Nicholas A. Powell
Houston,TX
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Editorial Writer
Houston Chronicle
06.2021 - Current
- Researched, reported and wrote 2-3 editorials per week for an award-winning editorial board on topics ranging from school shootings to natural disasters to state and local politics.
- Was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist for our series of editorials on the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
- Screened dozens of political and judicial candidates for local, county, state and national office and wrote roughly two dozen endorsements during each election cycle from 2021 through 2024
- Participated in editorial meetings to brainstorm ideas, discuss editorial directions, and provide insights based on personal expertise.
- Gained extensive knowledge of diverse subjects while covering various beats from state and local politics to the criminal justice system.
- Managed tight deadlines, consistently delivering well-crafted articles on time without sacrificing quality.
Gulf Coast Reporter
Houston Chronicle
11.2017 - 06.2021
- Covered economically important and culturally complex Gulf Coast region for one of the nation's top papers
- Covered the COVID-19 epidemic and race for a vaccine
- Was first reporter on scene for the Santa Fe High School shooting and wrote investigative takeout on failure of public officials to provide critical personal information about shooting to families of victims
- Wrote extensively on the interminable delay in rebuilding public housing in Galveston 12 years after Hurricane Ike
- Waded through floodwaters speaking to victims of hurricanes and tropical storms
- Spent three months covering NASA's successes and failures, from aborted rocket launches to successful solar probes to political jockeying for funding the space program
Opinion and Features Editor
City & State NY
08.2015 - 11.2017
- Wrote feature articles for award-winning City & State magazine
- Assigned and edited daily opinion articles from top New York newsmakers and well-known columnists and wrote columns on city and state politics
- Created editorial board to endorse in key 2016 congressional, state Senate and House races, and mounted successful months-long campaign for a city-subsidized MetroCard for low-income New Yorkers
Freelancer
Esquire Magazine
04.2015 - 10.2015
- Wrote on New York Mets rise from doormat to National League powerhouse, including a series of columns on their 2015 World Series run
- In 2016, reported and wrote an oral history of O'Hara's Pub, a watering hole steps from Ground Zero that served as a haven for 9/11 first responders
New York Giants Beat Reporter
Newark Star-Ledger
10.2014 - 08.2015
- Covered every aspect of New York's top-rated NFL team, from player features to breaking news, filing multiple stories each day
- Broke stories on several key free agent signings in the 2015 offseason
City Hall Reporter
City & State NY
09.2012 - 10.2014
- Covered America's wealthiest mayor, Michael Bloomberg, and the highly contentious battle to succeed him. Covered his successor Bill de Blasio's attempt to refashion the city as a progressive Mecca.
- Wrote investigative stories on pay-for-play allegations involving prominent Long Island politicians, and Gov. Cuomo's shuttering of an ethics commission that hit too close to the executive branch
Education
BA - English, Writing Certificate
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA05.2009
Skills
- Storytelling
- Research and fact-checking
- Source building
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Opinion writing
- In-depth subject expertise
- News analysis
References
- Vernon Loeb, Former managing editor, Houston Chronicle, 713-899-4213, vernonloeb@gmail.com
- Mike Snyder, Former reporter, columnist, editor, Houston Chronicle 713-503-7147 snyderm599@gmail.com
- Norm Gomlak, Deputy metro editor, Houston Chronicle, 703-371-9773, norm.gomlak@chron.com
- Michael Johnson, Former editorial director, City & State, 917-732-3045, michaelgarethjohnson@gmail.com
Awards
2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist, Editorial Writing
New York Press Association 2013 Better Newspaper Contest, First Place, Coverage of Election & Politics
Timeline
Editorial Writer
Houston Chronicle
06.2021 - Current
Gulf Coast Reporter
Houston Chronicle
11.2017 - 06.2021
Opinion and Features Editor
City & State NY
08.2015 - 11.2017
Freelancer
Esquire Magazine
04.2015 - 10.2015
New York Giants Beat Reporter
Newark Star-Ledger
10.2014 - 08.2015
City Hall Reporter
City & State NY
09.2012 - 10.2014
BA - English, Writing Certificate
Temple University
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