"Pursuing a Successful Career in Journalism"
Anna Marie Kukec has been a Chicago area journalist for about 25 years, starting as a stringer for the Southtown Economist, a weekly chain covering Chicago's South Side and South suburbs. When the newspaper became a daily, she joined the staff full-time and went to college part-time for seven years to earn a bachelor';s degree in mass communications and journalism from St. Xavier University.
While at the Daily Southtown, she was a reporter, columnist and section editor. During those years, she won awards from the Suburban Press Club of Chicago for her Spotlight on Youth column and other stories.
In 1989, she became a speechwriter and public information officer for the Illinois Attorney General's Office, serving under Democrats Neil Hartigan and Roland Burris as well as Republican Jim Ryan.
In 1995, she became a staff reporter for Bar Leader magazine, published nationally by the American Bar Association. Also during those years, Kukec wrote freelance articles for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and various magazines.
In 2000, she became a business and technology reporter for the Daily Herald, which has a circulation of 148,000 in Chicago's Northwest and Western suburbs. Besides covering Motorola and other tech companies, she edited the BusinessTech section and filled in for the business editor when needed.
In January 2002, she joined the management ranks as a community news editor, overseeing a small staff for the local news section.
Kukec has been listed in Who's Who in the Media and Communications, Who's Who in the Midwest, and Who's Who of American Women. Also, she was honored with the 1985 Woman of the Year, presented by her alma mater, Evergreen Park High School. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors. In addition, she has been a long-time member of the Chicago Headline Club, where she has served on various committees and as a vice president, secretary, and board director.