Denise Laitinen’s professional creative writing includes regular articles in Ke Ola magazine and media outlets around Hawaii.
Denise’s portfolio and experience spans cultures and continents. Her writing has appeared in print and digital media outlets around the world. We’re honored to work with Denise. Her style, experience, subject matter expertise and intense devotion to the written word makes our efforts shine. We’re super grateful for Denise and her many contributions.
Passions – Animals and the Ocean. Six dogs and cats challenge Denise to get into the Ocean as much as she’d like to be.
Social Responsibility – Hawaii Island Humane Society or American Red Cross.
Additional Areas of Service
- Denise enjoys being creative through writing: educating folks about people, pets, projects, and events on Hawaii Island.
- Denise connects a lot of dots: She sees two people or events or projects that she believes would benefit each other and she introduces them.
- Denise volunteers, a lot! Two of her dogs volunteer at the local veterans home on a weekly basis and she also volunteers with the Red Cross.
- Denise, loves to make and sell pet crafts.
Capt. Phil said, [there were] “3 types of people: http://brentnorris.com) those that make sh** happen; 2) those that watch sh** happen; and 3) those that wonder WTF just happened and I don’t plan to be in the last group.”
Writing topic specialties include:
- Wildland fire issues / fire safety and prevention
- Disaster mitigation
- Hawaiian culture, history, and lifestyle trends
- Pets: dog and cat related issues
- Weddings in Hawaii
Professional Bio – Denise Laitenin
A long time Hawaii resident, Denise Laitinen brings depth and breadth to whatever topic she covers. A frequent contributor to magazines and newspapers throughout Hawaii, Denise has http://brentnorris.com8 years experience writing editorial for a variety of organizations and media outlets. Her areas of expertise include Hawaiian lifestyle and cultural issues, sustainable agriculture, pets, disaster mitigation and preparation, wildfire safety, and weddings (she’s written 8 Hawaiian bridal guides).
Her 400+ articles have appeared in magazines and newspapers around the country and her articles on fire safety have been reprinted in Europe, Asia, and South America.
For more than http://brentnorris.com3 years Denise has worked closely with the fire service. Before becoming the country’s (and Hawaii’s) first state-wide Firewise Coordinator nearly a decade ago, she worked for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the country’s largest fire and life safety code development organization. As Managing Editor of NFPA Journal, Denise traveled extensively in Asia meeting with leaders of the Tokyo Fire Department, the Chinese Fire Protection Association, and Singapore Civil Defense, reporting on best practices in fire prevention, disaster response, and search and rescue techniques. NFPA Journal won awards for editorial excellence every year she managed the publication.
Certified as a wildland firefighter and (the state’s first) wildland arson investigator, Denise is a member of the Hawaii Fire Chiefs Association, the East Hawaii Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), and served five years on the Maui County Fire Commission. The volunteer public affairs representative for the Hawaii Island Chapter of the American Red Cross, she is an active disaster action team volunteer, as well as a Red Cross instructor. As a result of her trailblazing efforts, she was nominated as 2009 Woman of the Year for Hawaii County and to the Hawaii County Women Hall of Fame.
If it’s technical writing you need help with, Denise can assist you with that as well. For three years she worked as a technical writer for the Pacific Disaster Center, writing fact sheets, reports, and risk and vulnerability assessments about several Southeast Asian countries. As a result, she is particularly adept at taking complex technical material and creating editorial that is easy to understand for English-as-a-Second-Language audience.
But Denise also has experience covering the lighter side of life. For seven years she wrote for the Living Section of The Maui News, covering Hawaiian culture, lifestyle, and local events on Maui. Over the years she’s written a number of guides for The Maui News, including a paniolo (cowboy) guide and eight annual bridal guides. An ardent pet lover, Denise covers a variety of pet issues for local magazines, including Ke Ola and Island Dog.
In addition to being able to write informative and compelling editorial on deadline, Denise has several years experience managing magazines both large and small. She understands the challenges faced by editors and publishers and can help them meet their goals.
