My Life

Getting Here

• Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Graduated from University of Tulsa
• Master’s in Speech Pathology
• Child: Jeffree Newman, age 41, living in Portland, Oregon, Film & Commercial Director, Producer
• Careers: Speech Pathology, Screenwriting, Information Technology, Assistive Technology, Videographer, Editor
• Pets: Nabia (dog), Oliver  – Age 17 (African Grey Parrot)
• Moved to California in 1977

My Family:  Jeffree Newman

Sheriff Burnet: Theatrical Film

Jeffree Directing a Doritos Commercial

Christmas, 2008 Oceanside, Oregon

My Dog: Nabia

Nabia is 10 years old and a true friend. She’s a rescue dog that’s rescued me and given me a lot of long walks, a friend in the middle of the night, and some how she understands me. No one else does, but she does and loves me any way. She’s loved by almost everyone. She’s ready to protect me against any bad situation or dog or raccoon. I think she can smell trouble and she goes into her attack mode that has landed her in the ER more than once. She’s a survivor and teaches me a lot about living in the now.

“I Can Fly, Can You Talk?”

That was the longest sentence Oliver has said until about a month ago. Now he’s saying “My name is Oliver. What’s yours?” He’s 15 years old, born the year of the Northridge earthquake. He should live to be 60! Anybody want to be in the will. He will out live me and will need a good home.

My Passions

Motherhood

39 years ago on April 8, 1969 I gave birth to my son Jeffrey. I had no idea at the time that this little creature who needed me for his survival is now a man on his own quest, creating his world, living his passion. I have learned more from him than anyone I’ve known. I don’t take any of the credit. To learn more about him please visit his web site.

Photography

In 2000 I traded by still SLR for a Canon video camera, bought editing equipment and taught myself how to shoot and edit.  I turned a corner and embraced what was on my path and for the first time in my life I found I have a purpose for being here.  I am a producer, storyteller, and photographer.  I happen to love technology that supports my creative passions.

Storytelling

In the summer of 1980, Jeffree and I threw backpacks on our backs and headed out for a 5 week trip covering 5,000 miles of the Pacific Northwest to see as many National Parks by trains and buses and even sticking out our thumb. On the Southern Canadian Pacific, a stranger named Gladys who wanted to hear our story commented that this would make a good movie. Two weeks later when being hit on by a man traveling with his son, he asked what I did for a living and it was a stranger on a short ferry ride who I would never see again so my answer was, “I’m a screenwriter.” That began my storytelling career. I married that stranger a year later and I had to cover my lie by learning the craft and see where it would lead.

Technology

I got an agent in Hollywood and moved there to pursue my writing career and the marriage ended about as abruptly as it began. I had to find a day job and that lead to a job at Castle Rock Entertainment where I went through the pioneer years of technology and eventually held the position of VP of Technology. It was an exciting time to watch the culture change to email, websites, and networking. My last project for Castle Rock was creating the Seinfeld.com website. I have never fully understood my love for technology except that it does relate to my love of neurology and the concepts didn’t seem to far apart. It came easy to me.

Editing

I was never coached to discover any passions in my childhood but thankfully I had the rest of my life to discover my passions for photography, technology and story telling. After watching someone’s short documentary I thought, as I have thought throughout my life, “I can do that.” I picked up a movie camera, bought the editing equipment and since 2000 my true passion for editing combined my love for photography, storytelling and technology and 8 years later, after finding a new career yet again, I am able to combine it all and work in disability, be a pioneer, and change a culture. It doesn’t get better than this.

Travel

This passion is so big for me that I have created a section just for that.  I view my life as one lived on a planet, not in a home town or on a street.  The world is my family, not the cousins in Oklahoma, my sister or my parents.  Though we have separate cultures, we share one heart and one love.  We are constantly enriched by our differences and I choose to embrace the differences rather than seek out the similarities.