Welcome to Blue Chalcedony Editorial! Established in 2024, Blue Chalcedony Editorial is where I bring my passion for clarity and precision to nonfiction editing. I offer line editing, copyediting, and proofreading services tailored to help authors express their authentic style.

My Editorial Journey

Since 2019, I’ve served as the Senior Technical Editor for Nerd’s Eye View at Kitces.com, a financial planning blog that aims to make financial advisors better and more successful. As a CFP® professional and IRS Enrolled Agent, I use my financial planning knowledge to refine complex content for clarity and technical accuracy.

Before joining the Kitces team, I spent six years as a financial planner, creating hundreds of comprehensive financial plans. Prior to that, I held administrative roles over several years at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where I developed and edited educational materials and academic content, laying the groundwork for my editorial journey.

Science and Research Foundations

As a Chemistry major at California State University, Los Angeles, I graduated magna cum laude and contributed to research published in journals like Electrophoresis and Analytical Biochemistry. Afterward, I gained hands-on experience as a quality control chemist in pharmaceutical manufacturing and spent a brief time teaching 8th-grade science—roles that sharpened my analytical skills and ability to communicate complex information. Later, as a PhD student at the City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Sciences, I researched DNA replication and recombination, co-authoring our lab’s findings in a 2008 Genetics paper. Though I ultimately stepped away from science, these experiences taught me the rigor and precision that now guide my editorial work.

Professional Affiliations and Growth

I’m a member of ACES: The Society for Editing, the Editorial Freelancers Association, the Editors Tea Club, Freelance Editors Club, and the Northwest Editors Guild.

I completed the Copyediting Certificate program offered by UC San Diego Extended Studies, and I’m in the process of obtaining the Poynter ACES Certificates in Editing.

Beyond Editing

Outside of editing, I enjoy trying new recipes, baking bread, and experimenting with food photography. I’m an avid reader, drawn to stories that feel true to the writer’s heart, from Stephen King thrillers to memoirs and transformational nonfiction.

I find inspiration in the changing seasons and natural beauty of my tree-filled neighborhood in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and love to care for my growing collection of houseplants. When it’s time to unwind, I’ll often be adventuring through the lands of Azeroth in World of Warcraft.

My cats, my steadfast #stetpet fur babies, keep me grounded, while oracle cards and crystals connect me to my intuition and offer fresh perspectives, adding a touch of magic and mystery to my daily life.