Tina Plaza-Whoriskey joined Child Trends in September 2016, bringing over 20 years of experience both as a journalist and as a public relations expert. She plays a leading role in the development of the Child Trends News Service editorial process funded by the National Science Foundation and in the strategic communications work of the Hispanic Institute. Tina also conducts media training and contributes with the multimedia team.

Tina gained her first insights into the media as a reporter in key television news markets, including Reno, Miami, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. That experience has served her well as a public relations professional in both the private and public sector. She has attracted national attention for worthy causes for numerous non-profit groups and served as media relations director for "Celebra la Ciencia," a National Science Foundation funded project designed to engage Latino students and families in science.

She has coached an array of business, nonprofit, and government leaders on how to craft messages, develop persuasive talking points, and enhance their appearances in televised interviews.  Tina is also an accomplished print journalist. Her articles have been published in Spin Magazine, Progressive Magazine, and Miami Metro Magazine. Her article, titled "Let Me See Some Papers," about the racial profiling of Hispanics by the Border Patrol, was recognized by the H.L. Mencken Awards.