Seasons Greetings from the Staff of the Post

A profile of our staff

ADMINISTRATION Roberta Donohue was born and raised in the Palisades, where her father owned the Mobile station. She started as a receptionist at the Post in 1972 and worked in virtually every department of the paper before becoming publisher in 1987. Married for 33 years, Roberta and her husband Rich have one daughter, an honor student at Palisades High. Roberta has been active in the Chamber of Commerce for more than 20 years. Business manager Cheryel Kanan has been with the Post since 1984. A 43-year resident of the Palisades, she has five children and seven grandchildren (her husband, Dan, passed away on December 13; see obituary on page 3). She is a past president of the Chamber and served as the Palisades Americanism Parade Association (PAPA) president this year. Kanan was recently awarded the 2006 Mort Farberow Business Award. Post subscriptions fall into the able hands of Sharon Reynolds, who has been in charge of circulation since 1989. Reynolds moved to California from Missouri when she was a high school junior and met her husband, Jim, who is the production manager. They’ve been married for 43 years and have two daughters, a son, five grandchildren and two dogs. Office assistant Jolene Knight began working at the Post 10 years ago, one day a week. Her ability to work on several fronts was recognized and she now works four days a week. A native of West L.A., she attended University High, Santa Monica City College and UCLA. Jolene has one son and a grandson and in her spare time enjoys baking and entertaining. Laura Sarkin?s smiling face greets visitors at the Post?s reception desk. This Michigan native handles the newspaper?s classified ads and has a degree in special education. She has lived all over the world, including India, where she studied meditation for 16 years. Laura has one daughter who works for Disney. The newest addition to the front office is A?da Woolfolk, an actress and writer with many television and film credits to her name. She hails from the Bay Area and is an alumna of New York University and honors graduate of SUNY Purchase. ADVERTISING An English major in college, Grace Hiney first applied to the Post in 1971. When asked if she could write a restaurant review, she replied, ?I guess so.? She has been the Post?s restaurant editor and account executive ever since. An avid home cook and 39-year resident of the Palisades, she has two children and five grandchildren. Don Oswald, account executive, has been with the Post since 1983. He grew up in Connecticut and is an active volunteer at the Palisades-Malibu YMCA. A Pasadena resident, he enjoys his powerboat excursions to Catalina Island for relaxation and fishing. He has four dogs, who all have had the opportunity to test their sea legs. A native of Tennessee, Kendy Veazie graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in criminal justice. She lives in the Palisades and has worked for the Post for three years. She volunteers weekly for Stand-up for Kids, a charity dedicated to helping homeless teens. Long-time Palisades resident Jeff Ridgway has been at the Post for three years and enjoys starting every morning with a cup of espresso. He grew up in Sacramento and attended UC Davis, where he majored in English. His latest obsession is Suduko on the New York Times Web site. EDITORIAL Managing Editor Bill Bruns worked for Life magazine and TV Guide before coming to the Post in 1993. He and his wife, Pam, have been Palisades residents for 34 years, and both of their children, Alan and Allison, graduated from Palisades High. Bruns is especially proud of his staff’s comprehensive coverage of a wide range of stories. Heading the Post?s award-winning Lifestyle section is Senior Editor Libby Motika. She grew up in Brentwood. and worked for several publications before coming to the Post in 1994. Her enthusiasms run from poetry to art and architecture, with time reserved for her early- morning bicycle rides. Motika enjoys spending time with her two children who live on different coasts. When he’s not scrambling around town covering games, Sports Editor Steve Galluzzo is playing them. He enjoys tennis, soccer and running. Originally from Bayville, New York, Steve has lived most of his life in Southern California, graduating from Cal State Northridge with a degree in journalism. Steve is a passionate member of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Associate Editor Alyson Sena grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from Marlborough School. After earning her B.A. degree in English from Brown University, she started as an intern at the Post in September 2001 and completed her print journalism certificate program at UCLA. She is engaged to her college sweetheart and enjoys traveling and writing short stories. Staff Writer Max Taves began working for the Post in August and covers a broad range of issues that affect the Palisades, including education, the environment and local politics. He attended Loyola High School in Los Angeles and graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he studied international economics. When he is not writing, he enjoys documentary filmmaking, photography and surfing. Nancy Ganiard Smith, who joined the paper in March 2001, covers the cultural beat for the paper?s Lifestyle section. A transplanted Midwesterner and former programming director at the Art Institute of Chicago, she moved to the Palisades with her husband and daughter eight years ago. Having lived in the Palisades since 1993, Sue Pascoe enjoys writing about all aspects of the community from sports to news to medicine and viewpoints. Growing up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota and then spending her young adult life in New York City helped fuel an early career in comedy. She got off the road to raise her three children who attend local schools. A native New Yorker, with a graduate degree from NYU, Rich Schmitt has been the Post’s staff photographer for over five years. His photos have won National Newspaper association and CNPA awards. When he’s not photographing in the Palisades, he’s on freelance assignments for such clients as UCLA Athletics and AFP wire service. An essential member of the team, copy editor Nancy Bryan started her career as an editor at The Rand Corporation. After taking a break to raise her two children, she went back to work at a consulting firm. In 1991, she became an editor and technical writer at the J. Paul Getty Museum. For the past five years, she?s read and edited almost every story in the Post. GRAPHICS Working at the Post since 1984, Palisadian Ed Lowe is the graphics director. He has volunteered his time throughout the years for the Chamber of Commerce and is an avid muscle-car enthusiast. In addition to cars, Ed is a longtime fan of the L.A. Kings and enjoys living in the Palisades and hiking in Temescal Canyon. He also loves the beach, surfing and is a Certified Basic Nordic Walking Instructor. Manfred Hofer, graphic artist at the Post for 24 years, grew up in Pacific Palisades and attended Santa Monica College. For the past 16 years, he has been active at Theatre Palisades working not only behind the scenes, designing programs and posters, but also appearing on stage, for which he has won several acting awards. His newest hobby is black- and-white photography. The multi-talented Tom Hofer has worked in the graphics department for 16 years. His Oscar Wilde-like wit helps relieve stress on deadline days. He has recently finished several voice-over classes to positive acclaim. A graduate of UCLA, he?s also a musician, hockey enthusiast and Tiki Culture aficionado. PRODUCTION Since 1978 Production Manager Jim Reynolds has had the responsibility of making sure all the printing jobs and the newspaper get out on time. Reynolds is a NASCAR nut, and has a collection of more than 800 NASCAR toys parked in his den. On weekends you?ll find him rooting for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team. Shop Foreman Joe Hernandez died unexpectedly on December 12 (see obituary on page 3). He loved the outdoors, especially hiking in the high country. He was a 28-year employee at the Post and ran the two-color Heidelberg press. Two daughters and two grandsons survive him. A 12-year veteran of the Post, Manuel Tavarez operates the Heidelberg one-color press. He is a native of Zapotlanejo, a little town just outside Guadalajara, which is in the heart of Mexico?s Tequila plants. Tavarez is a spirited supporter of Mexico?s soccer team. He has four children: his youngest is three and his oldest daughter, 17, is a goalie for Culver City’s AYSO all-star soccer team. Keith McDaniel joined the Post four years ago as press operator. He lives in Pico Rivera with his wife Carol, who works for Bank of the West, and daughters, Kayla and Katie. Both girls play softball and when Keith isn’t watching them, he’s biking or running. He also plays acoustic guitar. Tommy Aguilar, pressroom assistant, celebrated his fourth year at the Post in September. He lives in Venice with his wife and has four children: Ito, Alyssa, Jessica and Joel. Aguilar comes from a musical family. He started guitar at 7 and is known in the musical community for playing blues, jazz, rock and heavy metal, with equal ease. He builds amplifiers, as well as restores vintage ones. Press Assistant Luis Hernandez will celebrate his second anniversary with the Post. He went to L.A. High School where he was a varsity swimmer in freestyle. After graduation, he attended Santa Monica College. On October 21 Hernandez became a proud new uncle when his twin brother?s wife gave birth to a baby boy. Palisadian Jonathan Merwitzer is the circulation assistant. He graduated from PaliHi and went to Sonoma State University, where he got a degree in communication studies. He trains in martial arts and works out at Max Impact. A fan of both the Dodgers and Lakers, Jonathan also volunteers as a Jewish Big Brother.