Oct. 23, 2015 To Whom It May Concern:

I’m writing to recommend Kimball Perry for employment with you.

I worked with Kimball for three years at The Cincinnati Enquirer. He is a highly respected journalist. I worked with him on stories about facets of the heroin epidemic, government issues and the criminal justice system. Kimball is a solid journalist, and with that comes the essential ability to communicate well with others. Whether he was in the office acting as an unofficial mentor to younger journalists or in the public, he could get a point across both with sensitivity and clarity. These aren't easy qualities to manage, but he did it, every day.

Kimball's job required accuracy on strict deadlines, and he seemed to effortlessly manage his work. As a journalist, Kimball is a stand-out. He asks the right questions, and he digs deep to produce meaningful stories -- not just reports of things that have happened. When he was working on a story about heroin in our community's jails, I had no qualms about giving him names and numbers of heroin addicts who might have information to share. These are people who are hurting from a disease and are living with stigma about their condition. But I knew Kimball would be direct with them, yet understanding of their plight. Of course, Kimball found his own sources for the story. He always does. He is highly respected, as he should be, within our communities and among journalists and public officials.

Kimball has a positive impact on a newsroom that is an often contentious environment. He kept us smiling and working hard. He boosted morale by being there, by supporting his colleagues and even by giving out prizes for games he invented to keep us going.

Kimball is a social media expert, too. He mastered technology to deliver his message and often helped others at The Enquirer learn the best means of communicating to their audience. That could be by sharing a photo, making and publishing a video or sending out a Tweet. He also built a large following and I was always happy when he shared my stories, because I knew his gesture meant that more people would see my work, but also that people who respected him would trust his judgment of my work. 

Kimball is a veteran Cincinnati journalist who knows the issues of the Greater Cincinnati region and beyond. He has interviewed a huge range of people and told their stories daily. He can talk to anyone. And he is professional at every turn.

I highly recommend Kimball for your organization.  Respectfully, Terry DeMioStaff writer/The Enquirertdemio@enquirer.com or tdemio@gmail.com859-612-9359