I’ve been working to strengthen journalism in New Mexico throughout my career. I’ve started two news organizations — the nationally recognized state politics news website NMPolitics.net and, more recently, the award-winning New Mexico In Depth. I’ve worked for newspapers and nonprofits over more than 25 years.
I’m a vocal advocate for government transparency and a past winner of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government’s William S. Dixon First Amendment Freedom Award. I value hard-hitting investigations, in-depth reporting, and thoughtful commentary that helps folks develop deeper understandings of the issues and systems that impact their lives.
In recent years I’ve been on hiatus as I’ve been focused on my recovery from long covid. You can read more about my journey here.
This new project is my return to the public conversation. Now more than ever, I believe journalism should be relational: While we are trained to be observers, we also live in and are part of communities. To that end, we must be authentic and honest with our communities and ourselves about the views and experiences that inform our work.
I’m a native New Mexican and fiercely passionate about this place and its resiliency. I grew up in Santa Fe and live in Las Cruces with my girlfriend Sarah Silva, who is an elected Democratic state representative, my daughter Lily, and Sarah’s daughter Eva. I’m a 2003 graduate of New Mexico State University and an avid photographer. Sarah and I own land in the Black Range where we plan to someday build a home. I love spending time outdoors and unplugging from it all. But I come back to the reality of our time and keep working for change.
I carry these things with me daily. My love for my family, for my state and its people, and for the land and the life it supports fuel my drive to give voice to those who power tends to ignore, to inform and engage, to help others join the public conversation, and to help us remember, in these divided times, that we are all neighbors and we’re in this together.
Journalism is fundamentally a democracy-supporting institution. In these times, with democracy under threat, I believe journalism must defend democracy. I know I will.
If you want to know more about me, check out my résumé.