I have spent much of my professional life in local reporting. Having started out six years ago covering hard news at a local paper in Somerset County I spent six months working for the National Wrestling Coaches Association before returning to local news. For the past four years I was the sports reporter for a local paper in Point Pleasant covering two schools and watching athletes go from high school rookies to college student athletes and beyond.

For the last three years I have been married to my wonderful wife Allyson and in August we welcomed our beautiful daughter Erin to the world. Now my hobbies include being a dad and a husband, but in my spare time I am somewhat proud to be  fan of the New York Mets while also supporting the other local New York sports teams.

After covering the Gulls and the Panthers for the past four years, I'm looking forward to seeing what Rebel pride is all about and getting more familiar with the town I have lived in for the last two and a half years.

Colleen Platt is the local editor for the Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch.

Colleen worked several years for The Asbury Park Press, where she served as a metro reporter and covered Long Beach Island. She reported on a number of subjects, including enterprise features focusing on the environment, personality profiles and breaking news.

Colleen recently has worked for Integrated Media Solutions, where she was responsible for the overall production of continuing education supplements and programs.

Colleen has worked as a guest editor for the Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch over the last month. Here are some of her stories:

K9 Unit Remembered as Partner, Friend and Family http://patch.com/A-wwgh

Trophy Returns to Barnegat http://patch.com/A-vHRF

Daniel Nee is a lifelong resident of Ocean County. He is a 2007 graduate of Monmouth University with a degree in Political Science, and in 2012, earned his Masters Degree in Public Policy, also at Monmouth.

Daniel began his career in journalism at The SandPaper in Surf City, covering local issues, and later worked for a weekly newspaper in Monmouth County before founding Jersey Shore Fishing, a monthly magazine covering fishing and boating in the Shore area. He has also covered local government, businesses, events and breaking news for The Press of Atlantic City and Micromedia Publications.

He still serves as publisher and editor of Jersey Shore Fishing.

Daniel is an avid boater and angler, and can often be seen cruising Barnegat Bay, hunting for fluke and striped bass in Barnegat Bay or somewhere a few miles off the beach drifting over an artificial reef. He holds the distinction of having landed a keeper flonder during the East Coast Earthquake of 2011!

Daniel also serves as a member of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium Stakeholder Advisory Board and has volunteered with ReClam The Bay, part of the the Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Project, as well as with the New Jersey Beach Buggy Association to help restore Island Beach State Park.

I'm Anthony Bellano, your galloway.patch.com editor. I can be reached by e-mail at Anthony.Bellano@patch.com or by phone at (609) 277-1029. I was born on July 3, 1979 in Pittsburgh, and moved to New Jersey when I was two years old. 

Catherine Galioto has lived in Toms River nearly all her life -- which spans a measly three decades -- having started her journalism career with Toms River High School East's Raider Readout, Reflections magazine and TV-21 news team. While she was earning a bachelor's degree in journalism, Catherine led student media such as Ocean County College's Viking News and Rutgers University's Daily Targum and after graduation in 2007 worked as a freelance and staff reporter for Ocean County weekly newspapers. She most recently served as Special Sections Coordinator for The Press of Atlantic City. Over the years, she's racked up New Jersey Press Association Awards for collegiate, editorial and marketing/advertising categories. But so what, really. She's just thrilled to be a part of getting the news out, honestly.

A former Staff Writer for the Press of Atlantic City, I have more than five years of fulltime experience covering local and regional news and sports. Born and raised in southern New Jersey - even attending college there - Red Bank and this part of the state is relatively new to me. I'm going to use this to my advantage and learn everything about the area that I can. The coverage I provide will be interesting and comprehensive. There's a story in everything, and I'm going to find it.

I am the Regional Editor for Patch's sites in Morris, Somerset, Warren, Sussex and Passaic counties.

Please feel free to reach out to me with anything concerning the following sites:

• Morristown Patch
• Morris Township-Morris Plains Patch
• Chatham Patch
• East Hanover-Florham Park Patch
• Madison Patch
• Mendham-Chester Patch
• Montville Patch
• Tri-Boro Patch
• Long Valley Patch
• Jefferson Patch
• Parsippany Patch
• Wayne Patch
• Hackettstown Patch
• Hopatcong-Sparta Patch
• Bridgewater Patch
• Basking Ridge Patch
• Bernardsville-Bedminster Patch
• Hillsborough Patch
• Watchung-Green Brook Patch
• Warren Patch

I can be contacted at nick@patch.com or 201-208-3349.

John started writing for Patch in late 2009 and has covered sports, government, music, arts and much more for dozens of Patch towns in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He currently works as weekend editor for Ocean City Patch and Galloway Patch. He has a master's degree in library and information sciences and a bachelor's degree in philosophy and history from Rutgers University in New Brunswick. When he is not working or writing, he is singing with his band, The Deafening Colors. He also writes fiction, some of which has appeared in Corium Magazine. You can reach him at johnarthur86@gmail.com.

Robin Buehler, a New Jersey native, has been a journalist since 1994, working for a number of different weekly newspapers as an editor, staff or freelance writer. She is a published writer, poet and photographer. Her work has appeared in both print and webzines nationally and internationally. Her photography has also exhibited locally, including Atlantic City, Galloway, Hammonton and Ocean City art centers, Cygnus Creative Arts Center, the Hopkins House and the Art Center of Southern NJ.

Kathy Pigott is the calendar editor for Westfield Patch, Scotch Plains-Fanwood Patch, Cranford Patch, Clark-Garwood Patch, Springfield Patch, New Providence Patch and Berkeley Heights-Mountainside Patch.

Nick Malfitano is a freelance contributor and assistant local editor to Patch.com. Nick was a staff writer at his college newspaper The Whit at Rowan University from 2002-2003, and later earned a Bachelor's Degree in Communications with a specialization in Writing Arts from Rowan University in 2006. After college, Nick worked as both a beat reporter for The Coast Star newspaper covering Manasquan and Avon-By-The-Sea, plus as an editorial assistant and beat reporter for The Ocean Star newspaper covering Bay Head, in addition to covering freelance work in the Jersey Shore region in between. He's been a resident of the Jersey Shore since 1987.

Jamie hails from Jersey City, New Jersey and is currently pursuing an MBA in Marketing at Rutgers University. Jamie is equipped with experience in the NYC film and TV industry and years of non-profit sales under her belt. She is thrilled to be at Patch and to work with you. If you are interested in advertising or partnering with Patch please contact her at 212-402-4608 or jamie.shuali@patch.com

Joe Caporoso is a sales contributor for Patch. He is experienced in both digital sales and nonprofit fundraising, along with having a long history of writing online. Caporoso is excited to join a company that is supporting journalism at the local level and gives back to the communities it covers. If your business is interested in advertising with Patch please contact him at joe.caporoso@patch.com or at 212-274-2361

Liz Dwyer is the Advertising Manager for East Brunswick, New Brunswick, South Brunswick and Woodbridge Patch.  Liz has spent the past 25 years in marketing and advertising at various local community publications.  She was born and raised in Middlesex County, and currently resides in neighboring North Brunswick.  If you see me in town, please say hello. If you have an questions, please feel free to call me at 732-823-7322.

An award-winning multimedia journalist with a decade of experience covering South Jersey as both a reporter and photographer, Bryan Littel has worked for newspapers in Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester counties. He grew up in central New Jersey before heading south to Rowan University to get his degree in journalism. He joined Patch in November 2010 and launched the West Deptford site a month later, before moving over to Cherry Hill in September 2012.

Lynne Richmond graduated from Rutgers University with  a BA in Journalism and began a 17-year career as a radio news reporter, working for WOBM, NJ 101.5, KYW News Radio, WPEN and WHYY in Philadelphia, and WOR, WBBR and WNYC in New York. 

While working at WOBM, Lynne covered Ocean County government and Ocean County Superior Court, as well as a variety of municipalities, including Lacey, Lakewood, Dover, Brick, Jackson and Stafford Townships.

For NJ 101.5, Lynne covered the State House in Trenton and was the Monmouth and Ocean County reporter.

Lynne spent two years doing press for the Assembly Democratic office in Trenton and has served as the Public Information Officer for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture since 2004.

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.

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.

Brian was Editor-in-Chief of Time Out New York magazine before coming to Patch. Before that he worked for a variety of publications both online and off, including Details magazine, New York Magazine, and the old, dearly departed Sidewalk.com. He has written for numerous publications, from the New York Times magazine to Harper's Bazaar. He graduated from Bowdoin College and got an MFA in creative writing at Columbia University so he could put his novel in a drawer with distinction. He lives in Manhattan with his beautiful wife, adorable son, angelic daughter and the world's most dog-like cat. He’s proud as hell of what the Patch team has built.

Ken Paulson is president and chief executive officer of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University and in Washington, D.C.

Previously, Paulson served as the editor and senior vice president/news of USA Today.  He is now a columnist on USA Today’s board of contributors, writing about First Amendment issues and the news media.

Throughout his career, Paulson has drawn on his background as both a journalist and lawyer, serving as the editor or managing editor of newspapers in five different states.

He also is past-president of the American Society of News Editors, the nation’s largest organization of news media leaders.

Paulson also was the host of the Emmy-honored television program “Speaking Freely,” seen in more than 60 PBS markets nationwide over five seasons, and the author of "Freedom Sings," a multimedia stage show celebrating the First Amendment that continues to tour the nation's campuses.  

He was an early advocate of making newspaper content available online, launching online newspapers in both Florida and New York in 1993.

For 12 years, Paulson was a regular guest lecturer at the American Press Institute, speaking to more than 5,000 journalists about First Amendment issues. He was honored with the API Lifetime Service Award. In 2010 and 2011, he served as chair of the PBS Editorial Standards Review Committee.

In 2007, Paulson was named fellow of the Society of Professional Journalists, “the highest honor SPJ bestows upon a journalist for extraordinary contributions to the profession.” In 2008, he  received the Robert S. Abbott Memorial Award for Meritorious Service in Mass Communications from the Southern Regional Press Institute. He has also been elected to the Illini Publishing Hall of Fame at the University of Illinois.

He is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He also has served as an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University Law School. In 2008, he received an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from American University.