On a Friday in mid-March 2020 the pandemic officially started in Orange County. A press conference was called, the first case was identified.
The same day, our newsroom found out devastating news. Our beloved colleague and veteran kick-ass journalist Tracy Wood had died.
I was fortunate enough to have worked with Tracy. She is a legend.
One of the first female war correspondents in Vietnam. A reporting marvel from UPI in New York to Asia to her Pulitzer-win as part of a team while at the Los Angeles Times. A renowned investigative editor at the Times, Orange County Register. And she was one of the first people to help Norberto Santana, Jr. build Voice of OC.
I am still indebted to her mentorship – get it first, but get it right. She was kind, smart and dedicated.
One year after she passed, I published a 6,000+ word narrative that I penned about her life and her work. It was an honor to dive deep and learn more about her legacy.
At the same time, I recruited her former coworkers, war correspondents, editors and family to write tributes in her honor.