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The Jefferson County Beacon is an independent publication launched in late 2024. Get full access to the website and newsletter updates with new content as soon as it's available. Paid subscriptions also make this site possible and allows The Jefferson County Beacon to continue to exist. Thank you!

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Who We Are

The Jefferson County Beacon is a nonprofit news outlet managed by a board of your friends and neighbors.

Our Mission is to help Jefferson County stay informed with stories of local significance while amplifying culture and strengthening community resilience.

We chose to become a worker-directed nonprofit because we want our reporters, staff, and board to have a stake in what and how we report on our county.

Meet Our Board

Gary Larson, President & Board Chair

Gary Larson worked to help people learn about, understand, influence and use their local government services. With a degree in journalism and political science, he was editor of the Whidbey Record in Langley, covered schools and City Hall as a daily newspaper reporter/photographer, served as an information officer for public and nonprofit agencies, and taught journalism. In Port Townsend, he’s volunteered with the Friends of Fort Worden, JeffCo Democrats, Centrum and Skillmation.

Joe Gillard, Communications and Marketing Chair

Joe Gillard has lived in Port Townsend for 29 years, growing up involved in community programs and arts organizations. Joe’s professional life has been in the media business, as editor-in-chief and executive editor in magazine publishing, and creator of new digital media brands, such as History Hustle. He is also the author of The Little Book of Lost Words.

Growing up and living in Port Townsend, Joe has been involved with several local organizations, including KCPT, Centrum, Rhythm Planet, Sea Scouts, the Chamber of Commerce (Visitor’s Center), and others. Joe also serves on the Port Townsend Arts Commission.

Joe Gillard

Nhatt Nichols, Vice President & Editorial Liaison

Nhatt Nichols is a member and staunch supporter of the IWW Freelance Journalist Union. Her graphic journalism work has been featured in High Country News, Civil Eats, Edible Magazine, and the Daily Yonder. She’s an Artist Trust GAP recipient and the author of This Party of the Soft Things (Bored Wolves, 2022).

Nigel O'Shea, Innovation in Communications and Technology Chair

Nigel O’Shea came back to the Northwest from Wisconsin several years ago where he worked as a Radio Operations Technician and Technical Director for Wisconsin Public Radio. Nigel was born and raised in Port Townsend and has family roots here that go back over 100 years. When not in his headphones dreaming about building the Beacon into a media juggernaut, Nigel likes to dabble in writing, playing music and other shenanigans.

Angela Downs, Community Events and Solidarity Chair

Angela Michelle has recently joined our board after already establishing herself as a familiar voice for The Beacon. Originally from Colorado, a poet and somatic movement artist curious about the human condition and committed to healing. Integrating what she learns as a Classical Chinese Medicine student, Angela seeks to respond to the interconnectivity of all things with a heart-centered approach. With a perspective of holistic care, she aims to hone her creative offerings, teaching, life studies, and practitioner-ship.

Reed Barry, Board Secretary and Legal & Records Officer

Reed Barry moved to Jefferson County in 2021 and has cultivated a deep connection to place while working as an archivist at a local history museum. He knows that equitable access to information supports a resilient community, and is excited for the opportunity to help build capacity for The Beacon. His background is in insect-plant ecology and conservation, so naturally he spends his free time picking up bugs and telling them secrets.

Ross Pruden, Director of Development and Fundraising Chair

Ross Pruden got hooked on publishing in college and was soon doing production layout for W Magazine, the BBC, and freelancing gigs across San Francisco. He's a consultant on digital strategy and Meta advertising, and a published author.