Jennifer LeClaire is a diverse journalist, with thousands of credits in scores of respected consumer and trade publications.
This is a selection of articles that can be accessed online. If you don’t see the industry experience you are looking for, e-mail Jennifer for offline clips relevant to your project.
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
AVIATION
BANKING
BIOTECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS NEWS & FEATURES
BUSINESS PROFILES
COLLEGE LIFE
CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING
CONSUMER NEWS
E-COMMERCE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
EDUCATION & NON-PROFIT
ENVIRONMENT & RECYCLING
GAMING & AMUSEMENT
HEALTH & NUTRITION
HEALTH CARE TRADE
HISPANIC & ETHNIC
HOSPITALITY
HOSPITALS
HUMAN RESOURCES
INSURANCE
LAW TRADE
MANUFACTURING
PUBLIC RELATIONS/ MARKETING/ MEDIA
SMALL BUSINESS
REAL ESTATE
RELIGION
RESTAURANT TRADE
RETAIL
SIGN INDUSTRY
TELECOM
WEB DESIGN
WORKPLACE
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Best of Both Worlds
Ken and Glenda Cahill are tireless technology professionals by day and liberated lodge keepers by night. And that’s just the way they like it.
Miami Architect Sues Donald Trump for Copyright Violation
Paul Oravec says he was “shocked and dismayed” to see design photos of the Trump Grande Ocean Resort and Residences in newspapers. That’s because the Miami architect claims Trump turned down similar concave-convex concepts he created in 1996.
Gulf South Struggles
As yet another record-breaking and devastating hurricane season draws toward its close, we are still far from a final assessment of damage from Katrina, the most costly natural disaster in U.S. history, or from Rita, the subsequent multibillion-dollar storm.
Steve Mlukeak: World class mechanic and cyclist
When he’s not fixing helicopters or flying deployments, Steve Mlujeak is training for a spot on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Cycling Team. If he secures a position, he will be the first-ever military cyclist to represent the U.S. in the Olympics.
Software Makers Merge to Offer Mx Docs Solution
Flightdocs combined its total aircraft maintenance management solutions with Doberdocs’s maintenance document tracking software and services to create a comprehensive maintenance software package…
Ken George: Experimental Aircraft Expert
Ken George spent most of his aviation career in the defense industry where he got to do what many mechanics only dream of: work on experimental and prototype aircraft.
The not-so-private bank
Private banking, by definition, caters to wealthy individuals. But even the word wealthy is undergoing a change of meaning as financial institutions compete for more customers.
Swiping security
Financial crimes such as identity theft and check fraud are on the rise, and there’s no end in sight. It’s a problem law enforcement agencies and banks take very seriously. But these crimes are tough to combat because advances in computer technology allow criminals to rip people off with little risk of getting caught.
Frank Satterfield: Harbor Capital Helps Bridge the Funding Gap
With prices of U.S. commercial real estate rising and sales velocity occurring at an unprecedented clip, Frank Satterfield spotted a void in the marketplace and seized the moment.
Systems biology seen as next life sciences revolution
Scientists have mountains of data from the Human Genome Project. The challenge is to make good on the promise of translating that data into new drug therapies that could cure everything from hair loss to cancer.
Histology Shortage Opens Doors
Surgeons may get the glory for removing malignancies that could lead to premature death, but histology professionals are the unsung heroes behind the laboratory doors who help diagnose the problem.
Annapolis biotech jumps at chance to counter bioterror
When you think of anthrax you probably recall the deaths of U.S. postal workers and others who received tainted mail after Sept. 11, 2001. But did you know a terrorist could carry enough anthrax spores on the tip of a ballpoint pen to kill 500 people simply by blowing the deadly toxin into a crowded room?
M&A Madness
Dramatic dealmaking returned to South Florida last year and has not skipped a beat in 2005. The rebounded national economy has companies gearing up for expansion — and searching for strategic acquisitions with which to do so.
NAFTA: 10 Years Later
The 1980s were touted as the “Decade of the Hispanic Entrepreneur.” But new opportunities spawned by the historic North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) promise to multiply the dramatic revenue increases chalked up by Hispanic firms in the United States just 20 years ago.
Limits of a whistle blower culture
Who likes a tattletale? Perceptions are slowly shifting, according to some experts. Employee watchdogs are getting more positive attention than ever in the wake of corporate scandals.
Good Deeds pays dividends for local businesswomen
When Lisa Wallace agreed to host a charity fund-raiser with 100 guests at her Winchester home, organizing the event was more work than she had expected.
Surfin’ Safari
Brad Armstrong was checking out online dating sites over a cup of Joe in a local coffee shop when he had a revelation that would change his life.
Publisher targets female readers with magazine
When Melinda Maine Garvey was working at a daily Washington D.C. newspaper, she never dreamed she’d move south and launch a free monthly magazine all about women.
Deal with Roommate Conflicts
The beginning of Laura Maxwell’s experience at William Woods University was a little more stressful than she expected - thanks to a messy roommate.
Leadership Matters
Students who demonstrate leadership abilities have a leg up with colleges, universities and employers because, like Superbowl tickets in January, leadership qualities are in demand.
Home for the holidays
The holiday season can be a strange time for college students. While it can be refreshing to sleep in your old bed, devour some home cooking, and wash some laundry, some things do change over time.
The Future of Design?
A consortium of green builders, architects and supporters are setting out to do with the Southface Eco Office project in Atlanta what no one in the Southeast has ever done before: earn a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification…
Trump Palace Nearing Completion
Donald Trump is as busy as ever redefining metropolitan skylines with luxurious, high-rise condominium projects. As Tampa Bay-area developers prepare to break ground in April on the next Trump Tower - a $220 million, 52-story, condo project in downtown Tampa that will be the tallest…
Miami-Dade County experiences unprecedented building boom
From Miami’s urban core to its sparkling beaches to its quiet suburbs, multifamily residential, commercial and public projects are rising from the ground at a breakneck pace.
How to get out of a mortgage mess
More than 2 million Americans are behind on their mortgage payments. Here are some options for those who are in that predicament – and ways to work with your lender to get back on track.
A costly courtesy: overdraft privilege
Besides being illegal, bouncing a check is costly. Customers face combined charges from banks and retailers that often total $60 or more. In recent years, banks have helped customers avoid such consequences by offering overdraft protection - and, more recently, overdraft privilege - selectively covering…
Education programs help Hispanics buy homes
Nearly half a million Hispanics are living in Austin, and more of them are becoming homeowners as barriers to their ability to realize this dream are vanishing.
Are Small E-Tailers Finished?
In the early days of e-commerce, small businesses flocked to the Web with grandiose visions of transforming mom-and-pop shops into mega retailers. Those visions turned out to be pipe dreams for most merchants, and the dawn of reality convinced many early adopters to retreat to the brick-and-mortar world.
Online Merchants Choosing Alternative Payment Options
While credit card companies research and develop new anti-fraud measurements, alternative payment solutions providers are cashing in on the demand for online security and customer choice.
Security Experts Warn of Disaster Relief Scams
Phishing scams seeking to steal donations earmarked for Hurricane Katrina victims may have started a week ago, but security experts said to expect a spike in this fraudulent activity in the weeks to come.
Asian Manufacturing: Full Steam Ahead
You may be weary of the storyline, but U.S. manufacturers are nonetheless still turning to Asia and its low-cost manufacturing opportunities. And there is no denying the fact that many U.S. manufacturers seemingly have little choice but to outsource overseas in order to remain competitive in a world market.
Rural Virginia Vies for Automotive Manufacturers
As global auto manufacturers begin to settle in the South, the state of Virginia – and its most rural communities – are revving up their competitive engines with 21st century initiatives designed to attract large-scale automotive projects.
Frostproof Bucks the Citrus Trend
Nestled between two pristine lakes, Frostproof is sort of like a 21st century Mayberry. While the three-square-mile Polk County town may only have a population of about 3,000 people, it is the hub of Florida’s citrus industry and has the orange groves to prove it.
Back to school: non-profit organization Adopt-A-Classroom is helping get teachers the supplies they need, but can its business model pass the test?
Jamie Rosenberg was used to wheeling and dealing as a mergers and acquisitions attorney during the 1990s. But while his clients acquired companies to meet their needs, he found one area always struggling to find enough resources: schools.
Area community colleges feeling pinch of leadership gap
Nearly half of all community college presidents plan to retire by 2007, according to a study by the American Association of Community Colleges, and another 1,800 new upper-level administrators and 30,000 new faculty members will also be needed in the next few years.
Smaller Cheaper Better School
Do students learn better in smaller environments? A growing number of educators and architects think so, and in Federal Way, Washington, a few of them have created a school that reflects this conviction.
Eco-friendly winegrape growers are pressing ahead
California’s image-conscious wine industry is taking hold of sustainable viticulture practices and local vintners and wineries are helping to spread the movement.
Many local companies employ recycling and waste reduction programs to save money and help preserve the environment. But it’s the area’s largest companies that stand to gain the most financially and provide the biggest boost to local efforts to protect the environment.
Truck-stop power to help save diesel fuel, clean air
Truck stops are notorious for noisy engines and clouds of black diesel smoke billowing from the exhaust stacks of 18-wheelers. But that could change as states across the country begin to adopt truck stop electrification programs to combat the diesel engine emissions from hours-long idling.
Doing What They Wannado
When Luis Javier Laresgoiti was a kid he dreamed of being a pilot. Like most young boys, he also fantasized about working in a half-dozen other exciting professions. But Laresgoiti’s ultimate vision never changed. The Mexican-born entrepreneur has wanted to build an amusement park à la Disneyland…
Park ‘n Pizza serving up food and activities
Austin’s Park ‘n Pizza is more than just go-carts and miniature golf. The biggest challenge has been making customers aware of the company’s all-you-can-eat pizza and salad buffet.
Roxor Games hopes new releases will drive profit
A childhood passion for “Ms. Pac-Man” led Jason Asbahr into the gaming industry as an adult. The Houstonite moved to Austin to pay his game-developer dues with companies like Origin Systems Inc. and Kalisto USA. A decade later, he decided to play his entrepreneurial hand…
The Flash is Back
Jennifer Beals has enjoyed a healthy career in show biz for the past two decades. The diverse performer has worked alongside stars such as Denzel Washington, Dustin Hoffman and Faye Dunaway – but the accomplished actress didn’t always enjoy perfect health along the way.
Weight Loss By Phone
From food to fashion, busy people can order just about anything over the phone these days. Now, a new breed of personal trainer is peddling fitness – yes, fitness – by phone.
Eating for Life
Lynette Bisconti discovered she was pregnant on Christmas Day 1997. But what looked like a holiday gift would soon turn into a New Year’s nightmare when a routine doctor’s visit revealed a cancerous lump in her breast.
I am Woman. I am Chiropractor.
Chiropractic has never exactly been a woman’s world, but things are changing – big time. Although medicine leads the way in what some call the “feminization of health care,” women are making gains in chiropractic as well.
Call Yourself a Social Worker
People can get awfully finicky about job titles, but a new regulation protecting the title of social worker in the state of Missouri is driven by more than semantics.
Pharmacists’ Claims: Boring Work, Long Shifts
Pharmacists are in demand, paid well and highly respected, but not all pharmacists are satisfied with their careers. Pharmacists cited a desire to do "more interesting work" as the top motivation for seeking a new position.
Samuel Ramirez: Making Wall Street History
When he started selling bonds, Samuel A. Ramirez was like one of those sleeper stocks that no one dreamed would skyrocket, and even less imagined would keep paying dividends for decades.
Latin Music Mecca
Freddie Martinez started a record company in 1969 with $400 and a dream. Little did the Hispanic entrepreneur know he was building a Latin music mecca that would one day boast annual sales of $6 million, sweep the Grammy awards for Tejano music…
On a mission to change the nutritional habits of America’s kids
“Everyone thought I was out of my mind when I started Viva the Chef,” says Gina Martinez – which of course was a great sign that her studio for teaching kids to cook healthy food was headed for success.
As business travelers demand more, hotels deliver
Hotels are upping the ante when it comes to special services for business travelers. No longer are oversized desks, dual phone lines and a copy of USA Today under the door each morning enough to satisfy the needs of this finicky group.
What is it like to earn a living in Austin’s service industry?
When concierge Tommy Dean wakes up in the morning, head housekeeper Yolanda Islas is probably already at work and waitress Jesse Petty is still resting from the night before.
Low-carb cuisine a hit with area eateries, entrepreneurs
Restaurants nationwide are wooing diet-conscious diners with low-carbohydrate menus cooked up to satisfy the millions of Americans who have jumped on the Atkins and South Beach diet bandwagons.
Maryland hospitals tinker with old recruiting tricks
Creative programs launched by Maryland hospitals have put a Band-Aid on the nursing shortage, but a new study indicates a healthy need for nurses and other medical personnel in the years to come.
Hospices feel the pain
As the dust settles on the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s management and leadership conference in Washington, D.C., end-of-life leaders are going back to their cities with growth strategies for an evolving healthcare market.
Colleges, hospitals wrestle with the nursing shortage
Despite multimillion-dollar partnerships between healthcare systems and educators, hospitals are still ailing from nursing shortages.
Domestic partner benefits attract, retain talent
Attorney Greg Baldwin was a principal with Miami’s Holland & Knight for more than 10 years before it occurred to him to seek benefits for his same-sex domestic partner.
Director of People’s took aim at health needs of clinic’s employees
When Regina Rogoff became executive director of People’s Community Clinic in 2003, her first major initiative was a strategic plan to improve the nonprofit organization’s efficiency and the long-term health of its patients.
Learn how to spot the early warnings signs of violence
April saw another former employee return to his old workplace and erupt in violence, stabbing three people before police fatally shot him in a New Jersey post office.
Keeping Insurance Rates in Check
AvDyne AeroServices in Baltimore, Maryland has seen insurance costs triple in the past two years. The same $5-million policy that once cost $22,000 annually now costs $57,000, according to company president Jerome Hodge.
irm to Offer Open-Source Compliance Insurance
It won’t help in the aftermath of hurricanes, but it could help in technology storms. Insurance underwriter Kiln plc, a Lloyd’s of London underwriter and Miller Insurance Services Limited, a Lloyd’s broker, said that they will offer a new product called Open Source Compliance Insurance.
IPAA Is Here
HIPAA is coming! HIPAA is coming! You’ve heard the warnings over the past two years, and now the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is actually here.
Combine to compete
Acquiring competitors is a time-honored way to grow a company. But law firm Holland & Knight LLP, figured a more targeted approach was what it needed to expand its South Florida land-use practice.
When it comes to experts, they can make, break a case
Today’s jurors expect more than “just the facts ma’am.” They require a thorough education on complicated evidential matters so they can feel confident in casting a vote that could mean million-dollar payouts to an alleged victim or years behind prison bars for a convicted criminal.
Putting less into your work
Are you on the e-billing bandwagon yet? If not, then you probably will be soon. More large corporate clients are beginning to require vendors to send bills electronically, and this e-trend is gaining a toehold in the legal industries.
European Clusters Evolve
The European Union is driving the formation of clusters as the global market demands efficiency, proximity, and easy access to suppliers and customers.
North America: A Global Automotive Platform
More global automotive manufacturers are selecting North American sites for new plants and expansions, hoping a presence in the world’s biggest vehicle market will breed success.
Manufacturing plants planting roots
After a rather gloomy couple of years that saw significant layoffs or out-of-state job relocations at Intel and Hewlett-Packard Co., the second half of this year is panning out as optimistic for the Sacramento region – more so even than the rest of the state or the nation.
PUBLIC RELATIONS/MARKETING/MEDIA
There is no sure-fire formula to winning a prospect’s business
When Weber Shandwick Worldwide’s Baltimore office had the opportunity to pitch a major mid-Atlantic hospital, the public relations and communications management company pulled out all the punches.
Grande merger
Machado/Garcia-Serra Publicidad was one of the nation’s fastest growing young Hispanic advertising agencies, while the IAC Group held a veteran position as a well-respected national player in the same field. Now, the two Coral Gables agencies have merged under the MGS name to create…
Publisher targets female readers with magazine
When Melinda Maine Garvey was working at a daily Washington D.C. newspaper, she never dreamed she’d move south and launch a free monthly magazine all about women.
Preparation can help ease succession and tax issues
Every business owner will leave his business eventually, either through retirement, death or a buy-out. Still, establishing a plan for the future is a daunting task many business owners would rather not tackle.
Character, collateral count when seeking a loan
There’s an old saying in the small business world: Banks always will lend you money when you don’t need it. But what about when you do need it? How do you get a bank loan?
Home sweet office
Pedro Sostre had every intention of renting an office when he launched his Internet design, consulting and development firm. But as he looked for a suitable corporate home he realized that an office really wasn’t necessary.
Moving on up
Stuart Meyers has been bucking market trends since he launched real estate development firm Cornerstone Group with Jorge Lopez in 1993. Instead of erecting high-rise luxury waterfront condominiums like his competitors, Meyers and his partner got their feet wet building affordable suburban apartment…
Big changes loom for managers of corporate real estate
If Chicken Little were a corporate real estate executive he’d probably be hollering about the sky falling once again. That's because dramatic changes are in store for corporate real estate on an international scale.
Couples find teamwork breeds success in real estate
With her three kids off to school, Elizabeth Ross was enjoying a successful solo career in residential real estate – until her husband of 20 years, Craig, a chiropractor, broke his arm playing baseball last year.
Passion Film Becomes Ministry Tool
Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ sparked a new commitment to evangelism as ministries mobilized to take advantage of what many were calling one of the best opportunities to reach the lost in recent years.
“Granny Brigade” Seeks to Comfort HIV-Positive Children in South Africa
Miriam Machovec said her heart broke last year as she watched a 12-year-old HIV-positive child in South Africa playing both mother and father to her nine younger siblings after their parents died of AIDS.
Chinese Leaders Plan to Send 100,000 Missionaries Into 10/40 Window
After a combined 40 years in prison for preaching the gospel, three Chinese house church leaders are reviving an 80-year-old vision to take the gospel from China to Jerusalem--a region that comprises 90 percent of the world’s unreached people.
Learning from Low-Carb
What do you do when a new breed of dieters swears off your signature product? The choices are simple: Close up shop or adapt to the changing nutritional landscape.
Digital Distribution
One of your competitors just saved half a million dollars by consolidating Parmesan cheese vendors. Another fast food operator is enjoying a 20 percent boost in rebate and co-op marketing dollars by analyzing purchases a little more closely.
Swimming Upstream
What could a career Alaskan fisherman know about operating a quick-serve restaurant? Enough to found a concept that’s caught the attention of diners in Anchorage and beyond.
Sitting pretty
Claire's Stores Inc. has for decades attracted the attention of teenage girls through its value-priced costume jewelry and cosmetics. But recently the international specialty retailer has been attracting the attention of Wall Street analysts.
Online Retailers Push Promotions to Drive Holiday Traffic
Cyber Monday outpaced Black Friday in the online shopping arena once again this year, which comes as no surprise to e-tail analysts who predicted the phenomenon long ago.
Online Retailers Learned Valuable E-Lessons in 2004
Overstock.com was preparing for its biggest sales day ever. It was just days before the notorious Black Friday, traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the holiday season, and the discount online retailer was all set to break its previous year’s sales record.
The Super Bowl of Signs
LED technology ushered in a new era of signage and nowhere is this evolution more apparent than in the new NFL stadiums unveiled in the past few years. Professional football teams are embracing next-generation video scoreboards as they strive to enhance the total fan experience with more dynamic, interactive displays.
Soaring Profits from Glistening Gateways
From wayfinding and security symbols to retail and promotional signage, modern airports are adopting new strategies and it’s paying dividends for sign builders. Success begins with understanding the latest trends in airport signage and identifying your company’s niche.
Benefits of Vehicle Wrapping
You’ve invested in top of the line printing equipment and materials. You’ve shelled out big bucks for training. You’ve hired experienced designers and expert installers. Now all you need is some customers.
Telecom Trends
Just five years ago, few asked if a building had high-speed telecom capabilities. Now telecommunications ranks right up there with water, sewer, gas, and electricity. Indeed, high-speed data capabilities and even wireless networks are the latest, greatest – and soon-to-be-expected – telecom…
Fade-away of pay phones sparks laments and anger
Domenick Cilea is a busy public relations professional. Success or failure for him – and his corporate clients who pay his bills – often depends on being able to respond to the media immediately.
Heading for an IPTV Revolution
A quick scan at technology news headlines reveals companies like SBC, Alcatel, Microsoft – and a host of ancillary service providers – are gearing up for what some are calling an Internet Protocol TV revolution.
Study: Poor Web Design Alienates Customers
One twentieth of a second. That’s about how long it takes for a Web site to make a first impression on an Internet user, according to researchers at a Canadian university, whose findings could have competitive impacts for businesses on the Web.
Web Design Impacts Online Sales
As the dust settles on this latest season’s holiday shopping data, there is yet one more issue to consider before this time next year: conversions.
Hands On: How Not to Program in PHP
PHP has become an Open Source success for web development because of its ease of use and ubiquitous code. But PHP’s very reputation for quick development could get you in trouble unless you take advantage of its built-in security precautions.
When work is your life
After working 32 consecutive hours, Dr. Troy Madsen almost made a fatal mistake. The first-year resident at a prominent Baltimore hospital forgot to make sure a critical blood test was given to a heart patient under his care.
When Kristie Helms moved from Nashville to New York City four years ago, she experienced more than a little culture shock. The big-city office politics were foreign to the Southern belle, so she started documenting her workplace woes in an online journal.
Even on Vacation, Americans Find Ways to Work
Marty Kotis insists upon taking a vacation every year – if you can call it that. Mr. Kotis, who owns a real estate development company in Greensboro, N.C., remains accessible to his office staff via one of two cell phones, personal digital assistant, and laptop computer.
