Kyra (she/her) is a lover of all things creative. She loves to create things and to think outside of the box. A pixel pusher who has been designing for over 15 years, Kyra specializes in branding and website design and enjoys bringing a story to life with integrity and purpose. Over the span of her career she has worked as a designer, developer, project manager, art director, strategist, and owner. She is dedicated to her craft and pragmatic in her approach to design and has developed an effective process over the years that's evolved through working with different types of clients with different passions and goals from various walks of life. This has helped determine the right design approach systematically and time efficiently. Also, she's learned to dig deep and ask the right questions!

Susan has been a freelance writer, editor and proofreader for more than 30 years after earning her BA degree in communications/journalism from Shippensburg University. Before joining the Ridge View Echo, Susan served as content coordinator for Neighbors of Green Township as well as content manager for Sparta Living, Chester Neighbors and Mendham Neighbors. In addition, she spent years freelance writing for other local publications and media outlets including Lake Hopatcong News, Vicinity Media Group and Straus News. Susan loves to put words to “paper” and believes that every person has a story to tell, which is one of the reasons that she enjoys working in local media. When not working, Susan enjoys reading, traveling, photography, crocheting and spending time with her family which includes her husband, two adult children and two very sassy cats.

John has been an illustrator and retoucher since he was about three years old. After working as an Art Director for 13 years in the pharmaceutical industry, John recognized that he’d much rather be illustrating than farming out work to others. For the past three decades, John has illustrated for Brian J. Ganton and Associates, Blair Broadcast Designs, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. He has also illustrated for several publishers including Houghton Mifflin, McGraw Hill, Pearson Education, and Learner Books. John is currently a freelance art director and illustrator.

Joe was lured out of retirement by the opportunity to be a part of The Ridge View Echo. During a decades-long career in publishing and journalism, he has covered government on many levels from local school boards to the United States Supreme Court. 

Along the way, Joe has worked at American Lawyer Magazine, The National Law Journal and The Record among other publications, and as the Press Officer of Columbia Law School. His work has been recognized with several first place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the New Jersey Press Association.

Being part of the Ridge View Echo brings Joe back to his roots and the kind of news coverage he loves: Telling the stories of people and local communities as well as keeping an eye on how their money is spent by their government officials.

Joe lives in Blairstown with his wife Rose, the founder of Quilting for a Cause, and their two wiener dogs. He is an artist in his spare time.

A recent graduate of George Mason University in Virginia, I’ve moved back home to Knowlton, NJ where I was born and raised. At school, I pursued a degree in journalism with a double minor in American Sign Language and nonprofit studies. In my three and a half years at Mason, I was an RA and worked as assistant news editor to the Fourth Estate, our university newspaper. I reported on many things but spent most of my time following campus crime and PD activity.

Outside the classroom, I’ve worked for a nonprofit called the Borgen Project where I wrote about global health and poverty in third-world nations, and recently finished an internship writing and editing for a business consulting company in NY. Growing up in the area, I have always been active in my community and will move forward in my role as a contributing writer for the RVE with the same intention.

I feel blessed to be living in this part of New Jersey. I have enjoyed this community - taking advantage of the lakes and woods, always supporting the local businesses that make this my home. I know many of our residents, if not by name, at least by sight. I feel comfortable interviewing others. I have worked for The Paulinskill Valley Chronical where I provided articles, photographs and billing. I consider myself an artist, journalist, naturalist, gardener and a teacher for the YMCA Camp Mason. I look forward to the work ahead.

Jennifer is a health and wellness advocate. Her company All Things Good creates a variety of herbal and natural cosmetic products as well as teas, spices and herbal infused syrups. She leases a one-acre parcel of farmland and uses the herbs and flowers grown on the land to make many of her products. She is a teacher of herbal studies, and her favorite classroom is within nature where she shares her knowledge of herbs and natural cosmetic making as well as gardening. Jennifer is a graduate of Rutgers University having graduated with a major in History. Her Post college education include massage Therapy Certification from Dover business College, Yoga Teacher certification as well as continued study in Herbal courses for over twenty years. She is a resident of Hardwick Township NJ, and loves being involved in community events. Always having loved writing, she is thrilled to be back at it and reporting for the Ridgeview Echo.

Currently enrolled at Pope John XXIII High School in Sparta, New Jersey, Andrew Nowel is an up-and-coming journalist. He has restarted the school newspaper at Pope John as well as writing sports' articles for the school. Andrew has worked with Morris Sussex Sports in sports broadcasting and analyzes professional sports in his free time. He also has had articles published in the Sparta Living monthly magazine. Andrew plays two sports at Pope John, baseball and soccer. He strives to inform the people about the local sports and the young athletes of our community.

Chip O'Chang is an educator, fiction writer, and lifelong resident of New Jersey. He has also written for My Life Publications and NJ Indy. He lives in the NJ Skylands with his partner, two cats, and and a bearded dragon.

Born and raised by my Mom, Dad and Grandmother, as well as the most awesome brother, I've had Gods grace and had two amazing daughters. I taught in Staten Island, Brooklyn and NJ. For that I'm terribly grateful. I enjoy meeting and greeting as well as the arts.

Priscilla has 29 years of clinical nursing experience, specifically in the fields of open heart recovery, lung transplant, and home care. She graduated with a BS in Nursing from Rutgers University and works now in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit for a St. Luke's University Health Network hospital in NE PA. Priscilla has worked in some of the top-ranked hospital systems in the New York City Metropolitan area including NY-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, Northwell Health, NYU Langone, and Atlantic Health System. She is currently in a Master’s Degree program at Wilkes University to become a board-certified advanced nurse practitioner specializing in primary care and family health. Priscilla grew up in the Jersey Shore and now lives in the Pocono Mountains with her husband, young daughter, and four-legged son Elmo, the boxer pup. Her goals as a health writer are to incorporate her clinical experience with evidence-based data in order to responsibly inform the community of health topics and healthcare issues that affect our daily lives.