Hello! I’m Elaine Fernandez. I have a wide breadth of experience and interests, including writing, producing, public service, and administration. You can find my full resume HERE.
LET’S CONNECT
Elaine Fernandez. Freelance Photographer & Writer based in New York.
I offer in-person freelance services for photography and remote services for editing and proofreading. I am available on commission for other services and creative collaborations. Please contact me HERE for questions or rates.
A Brief History:
I was born and raised in Rhinecliff, a small riverfront community in New York’s Hudson River Valley. I graduated from Bard College with a B.A. in Political Science, though I really wanted to study acting and theatre. Instead, I followed the advice of well-meaning friends and family who worried about my survival. A career in politics soon followed and I never looked back, but I also kept one foot in theatre arts, first as a volunteer and patron, later as a writer and producer (more on that below).
- I started out in human services, implementing science-based prevention initiatives designed to strengthen high-risk communities through mobilization and planning.
- Around the same time, I co-founded, published, and edited The Citizen, a monthly civic magazine that examined the impact of national issues on the Hudson Valley Region of New York. You can find samples HERE.
- This led to my appointment as a Legislative Analyst for the New York State Assembly’s Standing Committee on Social Services (and later the Senate’s), where I spent a significant amount of time researching, writing, and assessing social policy initiatives.
- I left the Legislature and spent a year traveling the state to interview people randomly about the impact of the recession on their economic wellbeing. Thirty-five short video interviews were posted on a Vlog created for this purpose. Interview titles can be found HERE.
- When I returned to the Hudson Valley, I worked in both state and local government. I also became involved with the local playhouse, which led to the creation of Hudson Valley Playwrights, a thriving lab for established and aspiring playwrights. As founder and director, I marketed and produced dozens of short plays developed in the lab, including a few of my own. Photos from lab sessions, staged readings, and full productions can be found HERE.
- In 2020, I decided to pursue my own interests. Because I am in the midst of personal writing projects, freelance and remote administrative work make perfect sense for my life. My skills are perfectly suited for it and I enjoy variety.
Accomplishments
- Community and artistic endeavors featured in the Daily Freeman, Kingston Times, Poughkeepsie Journal, River Chronicle, WAMC’S The Roundtable, Pacifica Radio, Marist Radio, WKNY Radio, and Trinity Broadcast.
Awards
- Outstanding Community Service: “Heroes In Our Backyard.” Kingston Cares project, Kingston, New York.
Civic
- AmeriCorps VISTA
- Certified Instructor, Adult Basic Literacy and English as a Foreign Language
Volunteerism & Memberships (past & present)
- Dramatists Guild of America
- The Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck
- Woodstock Film Festival
- Women’s Enterprise Development Center Planning Committee
- Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley Grants Committee
- WKZE Listener Advisory Board
Personal Interests
- Foreign film
- Speed reading subtitles
- Wildlife conservation
- Travel
- Plant food
- Camping (not glamping)
- Kayaking
- Astrology