helen's kaleidoscope career

Helen began her journalism career in New York while a student at Fordham University and became a television journalist based mostly in NYC with stints in New England and Australia–behind the scenes and on-camera. For more than a decade, she was most familiar on the air in NYC as a breaking news reporter for WNYW-Fox 5 and WPIX 11. In addition, she has produced for or appeared on radio and TV nationally and internationally.

Production & Consulting
In the late 1980s, she teamed up with her husband and launched Wallapix Video Etc., a broadcast-level production services firm that offered video and communications services to U.S. and international television news networks, movie studios, business news programs, nonprofits, industry associations, corporations and public relations firms for close to 20 years.

Digital Journalism
After good-nighting Wallapix in 2007, Helen immersed herself in emerging digital news, going to work at Forbes.com as Senior Editor and Executive Producer of the award-winning Forbes.com Video Network, responsible for editorial reporting, working with notable journalists and the technical teams creating daily news and feature production from studios in New York and Silicon Valley. Helen oversaw the creation of more than 5,000 videos published in two years. She was instrumental in media training print journalists and leadership for on-camera appearances both in the Forbes studios and on other networks. CEO Steve Forbes introduced her as “our video guru.” In addition to interviewing the movers and shakers in the financial world, she hosted a weekly segment on life-work issues, called “Forbes.com Balancing Act.” Among her featured interviews: Britain’s “First Lady” and international human rights lawyer Cherie Blair, designer Sigrid Olsen, celebrity cook Paula Deen and Accenture CFO Pamela J. Craig, plus 1:1 interviews with Parkinson’s advocate and actor Michael J. Fox, Intel’s Andy Grove, investor John J. Mack, author Malcolm Gladwell, and many Wall St. movers and shakers.

Most Powerful Moms
With her deep interest in women’s leadership and work-life issues, Helen joined Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corporation, in 2009 as a member of its senior leadership team and head of digital products. She held responsibility for overseeing the growth of Working Mother (workingmother.com), Diversity Best Practices (diversitybestpractices.com) and the National Association for Female Executives (nafe.com). As Editor of the flagship workingmother.com, Helen proved an engaged journalist writing about family life issues, women's advancement and creating workingmother.com’s signature series: Most Powerful Moms. She bylined interviews with high-profile women and wrote a regular blog, Working Mom’s Daily Bread, one of 300+ blogs on the site.

Following a Bonnier downsize, Helen took her skills to video-centric web studios training staff, and strengthening their content production, partnerships, and editorial content. Later, she became an executive producer for Fios One News, overseeing editorial teams for three channels in the Greater New York region before choosing to move into public service.

Public Service Roles
Helen joined the Westchester DA followed by the New York City Economic Development Corporation where she led public affairs communications for both at a pivotal point in the public conversation around the justice system, diversity and inclusion, and the public health crisis brought on by the pandemic.

Expert & Spokeperson
As a subject matter expert, Helen has appeared as a guest on Good Morning America, NPR’s Tell Me More and PBS To the Contrary, and has been quoted as both an expert and spokesperson in countless publications.

Author 
In addition, Helen is the author of four books on Australian English, including Kangaroo’s Comments & Wallaby’s Words, the Aussie Word Book and Hippocrene Travel and Language Series: Australia; and was a contributor to Love Her, Love Her Not: The Hillary Paradox, an anthology of essays related to Hillary Clinton (2015); and Seven Pearls of Financial Wisdom (2012).

#Workmom & Community
As a mother of four grown children, Helen cares deeply about community life and safety, the advancement of women, paid leave policy, and the health of children. She has rolled up her sleeves for many service organizations including as a volunteer and advocate for Girl Scouts, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Volunteer New York!, and more. Currently, she serves on the development committee of the Board of CureSearch for Children’s Cancer. Professional memberships include the Society of the Silurians–America’s oldest press club, SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

Helen is a 2021 graduate of Leadership Westchester–a professional advancement program, and a proud alum of Fordham University and WFUV's Ceol na nGael. She and her Aussie husband make their lives in the Hudson Valley.

Photo: RandyMatusowPhoto.com