Meet a Member: Judi Buehrer

I was fortunate to have dinner this past weekend with Judi Buehrer and other Colorado Press Women. The dinner was planned as part of the NFPW spring board meeting in Denver. Judi is working on a memoir about her experiences living in Moscow after the fall of the Soviet Union. Two of my friends have read the nearly competed book and tell me it will be a great book. I can’t wait to read it when it is published. Judi is a talented writer and a great asset to both Colorado and NFPW. Meet my friend, Judi Buehrer.

Judi Buehrer

 

 

Name: Judi Buehrer

City and State: Littleton, CO

Affiliate and any leadership positions: Currently Colorado Press Women Co-VP/Membership and Program Committee member; Colorado COA and NFPW Runner-up COA in 2008. Unfortunately, I was recovering from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and wasn’t able to receive the award in person. I’ve also served CPW as president, vice president, secretary, newsletter editor, and helped with high school contest and served on nominating committee and program committee.

Years a member of NFPW: 35

Tell us a little about you.

I am currently semi-retired and finishing Moscow Stories, a memoir about my experiences about living in and reporting about Moscow after the fall of the Soviet Union. I fell in love with journalism in high school and graduated from the University of Nebraska J-School with a major in journalism and minors in English and political science. I began my career as a reporter at the Lincoln Journal and then the Northern Virginia Sun. After our first child was born, I wanted to be a stay-at-home-mom and switched to freelancing and reporting for weekly papers. Several years later, I worked as a managing editor at the American Water Works Association in Denver before and after my husband and I went abroad for nine years. During that time, I worked at The Moscow Times and returned to freelancing and stringing for area magazines during our postings in Thailand and Saudi Arabia. Over the years my freelance articles appeared in The Denver Post, Albuquerque Journal, Chicago Tribune, Omaha World-Herald, Lincoln Journal, Travel Holiday Magazine and several magazines in Denver and New Mexico.

Judi Bueher attaching photos to a display.

Any career advice you would give?

Look for the story behind the obvious one. Things are seldom what they seem.

Which talent would you most like to have?

That’s easy. Figure skating!

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

On one of the idyllic beaches in Southern Thailand.

What book are you reading?

Wonder by Raquel Jaramillo, under the pen name of R. J. Palacio. It’s a wonderful, humbling, evocative story recommended by my 10-year-old daughter.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

When we were in Moscow, President George W. H. Bush stopped by the embassy during a 1991 Summit with Soviet President Gorbachev. After he and Barbara Bush spoke briefly, they shook hands with embassy staff and spouses standing in a long reception line. When he came to me, I told him that my son had served during the Gulf War and thanked him for getting our troops out of danger during the short ground war. He smiled, grabbed my camera, and said, “Well, that calls for a picture.” He held up the camera, clicked the shutter and took a selfie–a word that hadn’t been invented yet– of half of my face and the lower half of his. It’s one of my favorite photos of my time in Moscow.

Why is your affiliate and NFPW important to you?

Early in my career, I got two of my jobs through contacts at CPW and learned a lot from the professional programs and my colleagues. Most of us are retired now and have developed close, nurturing friendships. That explains our affiliate’s primary benefits — mentorships and networking.

Way to follow you on a website, twitter, Facebook, etc.

I have a FB page, but no website or twitter presence yet.

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