Hello everyone!

I'm Joy, and for the past year and a half I have been the editor over at Snellville Patch. I launched that site back in December 2010. It was kind of whirlwind. I said goodbye to Snellville Patch on Friday, prepping for my first day in Lilburn on July 16.

Anyhow, it was nice covering Snellville. They certainly kept me busy. But, I'm definitely ready for a new challenge, and that's where Lilburn comes in. Woohooo!

Now, a little about me: I've been a professional journalist for more than a decade, covering crime, county and city government, and school districts. (I don't look it. Everyone says I look like I'm ten years younger, so it always throws people off when I tell them how long I've been working. The looks are priceless. Hilarious, even.)

But, yep, I graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 2002. While at school, I worked for the city newspaper and a city magazine, which was cool. (I always managed to have some not-so-ordinary assignment, like death row issues, HIV and AIDS and missing children, plus the normal stuff like crime.) I also got a minor in Spanish while I was there, and studied in Mexico.

However, I was a student journalist for many years before even going to college. I worked at Vox Teen Communications here in Atlanta for a number of years; I'm still a volunteer there all these years later. I also worked at my high school's newspaper. You know, normal stuff you'd expect of an eventual journalism major.

A year and half ago, I completed a master's degree program in public administration from Georgia State University. I pretty much know a lot of things about running a nonprofit now and policies regarding them. Eventually, I will get a doctorate in public policy, and then, who knows. I like learning, which is why it makes sense that I got into journalism.

In my free time, when I have any, I spend it all over Atlanta volunteering in a host of organizations and causes. Journalism related community work includes Vox (mentioned above), and I am also the co-chair for the community relations committee with the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists. In addition, I do editing for Children's Advocacy Centers of Georgia.

I also spend a lot of time with my dog, and you will come to know her. Her name is Happy, and she sometimes shows up in Facebook posts or articles. I think she's pretty funny, but that's me.

So, that's me in a nutshell. I'm just a normal 30-something, working like the rest of the world and trying to live a life that is reflective of being a good person.

I don't know anyone in Lilburn, so please, please introduce yourself. Send your contact information to joy.woodson@patch.com, and drop your Twitter handle here in the comment section, and I will be sure to follow you.

Look forward to great things in Lilburn!

Sincerely, J