Meet a Member: Marie C. Baca

Marie C. Baca will be attending her first NFPW conference this fall, thanks to a grant from the NFPW Education Fund. She will be honored Saturday evening, when she receives a national second place award in the professional communications contest. Her work has appeared in some prestigious publications and I can’t wait to learn more about her at the conference. 

Name: Marie C. Baca

City and State: Albuquerque area, New Mexico

Affiliate and any leadership positions: New Mexico Press Women

Years a member of NFPW: Joined this year

 

Marie C. Baca

Tell us a little about you:

I’m a New Mexico-based journalist whose work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, ProPublica, and Salon, among other publications. I left my job covering the economy for the Albuquerque Journal a few months ago for health reasons, though I’m hoping to return in some capacity in the near future.

I’ve spent more than 10 years writing about people on the fringes of society. I’ve profiled morgue workers, Bigfoot enthusiasts, day laborers, and the wrongfully convicted. I’ve also investigated the proliferation of toxic waste sites in poor communities and the effects of fracking on rural populations. In 2011, I contributed to a California Watch investigation that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in human biology and a master’s degree in journalism from Stanford University. I live in the Albuquerque area with my husband, two young sons, and a vegetable garden that appears to be converting itself into an all-inclusive resort for pests.

Any career advice you would give?:

To paraphrase Sheryl Sandberg: your career may not look like a ladder. It may look more like a jungle gym, filled with lateral moves, detours, and occasional dead ends. But sometimes that’s what it takes to find fulfillment.

Which talent would you most like to have?:

The ability to be more compassionate toward myself.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?:

Some magical place that combines everything I love about all the places I’ve lived: California, New England, New York, the United Kingdom, and New Mexico.

What book are you reading?:

I just finished Jeffrey Toobin’s “American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes, and Trial of Patty Hearst.” I wasn’t expecting much– I grabbed it when I needed something to read on an airplane– but it was incredibly well-written and I could hardly put it down.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?:

I once worked for a matchmaker and appeared on his reality TV show.

Why is your affiliate and NFPW important to you?:

Mentorship and community is essential for women in any industry, and is make-or-break in journalism. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of other women and finding ways to support each other on our individual journeys.

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

My Twitter handle is @mariecbaca; my website is www.mariecbaca.com.

 

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