Reporter

• Vista Morning Press, Staff Reporter

• Poway Publishing Group, Staff Reporter for the Rancho Bernardo Journal, the Poway News Chieftain and the Penasquitos News.

• San Diego Business News, Associate Publisher and Astrological Columnist

• City Life Magazine - Las Vegas, Freelance Reporter, Law and Courts Beat

• Your Wedding Day Magazine, San Francisco, Associate Publisher & Astrological Columnist

• AOL - Digital City, Online Entertainment Reporter covering Las Vegas

• CII-Corporate Intelligence International, LV, NV, Private Investigator Assistant/Process Server/Court Runner

• KLPS, Inc., San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, CA, Private Investigator Assistant/Court Runner

• Mercury Investigations, Oakland, CA, Private Investigator Assistant/Process Server/Court Runner

• Letzia Communications, Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada, Public Relations Director

• Fierro Communications, Las Vegas, Nevada, Communications Strategist

• Shawn Khorrami, Esq., L.A., CA, PR Director, Nat’l Autism & Mercury Toxicity Campaign