#MediaMonday – Corina Vanek
Up until a few months ago, whenever I heard the name “Corina,” I could not help but think of Whoopi Goldberg and her “two r” role in Corrina, Corrina, one of my old roommate’s favorite movies.
But that all changed when I met Corina Vanek, a Sun Devil alum who just moved to the Valley from Flagstaff, where she worked for one of my favorite papers, the Arizona Daily Sun. Today, she covers all things commercial real estate and economy focused for the Phoenix Business Journal. Note she is “one r” by the way.
So happy to have her with us today to share a little more about her journey, life and even how to pitch her!
How did you get into reporting/editing in the first place? What’s your story?
I think I was always destined to be a reporter. My parents have home videos of me pretending to be a news reporter and interviewing my brother and cousins. In high school, I was on the yearbook staff and was editor-in-chief of the yearbook my senior year. By the time I got to college, there was no question that I wanted to major in journalism.
Tell us about your new(ish) gig?
I cover commercial real estate and the economy for the Phoenix Business Journal, which basically means I have to be on top of any new developments and real estate deals going on in the Valley. That can include large companies moving to Phoenix and developing huge corporate campuses, or smaller companies trying to hire new employees or leasing space.
Where did you grow up?
Phoenix, and it’s good to be back.
Favorite color?
Purple
Favorite place to visit?
I just moved out of Flagstaff, so I look forward to going back there to visit. But as far as traveling, my favorite place is definitely Costa Rica. I’ve been there twice on vacation and I can’t wait to go back when I have another chance.
What are some of your favorite local spots or things to do?
I love to hang out with my friends at the Vine on Rural and Apache in Tempe. I’ll always say yes to going to a Diamondbacks game, and I’m really looking forward to some nice fall weather to spend some time outside.
Favorite food?
Does chocolate count? If it doesn’t, probably Chinese food.
Least favorite food?
Tomatoes
Three things readers would be surprised to know about you?
I don’t think anyone who knows me would be surprised about it, but I absolutely love bunnies. I have a double-maned lionhead named Dusty, as seen in my photo. My car even has a bumper sticker that says, “I brake for bunnies.”
During the summer of 2017, my family and I went on a trip to China to visit my brother, who was working abroad for a year. We hiked the Great Wall and I even picked up a couple phrases in Chinese. My favorite part was the food. I would almost want to brave the 13-hour plane ride again solely to eat my way around Beijing.
My mom owns her own business and works as a wedding florist, so on weekends I can often be found delivering bouquets and setting up ceremony and reception sites.
What should people be pitching you?
I’m interested in any stories about companies building creative developments around the Phoenix area. We are in a really busy construction mode in this city, so any companies looking to develop land or adaptively reuse existing space is interesting to me, and to my readers.
What is the lead time you need for content?
It depends on the story. Sometimes a story can be quick and check all the boxes and I can turn it around in a couple hours. Other stories take longer, and if they require more interviews and coordinating schedules with different people, it’s good to have a couple days to get everything synced up.
What is the best way to reach you?
Email me at cvanek@bizjournals.com or give me a call at my desk at 602-308-6523. You can also follow me on Twitter @PhxBizCorina or @CorinaVanek.
