Christine Foster is a multimedia journalist who has spent time interning and working for various news and online media organizations, including WDSI-Fox 61 in Chattanooga, The Florida Keys Keynoter in Key West and The Sunday Paper in Atlanta. 

Foster received her bachelor's degree in telecommunications and writing at Lee University in Tennessee.

Email rodney.thrash@patch.com    
Phone 770-367-9568
Hometown Dallas, Texas
Birthday March 1
Bio Rodney is the editor of canton-ga.patch.com, a digitally interactive news and information website that informs and engages readers in Canton and the nearby Sixes community through videos, photos, high-quality journalism, event announcements, business listings and other features. A graduate of Northwestern University, Rodney has worked at newspapers in Texas, Illinois, Georgia and Michigan. Before he joined Patch in November 2010, Rodney was a staff writer for seven years at the St. Petersburg Times, Florida's largest daily newspaper. He told stories about hazed fraternity pledges, sassy nuns, baby mamas, gay high school activists, handcuffed kindergarteners, war mothers, racists and national icons. Rodney's work has earned him awards, fellowships and other honors from local chapters of the National Association of Black Journalists and the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors. He believes there are stories in every community, big and small, and he is excited to bring Canton's stories to the masses.

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Jessie is the Local Editor for the Holly Springs-Hickory Flat Patch. She was born and raised in Alabama and graduated from the University of Alabama in 2010. She spent four months at the Chattanooga Times Free Press before coming to Patch in October.

Lindsey Davidson is the local editor for Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch. (Here is a quick guide to the site.) She grew up in Cumming, Ga., where she graduated high school early to attend Auburn University. While studying journalism and waiting tables, which she swears to never do again, she worked at The Auburn Plainsman serving different roles including editor-in-chief. She was a videographer for the Rome News-Tribune and served as online editor for the News Publishing Company before coming to Patch.

Brande Poulnot, an award-winning journalist and mother of two, is editor of Cartersville Patch. She is a University of Georgia graduate and former crime-beat reporter with The Daily Tribune News in Cartersville.

Prior to her journalism career, in which she earned several Georgia Press Association awards, and with her bachelor's of Business Administration, Brande served as an accountant with a regional financial services holding company.

When she's not chasing down news stories or writing, her children, 7-year-old MacKenze and 2-year-old Walker, keep her busy. MacKenze is a student in the Bartow County school system.

Regina has been involved in local marketing solutions for small businesses throughout her career. As Advertising Sales Manager for Atlanta Bride magazine for 8 years, Regina helped wedding industry professionals in Atlanta capture the lucrative bride and groom business.  Later, as Account Executive/Atlanta with MediaMax, Regina marketed top Atlanta restaurants in Bon Appetit magazine, as well as upscale Atlanta salons and spas in Vogue, Glamour, Allure and Vanity Fair. 

Regina graduated in 1992 from the University of Georgia.  As a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, she was Editor for her Alumnae newsletter and a writer for the Panhellenic Council.  Regina was born in Pensacola, Florida, grew up in Alpharetta and attended Saint Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta.  She and her family have lived in Cherokee County for 10 years.

Married 13 years to Robert (an FSU fan!) they have two elementary age boys Ben (11) and Brian (9). She loves the Woodmont Wahoos summer swim team, playing ALTA, USTA and T2 Tennis, watching Macedonia baseball and Creekview football, playing ball with her black lab "Gypsy," and getting a massage (or pedicure!) whenever she can!  Regina mostly enjoys hanging out at home with the family and watching her sons play sports.

Todd Baraff, Ad Sales Manger for Cumming, Alpharetta-Milton, Johns Creek and Roswell Patch, was born and raised in the metro Atlanta area.  He earned his degree in marketing at the University of Georgia and has been in advertising sales and Internet sales for more than 15 years with Cox Enterprises and Bellsouth/AT&T.

He enjoys many sports and also coaches Little League Baseball and Youth Wrestling at West Forsyth, as well as, spending time with his wonderful family. 

In addition to being a mother of two, Julie is a photographic artist and maintains a blog on spirituality. As a former high school math teacher, she has a love of helping children discover their God-given talents.

Bill is the former Public Information Officer for Forsyth County Government, a veteran news reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a freelancer for Associated Press. He now owns his own political consulting firm  and is the proud grandfather of Alex, Caleb and Mason.  

Ashley Brechtel moved to Alpharetta three years ago from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She recently graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in communications and loves to travel in her free time.

I was born on April 10, 1972 in Cedar Rapids, IA.  We moved to Stone Mountain, GA in 1974 where I grew up.  While in high school, I attended Killian Hill Christian School, where I was the Sports Editor of the school newspaper and played Basketball and Soccer.  I graduated from KHCS  in 1990.  I went to Bryan College in Dayton, TN and graduated with a BA Degree in History with a Minor in Communications. 

Kate Awtrey is a 2010 graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta where she earned a bachelor of fine arts in photography.

She has had an interest in photography since her childhood. She purchased a 35-milimeter camera at a yard sale when she was 7 years old and was bitten by the photography bug. Now her equipment has been upgraded, but her passion for photography has never waned.

Kate worked part-time for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution doing photo editing as well as Web and graphic design for the newspaper's sports Web site. She left the newspaper to return to school on a full-time basis and has since had her work published by the Gwinnett Daily Post and Athens Banner-Herald. Kate hopes to gain even more experience in photojournalism with her newest venture at Patch.

Roswell resident Brandy Nagel is an active part of the local entrepreneur and startup community. A self-described "Marketing Catalyst", she indeed makes marketing happen.

Politics and government reporter Maggie Lee narrowly dodged a career in academia after a BS in International Relations at Georgia Tech and an MA in Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore.  She came home to Atlanta, and got into journalism via a fact-checking job at the Southern Center for International Studies.  From there, she moved to sports business reporting, then freelancing, and was serendipitously sent one year to the state capitol, where she found her inner politics nerd. 

A native of Albany, Georgia, Deena has spent three years writing for multiple publications. She graduated from Valdosta State University with a B.A. degree in Journalism in 2009. This past summer, her personal blog was converted into a humorous column by Inspired By Him magazine. Along with freelancing for several websites and magazines, she is currently working on her first manuscript. Be sure to follow her antics on Twitter!

Longtime journalist Diane Loupe lives in the City of Decatur and writes news and features for Patch.

Zachary Toth is a freelance writer, graphic designer, photographer & videographer based in Atlanta, GA and maintains a successful freelance business under the name "Hursh Productions."  Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Zach went on to graduate with his Bachelor of Science from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 2009.  Since then he has worked as a photographer for a few different studios and has continued freelancing his artistic abilities all at the same time.  Recently, he has relocated to Atlanta, GA to expand his business and pursue his professional career. Zach's main interests are in photo journalism, event coverage, entertainment, music, sports, design, and advertising.  Check out his work being contributed to Patch, and have a look at his company website.

http://HurshProductions.com

http://ZacharyToth.tumblr.com

Phil Meyer is Professor Emeritus in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and was inducted into the North Carolina Hall of Fame in Journalism in the spring of 2008.  He joined the Journalism School in 1981 and served as Knight Chair in Journalism Professor from 1993-2008.  Prior to joining the school, he held a number of reporter and research positions at various media outlets. 

He has won numerous awards including the 2005 Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award for Research About Journalism (with Scott Maier). He was named a Fellow of Society of Professional Journalists in 2005. In 2004, the Newspaper Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication gave him its Professional Freedom and Responsibility Award. And in 2000 he received the American Association for Public Opinion Research Award for Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement.

Meyer is the author of several books including The Vanishing Newspaper:  Saving Journalism in the Information Age and Precision Journalism:  A Reporter’s Introduction to Social Science Methods.  Journalism Quarterly in 2000 listed this book as one of the 35 significant books of the 20th century in journalism and mass communication; and the American Association for Public Opinion Research, observing its 50th anniversary in 1996, listed it as one of 50 significant books on public opinion research.

He received his B.S. in technical journalism from Kansas State University and his M.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina.

Jeff Jarvis is the associate professor and director of the interactive journalism program at the City University of New York’s new Graduate School of Journalism.  He also blogs about media and news at Buzzmachine.com; is consulting editor of Daylife; writes a media column for the Guardian, and consults for media companies.

Prior to his current responsibilities, Jarvis held positions including president and creative director of Advance.net; creator and founding editor of Entertainment Weekly; Sunday editor and associated publisher of the New York Daily News; TV critic for TV Guide and People; a columnist for the San Francisco Examiner; assistant city editor and reporter for the Chicago Tribune and reporter for Chicago Today.

Jarvis is the author of What Would Google Do?

Steven Berlin Johnson is a pioneer in the web world, as a co-founder of FEED, Plastic.com, and Outside.in, which was acquired by Patch in March of 2011. He also co-created Findings.com, which launched in late 2011. Steven was the 2009 Hearst New Media Professional-in-Residence at The Journalism School at Columbia University, and served for several years as a Distinguished Writer in Residence at NYU’s Journalism School. He is a bestselling author of seven books, and won acclaim and a Newhouse School Mirror Award for his 2010 Time Magazine cover story, "How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live." 

Speaking of Steven's editorial prowess, check out this video based on Steven's book, Where Good Ideas Come From, which was named one of the best books of 2010 by The Economist.