John Funk

Background

About John Funk

My heroes have always been journalists. Well, journalists and scientists. And I guess I'd have to include a few philosophers in there as well. But there's still a common thread: I've always admired and respected those who dedicate their lives to the objective pursuit of the truth. My academic background is in psychology and professional journalism. Though I decided against pursuing psychology past an undergraduate level, it provided insights into human thoughts and behavior that might come in handy in any line of work, perhaps especially so in the communications business. During my last semester at the University of Minnesota's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, I spent a few months as a student reporter at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the largest newspaper in the state and one of the largest in the country. After graduation, I headed out west and took a staff position at a smaller daily paper. After spending seven months in Logan, Utah, I moved to the Boise Metro area to cover the darker side of humanity as a crime reporter at the Idaho Press Tribune in Nampa. After four years, I left the Idaho Press-Tribune to travel the world. Two months, miles and sixteen countries later, I returned to Boise and spent the next several months supporting myself with freelance gigs and temp work. But I knew the moment I returned that my days in Boise were numbered - It never felt like home, and without a stable job holding me there, it was only a matter of time before my next adventure. In the summer of 2016, I packed what I could into my car and headed east. Several days later, I found myself in Washington DC and decided to stay for a while. I continued to support myself through a combination of temp and freelance work until I found what I'd been looking for since leaving journalism - a communications/PR job with a global charity organization. So that's where I am now: Communications manager with The Salvation Army World Service Office.