Lead Copy Editor
Becky Helzer has been with the Bob Vila team as a copy editor since September 2020, transitioning from a freelance role to lead copy editor in 2022. She has worked as a reporter, writer, editor, copy editor, and proofreader throughout her career.
Becky is an experienced copy editor who began her career as a journalist in high school, serving as the school newspaper’s copy editor and then editor in chief. She pursued a degree in technical journalism, working as a reporter for her college newspaper, The Rocky Mountain Collegian, and also as a freelance reporter and copy editor for her hometown’s weekly newspaper.
After graduation, she became a licensed insurance agent and worked alongside her dad for several years at his insurance agency. She then worked for one of the country’s first online schools, where she copyedited educational material for students pursuing careers in medical coding, computer science, and event planning.
Becky returned to copyediting after taking time away from the workforce to raise her three kids and worked for nearly 10 years at a publishing company. She served as the copy editor for a bimonthly magazine, several curriculum lines, a variety of product-specific websites, and hers were the last eyes on all the print materials for several major conferences.
Becky graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Arts in technical journalism.
“Don’t expect perfection the first time you try something new, and don’t be discouraged if your results aren’t quite what you’d hoped for. Learning a new skill takes time and effort, but if you’re willing to work at it, the satisfaction of a job well done makes it worthwhile.”
By Paul Rankin, Becky Helzer, Michelle Larson, Kathleen Corlett, Kara Illig, Additional research provided by Stacey L. Nash
June 5, 2024
