List of CalMatters Journalists and Reporters

1. Alejandra Reyes-velarde

Designation Reporter Author Bio Alejandra is a California Divide reporter writing about inequality in Los Angeles. She previously covered breaking news, the pandemic and Latino communities for the Los Angeles Times. She earned her bachelor’s degree from UCLA and is pursuing a master’s degree in legal studies at the university’s law school.
Gender Female Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @r_valejandra (3.7K Followers) LinkedIn Profile Link Instagram @alereyesvelarde Get Email Contact

2. Lauren Hepler | Calmatters

Designation Investigative Reporter Author Bio Lauren Hepler is an investigative reporter for CalMatters, where she has covered issues including breakdowns in pandemic unemployment programs and shifting state demographics. Lauren was previously a staff housing reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, and her past stories on everything from wildfires to professional sports have been published by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Silicon Valley Business Journal and others. Lauren grew up in Columbus, Ohio, studied history at George Washington University and holds a master’s degree from UC Berkeley’s Graduate School ...of Journalism.more
Gender Female Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @lahepler (5.8K Followers) LinkedIn Profile Link Instagram @lah21 Get Email Contact

3. Mikhail Zinshteyn • CalMatters

Designation Higher Education Reporter Author Bio Mikhail Zinshteyn has been a higher education reporter since 2015. As a freelancer, he contributed to The Atlantic, The Hechinger Report, Inside Higher Ed and The 74. Previously, he was a reporter at EdSource and before that a program manager at the Education Writers Association. Mikhail was born in the Soviet Union and has a master’s degree in comparative politics from the London School of Economics. He is based in Los Angeles. Pell grants and work-study helped pay for his undergraduate degree at Union College.
Gender Female Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @mzinshteyn (5.9K Followers) LinkedIn Profile Link Get Email Contact

4. Ana B. Ibarra • CalMatters

Designation Reporter Author Bio Ana covers health policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. She joined CalMatters in 2020 after four years at Kaiser Health News. She started her reporting career at McClatchy’s Merced Sun-Star. Her work has also appeared in The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and other state and national news outlets.
Gender Female Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @ab_ibarra (2.5K Followers) LinkedIn Profile Link Get Email Contact

5. Alexei Koseff • CalMatters

Designation Capitol Reporter Author Bio Alexei covers Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Legislature and California government from Sacramento. He joined CalMatters in January 2022 after previously reporting on the Capitol for The Sacramento Bee and the San Francisco Chronicle, where he broke the story of Newsom's infamous dinner at The French Laundry restaurant. Alexei is a Bay Area native and attended Stanford University. He speaks fluent Spanish.
Gender Male Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @akoseff (14.4K Followers) LinkedIn Profile Link Get Email Contact

6. Nadia Lopez • CalMatters

Designation Environment Reporter Author Bio Nadia Lopez covered environmental policy issues at CalMatters. Before joining CalMatters she covered Latino communities in the San Joaquin Valley for The Fresno Bee and reported from city hall for San José Spotlight. She's a native of Chula Vista and a graduate of San Francisco State University.
Gender Female Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @n_llopez (3.4K Followers) LinkedIn Profile Link Get Email Contact

7. Marisa Kendall • CalMatters

Designation Reporter Author Bio Marisa Kendall reports on California's homelessness crisis for CalMatters. She previously covered homelessness for the Bay Area News Group, courts for The Recorder in San Francisco and crime for The News-Press in Fort Myers, Florida. She's a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C.
Gender Female Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @MarisaKendall LinkedIn Profile Link Facebook Profile Link Get Email Contact

8. Jeanne Kuang • CalMatters

Designation Reporter Author Bio Jeanne covers California’s state government, labor, and politics for CalMatters. She has previously written about homelessness and the state’s economic divide. Prior to joining CalMatters she covered Missouri politics for The Kansas City Star, local and state government for The News Journal in Delaware, and criminal justice issues for Injustice Watch in Chicago. She grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
Gender Female Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @JeanneKuang LinkedIn Profile Link Get Email Contact

9. Jessica Calefati

Designation Reporter Author Bio Education enterprise reporter for The Baltimore Banner. Politico, Inquirer, CalMatters, Mercury News, Star-Ledger alum. Proud NJ native. Yoga teacher.
Gender Female Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @calefati (7.2K Followers) LinkedIn Profile Link Get Email Contact

10. Nigel Duara

Designation Correspondent Author Bio Nigel Duara joined CalMatters in 2020 as a Los Angeles-based reporter covering poverty and inequality issues for our California Divide collaboration. Previously, he served as a national and climate correspondent on the HBO show VICE News Tonight. Before that, he was the border correspondent at the Los Angeles Times based in Phoenix, deployed to stories across the country. He is a longtime contributor to Portland Monthly magazine and graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
Gender Male Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @nigelduara (5.4K Followers) LinkedIn Profile Link Get Email Contact

11. Rya Jetha • CalMatters

Designation Author Author Bio Rya Jetha was an intern on the Politics and California Divide teams during the summer of 2023. She joined CalMatters through the Dow Jones News Fund digital media program. She previously worked at Bay City News as a Dow Jones News Fund business reporting intern. Rya is a recent graduate of Pomona College, where she studied politics and history.
Gender Female Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @reeyopeeyo (283 Followers) LinkedIn Profile Link Get Email Contact

12. Dan Morain

Author Bio Dan Morain joined CalMatters in March 2018. He is the former editorial page editor of The Sacramento Bee. Morain also spent 27 years at The Los Angeles Times, and has covered the Capitol since 1992.
Gender Male Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @danielmorain LinkedIn Profile Link Facebook Profile Link Get Email Contact

13. Levi Sumagaysay

Designation Economy Reporter Author Bio Levi Sumagaysay covers the California economy for CalMatters with an eye on accountability and equity. She reports on the insurance market, taxes and anything that affects the state’s residents, labor force and economy. Before joining CalMaters, Levi was a tech and business reporter and editor. She has written and edited stories about the rise of the dot-coms, the booms and busts of Silicon Valley and technology’s effects on everything, including the news media. Levi was born in the Philippines and has lived in the Bay Area since the 1980s. She is a graduate of the San Francisco St...ate journalism department. Her stories at MarketWatch on the tech economy and about janitors at Facebook won awards from the San Francisco Press Club; her tech news stories and commentary at the Mercury News won awards from Editor & Publisher and the Peninsula Press Club; she has received two National Press Foundation fellowships; and was a Dow Jones Newspaper Fund editing intern. Other languages spoken: Tagalog (fluent)more
Gender Female Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @levisu (3.4K Followers) LinkedIn Profile Link Get Email Contact

14. Jocelyn Wiener

Designation Health Reporter Author Bio Jocelyn Wiener is a projects reporter with a focus on mental health and health care who explores the intersection between government policies and people?s lives. Her work has won numerous regional and national awards. Her reporting about the breakdown of the state?s mental health system for CalMatters was honored with a National Headliner Award. She has written investigations in recent years about the experiences of people with mental illness in the criminal justice system, documenting the case of a man who died by suicide after he was moved 39 times within the state prison system, and anoth...er of a man with developmental disabilities and mental illness who was jailed almost nine years without ever having a trial. She has also written extensively about the mental health crisis facing California children, and of failures of state oversight of nursing homes before and during the pandemic. She works hard to earn and keep the trust of her sources, and puts a premium on journalistic ethics. She has worked as a reporter in her native California for more than two decades. After graduating from Stanford University, she received a Fulbright Scholarship to do research in El Salvador. She spent the next year and a half working with children and teenagers on the Salvadoran streets, which inspired her decision to pursue a career in journalism. She earned a master?s degree at Columbia University?s School of Journalism and spent several years as a staff writer covering poverty for The Sacramento Bee. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, Kaiser Health News and other regional and national publications.more
Author Profile calmatters.org Twitter @jocelynwiener Get Email Contact

15. Adam Echelman

Designation Community College Reporter Get Email Contact

16. Adam Ashton

Designation Deputy News Editor Author Bio Deputy news editor @calmatters. Email: ****@calmatters.org. Previously @sacbee_news, @thenewstribune and @modbee.
Twitter @Adam_Ashton Get Email Contact

17. Andrew Donohue

Designation Investigative Editor Author Bio investigative editor @calmatters. former executive editor @reveal / former editor of @voiceofsandiego / @jskstanford always
Twitter @add (8.1K Followers) Get Email Contact

18. Adriana Heldiz

Designation Assistant Visuals Editor Author Bio Assistant visuals editor for @calmatters • Previously worked for @sdut and @voiceofsandiego • Born and raised in Chula Vista •
Twitter @AdrianaHeldiz Get Email Contact

19. Alexei Koseff

Designation Reporter Author Bio Keeping an eye on the California Capitol for @CalMatters. Send tips to ****@calmatters.org.
Twitter @akoseff (14.4K Followers) Get Email Contact

20. Alejandro Lazo

Designation Climate Policy Reporter and Writer Author Bio Writer. Climate policy reporter. @CalMatters.
Twitter @AlejandroLazo Get Email Contact

21. Ana B. Ibarra

Designation Health Care Reporter Author Bio @CalMatters reporter covering health care. ???? : ****@calmatters.org
Twitter @ab_ibarra (2.5K Followers) Get Email Contact

22. Anna Almendrala

Designation Audience Engagement Manager Author Bio Audience Engagement Manager for @CalMatters. Former correspondent for @CalHealthline + @KHNews. Creator and former host of the @HuffPost IVFML Podcast. DMs open
Twitter @annaalmendrala Get Email Contact

23. Byrhonda Lyons

Designation Investigative Reporter Author Bio Being hella nosy @calmatters | Have a tip? Try Signal/cell 510-804-9939 | I ❤️ public records + art ???? | ????@uapbinfo, #HBCUgrad, ????@ucbsoj | Pine Bluff-raised
Get Email Contact

24. Carolyn Jones

Designation K-12 Education Reporter Author Bio K-12 education reporter for CalMatters. Formerly with EdSource, San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune. Fulbright Specialist, Albania
Twitter @carolynjones100 (1.8K Followers) Get Email Contact

25. Dan Walters

Designation Political Columnist Author Bio Political columnist for CALmatters.org
Twitter @DanCALmatters Get Email Contact

26. Dave Lesher

Designation Editor Author Bio Editor, @calmatters, a nonpartisan, nonprofit newsroom explaining how California's Capitol works. Previously: @ppicnotes. @latimes. Husband. Dad. Sailor. Yogi.
Twitter @davelesher Get Email Contact

27. Denise Smith Amos

Designation Deputy Editor Author Bio Deputy Editor at CalMatters, former Watchdog and Accountability Editor at San Diego Union-Tribune, and editor, reporter, columnist elsewhere
Twitter @damoseditor (1.5K Followers) Get Email Contact

28. Denise Zapata

Designation Deputy Editor Author Bio Deputy editor @CalMatters. Longtime journalist based in California. Bay Area native and Bay Area sports fan.
Twitter @denisezapata Get Email Contact

29. Emily Forschen

Designation Writer Twitter @emilyschen Get Email Contact

30. Erica Yee

Designation Data Reporter Author Bio data @CalMatters
Get Email Contact

31. Evelyn Chavez

Designation Associate Events Producer Get Email Contact

32. Felicia Mello

Designation Reporter Author Bio Reporter at @CalMatters covering economic inequality. Yay Area born. Salsera. Send story tips to ****@calmatters.org.
Twitter @FeliciaMello Get Email Contact

33. Foon Rhee

Designation Deputy Managing Editor Author Bio Deputy managing editor at CalMatters. ****@calmatters.org. Formerly of SN&R, Sacramento Bee, Boston Globe, N&O, Charlotte Observer. Views here are my own.
Twitter @foonrhee Get Email Contact

34. Ben Christopher

Designation Reporter Author Bio Reporter for @CalMatters where I cover housing. Occasional dad tweets. He/him. Tell me things: ****@calmatters.org
Twitter @FromBenC Get Email Contact

35. Heather Tirado Gilligan

Designation Newsroom Coordinator Author Bio Journalist. English Ph.D. Recovering academic. Newsroom coordinator @calmatters. Bylines in @healthaffairs @washingtonpost @slate @USAtoday and more. She/her.
Twitter @HeatherGilligan Get Email Contact

36. Jeanne Kuang

Designation Reporter Author Bio Reporter @CalMatters. Prev in Missouri @kcstar, Delaware @delawareonline and Illinois @injusticewatch. Likes ???????????? + your culture’s food. ****@calmatters.org
Twitter @JeanneKuang Get Email Contact

37. Jennifer Burger

Designation Editor, College Journalism Network Get Email Contact

38. Jeremia Kimelman

Designation Data Reporter Author Bio Journalist @calmatters, previously at @columbiajou, @nbcnews, @18F, @codeforamerica. Fermentation & compost enthusiast. He/him.
Twitter @jeremiak Get Email Contact

39. John Osborn D'Agostino

Designation Data and Interactives Editor Get Email Contact

40. Joseph Kieta

Designation Media Relations Author Bio Journalist and media executive. Partner relations @calmatters. Past: @fresnobee, @mcclatchy, @modbee.
Twitter @josephkieta Get Email Contact

41. Julie Cart

Designation Environmental Reporter Author Bio Julie Cart reports about climate change and other environmental issues for CalMatters. Formerly of the Los Angeles Times.
Twitter @julie_cart (3.4K Followers) Get Email Contact

42. Kristen Go

Designation Editor-in-Chief Author Bio EIC at @CalMatters. Past: Executive Editor and VP/News @usatoday. Alum of @UCBerkeleyIRP @commonsense @sfchronicle @azcentral DM: ****@calmatters.org
Twitter @kristenrgo Get Email Contact

43. Kristen Hwang

Designation Health Reporter Author Bio Health Reporter @CalMatters | ****@calmatters.org | Data nerd | @ucbsoj & @UCBerkeleySPH | Student Academy Award Winner 2021
Twitter @khwangreports Get Email Contact

44. Lauren Hepler

Designation Investigative Reporter Author Bio Investigative reporter @calmatters. Past stories @sfchronicle, @NYTimes, others. ****@calmatters.org
Twitter @LAHepler Get Email Contact

45. Larry Valenzuela

Designation Staff Photographer Author Bio 28-year-old Staff Photographer for CalMatters. Former Fresno Bee reporter.
Twitter @larryvalwork Get Email Contact

46. Liliana Michelena

Designation Producer Author Bio Sporty journo back from the Twitter grave Can't function without a nap Español, English e, às vezes, português Words: @nytimes @guardian @AP @el_pais ????????????
Twitter @lilimichelena Get Email Contact

47. Lynn La

Designation Writer Author Bio Newsletter Writer at @CalMatters. Occasionally tweets about birds and San Jose. Subscribe! ???? calmatters.org/whatmatters
Twitter @lynnlaaa Get Email Contact

48. Marisa Kendall

Designation Homelessness Reporter Author Bio Homelessness reporter for @CalMatters. Formerly @mercnews/ @EastBayTimes
Twitter @MarisaKendall Get Email Contact

49. Marjie Lundstrom

Designation Deputy Editor Author Bio Deputy Editor, CalMatters, a Sacramento-based nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism organization. Formerly with the Sac Bee, Denver Post, Gannett. Pulitzer winner.
Twitter @MarjieLundstrom Get Email Contact

50. Marla Cone

Designation Deputy Editor Get Email Contact

51. Mary Franklin Harvin

Designation Audio Editor Author Bio Audio Editor @CalMatters | Used to produce/report @KQED | Call me by my name (Mary Franklin) or MF | ****@calmatters.org | she/her
Twitter @EmEffHarvin Get Email Contact

52. Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

Designation Visuals Editor Author Bio Visuals Editor at @calmatters. Formerly @texastribune, @KUT and @statesman. @UTAustin & @thisisUIC alum, via @HW_College. IG: @mgutjr ???????? ????????
Twitter @mgutierrezjr Get Email Contact

53. Mikhail Zinshteyn

Designation Higher Education Reporter Author Bio @CalMatters higher-ed reporter. Past: @insidehighered @hechingerreport @TheAtlantic @The74 @EdSource, etc. Pell recipient. Soviet baby refugee. RTs≠Endorsements
Twitter @mzinshteyn (5.9K Followers) Get Email Contact

54. Neil Chase

Designation Chief Executive Officer Author Bio Journalist. Dad. CEO of @CalMatters.
Twitter @chaseneil Get Email Contact

55. Nicole Foy

Designation Reporter Author Bio Reporting from California’s Central Valley for @CalMatters. Previously: Investigations for Austin's @Statesman & @IdahoStatesman. Co-founder @VocesInternship.
Get Email Contact

56. Rachel Becker

Designation Water Reporter Author Bio Water reporter @CALmatters. Lapsed immunologist. Mastodon: newsie.social/@rachbecknews. Terrible food opinions mine, RTs & likes≠endorsements. (She/her)
Twitter @RA_Becks Get Email Contact

57. Richard Procter

Designation Assistant Editor Author Bio Assistant editor @CalMatters. Formerly of SF Weekly, SF Business Times. “Life’s interesting.” - Gavin Newsom
Twitter @rhprocter Get Email Contact

58. Robert Lewis

Designation Investigations Reporter Author Bio reporter Tips: ****@calmatters.org (better tips: ****@protonmail.com)
Get Email Contact

59. Rya Jetha

Designation Dow Jones News Fund Reporter Get Email Contact

60. Ryan Sabalow

Designation Digital Democracy Reporter Author Bio Dad. Duck hunter. Dog trainer. Digital Democracy reporter for CalMatters.
Twitter @RyanSabalow Get Email Contact

61. Sameea Kamal

Designation California Politics Reporter Author Bio california politics reporter @calmatters. alum @latimes @publicintegrity | #cuj13 + go Cal bears! RTs and active-listening nods ❌️ endorsements
Twitter @SameeaKamal Get Email Contact

62. Sonya Quick

Designation Director of Membership and Engagement Author Bio Director of membership & engagement @CalMatters. Mom to two and wife. Loves: cooking, grooving to vinyl records and exploring national parks.
Twitter @sonyanews Get Email Contact

63. Trevor Eischen

Designation Membership Director Author Bio ????☀️????Lives in Sac. Product at @CalMatters. @Mizzou grad. @SleepyHollowIL native.
Twitter @TrevEischen Get Email Contact

64. Vicki Haddock

Designation Managing Editor Get Email Contact

65. Wendy Fry

Designation Reporter Author Bio Mother of one Angel & one teenager. Covering poverty & inequality w/California Divide team @CalMatters Previously covered Baja & Border & Mexico at Union-Trib
Get Email Contact

66. Yousef Baig

Designation Editor Author Bio California Voices editor @CalMatters • NorCal ATLien • journalistic master of none • past: @sacbee_news @NorthBayNews @NapaRegister • product of @redandblack
Twitter @YousefBaig Get Email Contact

67. Yue Stella Yu

Designation Politics and Campaign reporter Author Bio Name’s “Yu-eh Stella Yu.” Politics reporter @CalMatters | ???????? | Alum @BridgeMichigan @Tennessean @OpenSecretsDC | Fight lies. | #Mizzou #GoPackGo
Twitter @bystellayu Get Email Contact

68. Alyssa Story

Designation Fellow 2022 Author Bio watching a lot of tv, writing a little news
Twitter @alyssapstory Get Email Contact