Meet Our Staff

RACHAEL NUTTING—Editor

Rachael is a community advocate and journalist based in Port Townsend, WA. Driven by a deep-rooted curiosity for uncovering the lesser-known aspects of every story, she approaches her work with a commitment to amplifying voices that are often unheard. Her writing is characterized by a thoughtful, investigative spirit, always pushing beyond surface-level narratives to explore the complexities of her subjects.

ROSS PRUDEN—Director of Development

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. Click here to contact Ross.

ANGELA MICHELLE DOWNS—Reporter

Angela Michelle is 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.

SCOTT FRANCE—Reporter

Scott’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Oregonian, Investors Business Daily, and The Lincoln (NE) Star, as its Washington, D.C. correspondent. He has worked as a freelance reporter for The Associated Press, Moscow Bureau; election campaign manager and chief of staff for an Oregon State representative; participated in election observation missions in Kyrgyzstan and Zimbabwe; taught journalism at The American University of Kyrgyzstan for two years; worked as a writer for as financial education company; and worked in county public health departments for 12 years, both in policy development and in emergency preparedness planning. He has an M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University. When he’s not chasing down stories in his County beat or myriad other subject areas, one may find Scott outdoors in the water or biking or hiking a trail.

NIGEL O'SHEA—Arts Reporter

Nigel O'Shea is a radio and audio engineer, sometimes writer, and has a huge database in his brain of useless music trivia. You might see him at a show if he ever decides to leave his house.

DIANE URBANI—Arts Reporter

Diane is a native of San Francisco who lives for Latin dance, juicy novels and bird sightings. She’s an alumna of UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism who has worked for daily newspapers around the West. All My Love: A Story of War and Hope, her nonfiction book inspired by letters written in Europe during World War II, was published in 2022.

MERIDEN VITALE—Reporter

Meriden Vitale is a writer focused on environmental science stories impacting the Olympic Peninsula. As a filmmaker and collage artist, she enjoys working at the intersection of art and science with a focus on found materials. She is the author of the chapbook Ranger Danger, about her time as a fire lookout. She holds an MFA in poetry from Oregon State University and lives in Quilcene with her family.

EDEN BLOOMS—Columnist

Chlorophyll Corner

Eden Blooms is a Sephardic person of color living in the Pacific Northwest who is deeply passionate about connecting communities to the land we reside on. As an  Ethnobotanist and Public Health Practitioner, Eden offers community learning opportunities rooted in the One Health model -emphasizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

CAROLYN LEWIS—Columnist

What Carolyn Pours

Carolyn Lewis is a serial entrepreneur, artist, and community builder happily living and volunteering in Port Townsend. Visit her social media group on Facebook at Port Townsend Life and follow her on Instagram @linalewisart 

AVERY LORING—Columnist

Incarcerated Intellectual

Avery is an incarcerated writer sharing his insights about trauma, prison reform and abolition. He belongs to the Black Prisoners Caucus, obtained his associates degree in Business Administration, and seeks to help as many people as possible. He writes about his experiences in prison and inspires readers to look beyond stereotypes. He is a father, organizer and mentor.

SCOTT ROGERS—Columnist

I Was Thinking...

I’m Scott Rogers, a real estate broker and sit on the EDC Board in Jefferson County, Washington. I spend a lot of time thinking about houses, land, development, business, regulations and why things work the way they do. I also have a hard time leaving well enough alone. One question usually leads to another, which tends to lead somewhere I wasn’t expecting.

That’s pretty much I Was Thinking... It usually starts with something I noticed, heard, read or stumbled across that got me thinking. Real estate and the places we live come up a lot because that’s the world I work in, but I reserve the right to wander. I don’t always know where the thought is going when I start, and I’m not particularly interested in pretending I have all the answers when I get there. Mostly, I’m curious. So I follow the thought and see where it goes.

CHUCK LEGGE—Editorial Cartoonist

Chuck Legge is an award-winning cartoonist, a Cartooning for Peace member, an English, Philosophy and Arts major, and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting.

KATHIE MEYER—Arts Reporter

Kathie Meyer learned the power of words at an early age, growing up to be editor of her high school newspaper, a columnist for Washington State University's (WSU) Daily Evergreen, and an award-winning arts editor for The Leader from 2006 to 2011. Her writing has been published nationally and translated into German, and she has over a decade of experience working for a university research library. Meyer's nonprofit experience as a staff and board member includes Habitat for Humanity, Copper Canyon Press, and Key City Players. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science/public administration from WSU.

AMBER AUTUMN—Columnist

Feral Feelings

Amber Autumn Leaves Huntsman is a psychotherapist, poet, and Hedgewitch haunting our local beaches and estuaries

Do you have a problem that you think Feral Feelings could solve? Send it to info@jeffcobeacon.com Don’t worry, we’ll keep it anonymous!

SARA POST

Community Health Reporter

Sara Post is a writer and nurse who focuses on community health.