I am a journalist and dig deeply for stories. My philosophy is rooted in the fundamentals: checking things out, talking to lots of people, pushing hard for public records and relying on sources beyond official spokespeople.

I grew up in the Midwest and graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Since 2003, I've worked primarily as a beat reporter throughout the West. I started my career covering small communities in rural Idaho before reporting in Las Vegas and Oregon. Along the way, I had the privilege of covering statehouses in Idaho, Nevada and Oregon.

I strongly believe that a beat is only as good as a reporter makes it. There are no boring beats — only boring stories.

I seek out the truth and hold agencies and institutions accountable for their decisions and how they affect the public. To do this work, I seek out people directly affected by those decisions and the records that reveal how systems work—and fail. I view obstacles only as delays — not permanent barriers to sharing the stories that beg to be told.

When I'm not chasing stories, you may find me surfing, roadtripping across the West or hiking a trail. 

— Oscar Wilde