Tom Zoellner
June 2, 2009
Tom Zoellner
Tom Zoellner is a longtime journalist and fifth-generation Arizonan who is writing about Northern Arizona for The Zonie Report. He is the author of The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit and Desire and the recently published Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock That Shaped the World.
Barbara Walker
January 31, 2009
Barbi Walker was born in Bisbee, Ariz., and graduates from Arizona State University May 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. The start to her education was deterred by a lifelong career as a flight attendant with the former America West Airlines. There she found a love of travel and adventure and has run with the bulls in Pamplona, climbed Kilimanjaro and hiked glaciers in Norway and surfed in Hawaii.
Growing up in Bisbee gave her an appreciation for the Arizona desert and hopes to get back to mountain biking the state’s open desert after graduation. But for now, she’s focusing on school and enjoying what free time she has with her husband and young son and catching the occasional wave.
Barbi’s story about the Obama headquarters in Phoenix was her first contribution to The Zonie Report .
Devon Hersom
January 12, 2009
Even after moving to Arizona from her home state of Maine, Devon Hersom truly feels like an East Valley native.
Devon grew up in Ahwatukee and fell in love with reporting at an early age. She went on to graduate from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and one credit short of a minor in Sociology.
During her time at ASU, Devon interned at the East Valley Tribune and was later hired to cover crime in Gilbert, Queen Creek, Chandler and Pinal County after receiving her degree. She was also responsible for covering the 2008 Pinal County sheriff’s election.
Devon has lived in Gilbert, Mesa and Phoenix in the past, but now resides in Chandler. You can send her story ideas for Pinal County Observer at PinalCountyObserver@gmail.com.
Ryan Reinhold
November 9, 2008
Ryan Reinhold has resided in the Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside areas since 1973. He was a news reporter for the White Mountain Independent newspaper and a stringer for The Arizona Republic newspaper before he was elected justice court judge; he served the court for 22 years before he retired in 2000.
He was also the municipal court judge in Pinetop-Lakeside and Show Low and a tribal court judge for the White Mountain Apache Tribe. He was a member of the faculty at the National Judicial College and the Institute of Court Management. During his 22-year career as a judge, he adjudicated civil and criminal cases in 19 Arizona courts and in four tribal courts.
He was elected a Navajo County Constable in 2006. Constables are elected peace officers who serve criminal and civil process for the courts.
Ryan was born in Phoenix and graduated from California State University at San Jose in 1972 with a degree in journalism; he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and returned to Navajo County, where he married Lorinda Skousen in 1976. They owned small businesses in Show Low and Pinetop. They have two children, Kent and Britni; a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Coast Guard and a second-grade teacher. His wife has been a kindergarten teacher for more than 30 years.
Ryan is now district chairman of the Boy Scouts of America and president of the Blue Ridge High School Scholarship Fund. He has served as assistant district governor of Rotary Club, president of the Lions Club, and president of the Pinetop-Lakeside Chamber of Commerce.
You can view his blog here.To contact Ryan with story ideas, please email the editor at aklaw@zoniereport.com.
Peter Faur
October 5, 2008
Religion has been a part of Peter Faur’s life since he was a boy growing up in St. Louis. Until he was 23 years old, he never attended anything but a Lutheran school. After receiving an undergraduate degree from Concordia University Chicago – where he majored in education and minored in theology – he earned a master’s degree in journalism at Kansas State University. He also holds a master of business administration degree from Fontbonne University in St. Louis.
Faur’s early years in journalism were with two religion publications – The Lutheran Witness and the St. Louis Lutheran – and he then joined the St. Louis Globe-Democrat , where he spent about two years as religion editor before moving into a variety of reporting and editing assignments. His time at the Globe-Democrat exposed him to a rich, wide variety of religious traditions and cultures.
In 1982, he transitioned to a career in public relations, and in 2002, he moved to Phoenix to become head of corporate communications for Phelps Dodge Corp. When he moved to Phoenix, he was disappointed with the lack of religion reporting in the state.
Faur, 58, now consults in public relations, and he’s relishing the opportunity of working with The Zonie Report to help improve religion reporting in the state. He also serves on the board of the Phoenix Zoo . He and his wife, Pat, have two grown children, Paul and Kate, and are members at La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church in Scottsdale.
Learn more about him at www.rightpoint.info , and send story ideas to him at peter.faur@gmail.com.
Nat Laager
July 21, 2008
Nat Laager moved to Arizona in 2000 after serving four years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He graduated from Arizona State University in 2004 with bachelor’s degree in history.
He loves hiking and exploring the Arizona backcountry. Originally from central Pennsylvania, he currently resides in Gold Canyon (think easy access to the Superstition Mountains) with his wife and sons.
Nat’s hiking story about the Four Peaks Wilderness was his first contribution to The Zonie Report.
Adam Klawonn
June 17, 2008
This Phoenix native has been a news reporter for The Arizona Republic and The San Diego Union-Tribune newspapers. The topics he has covered include courts, crime, city hall, politics, education, healthcare and nuclear energy.
He is the editor and publisher of The Zonie Report , associate editor of PHOENIX magazine and an adjunct journalism professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He lives in Phoenix.
Cyndy Hardy
June 17, 2008
Cyndy Hardy is an eight-year resident of Sedona whose work was recognized with an award from the Arizona Newspapers Association. She has written more than 2,500 published articles that have appeared in Sedona Red Rock News , Camp Verde Journal , Cottonwood Journal Extra , Sedona.biz and The Noise .
Her story on Sedona’s affordable housing problem was her first contribution to The Zonie Report .
John Rudolf
June 17, 2008
An Arizona transplant via New York City, John Rudolf lives in Tucson, where he works for the New York Times and other
His story on the Colorado River delta was his first contribution to The Zonie Report, and won a 2008 Arizona Press Club award for best science and environment reporting. A story he wrote on the financial problems of home developers was also honored by the Arizona Press Club.
Recent pieces include:
- Rosemont mine rich in copper, poor in public support
- Urban needs drain Colorado River Delta
- Funding sweeps leave state parks in shambles
You can read more stories by this author on our Environment page or on his blog, The Footprint . You can visit John’s personal blog here.
Ashley Paul
June 17, 2008
This Arizona State University journalism senior is originally from Washington state and is studying abroad in Amman, Jordan. She writes about the similarities between Arizona and the Middle East. Ashley is returning to complete her studies at ASU this fall.
