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Peter Faur

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

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

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

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 Collins Rudolf

An Arizona transplant via New York City, TZR contributing editor John Collins Rudolf lives in Tucson, where he covers state environmental issues on his blog, The Footprint. He also works as a freelancer for The New York Times .

This writer, photographer and filmmaker graduated from New York University in December 2006 with a master’s degree in journalism and promptly struck out into the world of news reporting . Since then, he has worked as a staff reporter in Queens, N.Y., and on the Colorado River in Lake Havasu City. His next major project involves a trip to Arctic Siberia, if he can raise the money.

His story on the Colorado River delta was his first contribution to The Zonie Report . 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 .

Ashley Paul

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.

Catlin Conedera

Catlin Conedera, 21, writes about occasional news and features in the Phoenix-Metro area. She is studying public relations and journalism at Arizona State University. She was born in Virginia Beach, Va., but has lived in Scottsdale for the last 16 years.

When she is not working at a Scottsdale Italian restaurant or going to school, she likes to spend her time with family and friends.