Ally Staff
Joe McCarthy
Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer Joe manages the nonprofit's fiduciary responsibilites: fundraising- business operations and public-interest partnership development. He edits the Ally's Culture Page and Opinion Page. He served in the US Army from 1968-1971. He has held supervisory positions in the Nevada state government, an education program director at the Nevada state prison, the executive director of the Brewery Arts Center, and Carson City’s economic development and redevelopment director. In 2017, he founded and launched the 501c3 nonprofit, The End of the Trail Broadcast Project, the parent of KNVC, 95.1 fm, Carson City’s FCC-licensed Community Radio Station.
Noah Glick
Executive Editor overseeing our news desk of reporters, audio content creators, and producers Noah Glick is an award-winning journalist, audio and podcast podcaster, and writer, whose work has been heard nationally on NPR, Marketplace, Here & Now, and more. He is a multiple regional Edward R. Murrow Award winner for his reporting on climate, energy, and housing.
Noah brings his years of experience to the Sierra Nevada Ally, where he will serve as Executive Editor, overseeing the organization's content strategy, audio production, and editorial oversight. His goal is to create content that helps readers become more informed about the world around them and to inspire everyone to think more critically and see the world with a little more kindness and understanding.
When not mixing audio or writing podcasts, Noah can mostly be found at home with his family or out on a lake with a kayak.
Steve Funk
Director of Donor ExperienceSteve is an experienced print and broadcast journalist, development manager, award-winning community builder, and communicator who has lived in Reno/Tahoe for more than 50 years. As a podcast and radio show host, Steve’s passion for the Silver State and its communities, economy, and politics drove his career and the content of his Grow Nevada Team‘casts on NBC Radio and writings in the Northern Nevada Business Weekly and Boomer magazines. His leadership has charted development for both non-profit and commercial enterprises in Northern Nevada. In 2012 AAF Reno awarded Steve Community Builder of the Year.
When Steve has time, he devotes much of it to his love of making music with his wife and friends, volunteering, and exploring the outdoors with family.
Dani DeRosa
Civic Action CoordinatorDani DeRosa is a multimedia journalist from Sparks, Nevada. She's driven to serve stigmatized and undeserved populations and has done so in both healthcare and as a grassroots events coordinator. She's lead entrepeneurial workshops with both The Holland Project and Reno Bike Project. She covered Taiwan's first Apple Store opening and hopes to do more international work once progress is made at home in Nevada. She's writing a novel.
Will Houk
Music ReporterWill Houk is the host of the radio show and podcast "Roots, Rednecks, and Radicals." The weekly radio show airs weekly on KNVC 95.1 FM Carson City, and features the best of Americana, folk, and roots music. The podcast takes a deep dive into modern roots music featuring in-depth interviews with recording artists. A lover of music and the outdoors, Will was raised in Northern Nevada. He now calls Carson City home with his wife Jes, and son William. He's a teacher at Carson High School where he has taught Social Studies for 18 years.
Claire Carlson
Environmental ReporterClaire Carlson lives in Portland, Oregon, but often finds herself venturing back to the high desertscapes of Nevada, her home state. Claire has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Reno in International Affairs and a master’s from the University of Montana in Environmental Studies, where she focused on environmental writing. When she’s not chasing leads or trying to string sentences together, you’ll find her fighting the urge to fall asleep while reading in a hammock somewhere in the woods.
Scott King
Science and Environmental ReporterOriginally from Cleveland, Ohio, Scott King recently completed a Master’s degree in Media Innovation at the University of Nevada, Reno. Scott received his Bachelor’s degree in Professional Writing with a minor in Marketing from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.
Scott served for two years as a literacy instructor with the Peace Corps in the community of Gouyave, Grenada. He is also a regular contributor to Our Town Reno and The Hitchcock Project for Visualizing Science, while also maintaining his own narrative, nonfiction storytelling blog.
Kelsey Penrose
Culture, Local News, and Agriculture ReporterKelsey grew up in Carson City, Nevada and now reports on the goings on within the Northern Nevada region. She found her way into journalism by harassing her first editor for six straight months until he finally broke down and gave her a job. Now you can find her work in the Sierra Nevada Ally, Carson Now, Reno News and Review, This is Reno, the Sacramento Bee and more. Kelsey is an alumna of Arizona State University, holding a Bachelors in English Literature and a Bachelors in Anthropology with a focus in Archaeology, and she is currently pursuing a Masters in Creative Writing with Sierra Nevada University.
Kelsey is passionate about issues facing rural Nevada, the future of agriculture in the sierras, social justice, folklore and bluegrass music. She lives and gardens in Washoe Valley. You can learn more about her reporting, podcasting and more by visiting www.kelseypenrose.com.
Richard Bednarski
Environmental ReporterBorn and raised in tiny Quincy, Calif, Richard obtained a B.A. in Anthropology and Photography, in addition to an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Nevada at Reno on the other side of the Sierra Nevada, where he is currently based. His words and photos have appeared in national and regional publications such as USA Today Reno Gazette-Journal, The Progressive, and the Sierra Nevada Ally. When not crafting stories that matter, Richard can be found traveling and camping with his wife and two daughters, tending a garden, baking bread, and playing the banjo.
Matt Bieker
Culture ReporterMatt Bieker is an award-winning photojournalist and native of Reno, Nevada. He received his degree in Journalism from the University of Nevada Reno in 2014, and currently covers arts & entertainment and community development in his hometown.
Alejandra Rubio (Yavapai-Apache Nation)
Culture Reporter and PhotojournalistI am a visual artist who works with photography and mix-media. I often embed myself into different cultures and subcultures; I use my art to share their voices, experiences, and inflections, giving viewers a respectful glimpse into their unique worldviews, concerns, and aspirations. I am a member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation. I grew up in Camp Verde, a rural river valley in northern Arizona, where I learned the value of the interdependent relationships between land, culture, and community. As a result, I will always appreciate talking with people and learning about them, no matter where they come from or who they are. I believe in patience, listening, generosity, and empathy rather than judgment or imposing individual expectations upon individuals. The breadth and diversity of my work include photographs covering brothels, hotel living, drugs, protests, biker gangs, and Native American ceremonies. My work provides an analytical, compassionate, and uniquely Native American lens from which to view, engage, learn and share the full range of human emotion and experience across cultures and subcultures — off the reservation and on, navigating the complexity of the human spirit in private, intimate, and honest settings, affording my audience a respectful view into the lives and socially defined relationships of people who would otherwise remain invisible, unknown, or isolated in the shadows.
Hannah Branch
Culture ReporterHannah Branch is a sophomore at the University of Nevada, UNR, where she is majoring in political science and English and minoring in debate. Hannah discovered a love for community building as a young teen activist in Reno; she is the founder of educational organization Reno Alliance for Free Tutoring and co-founder of anti-racism group Washoe County Students for Change. Hannah enjoys engaging with local politics, and has worked in communications and grassroots organizing for several local campaigns. She now works at the UNR Writing and Speaking Center, where she supports students of all majors in improving their writing skills. When she's not writing, you can find Hannah reading, playing guitar, hiking, painting, or getting a little too competitive about Reno's famous all-you-can-eat sushi.
Jesse Stone
Culture and Education ReporterJesse Stone was born and raised in Northern Nevada. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno and has written for Nevada Today and Our Town Reno in the past. In his spare time, you can find Jesse cooped up inside either reading whatever book he most recently rescued from a dusty shelf or playing video games.
Shelley Buchanan
Education Beat ReporterShelley is a forty-year northern Nevada resident with a history in education and philanthropy. After her graduation with a MA in Teaching English, she created and taught English language programs. Later, she obtained a graduate degree in library science and managed school media centers. In her spare time, she has worked on fundraising, technology, and communications for many nonprofits and political organizations. In addition to her philanthropic work, she has written for several educational publications. Her loves are her family, books, dogs, baking, and gardening. Zucchini cupcakes, anyone?
Tim Hauserman
Culture Reporter
Tim Hauserman is a freelance writer and nearly a life-long resident of North Lake Tahoe. He wrote the official guide to the Tahoe Rim Trail, the recently published 4th edition. He also wrote Monsters in the Woods: Backpacking with Children and has written hundreds of articles on a variety of topics: travel, outdoor recreation, housing, education, and wildfires.
Check out Tim's website .
https://www.timhauserman.com/.
Tim's latest book: Going it Alone. Ramblings and Reflections From the Trial is now available at your local bookstore, along with his many other publications.
Matt Johanson
Culture & Outdoor ReporterMatt enjoys exploring and writing about the outdoors. Climbing Mount Shasta, hiking the John Muir Trail and skiing through Yosemite’s high country rank among his favorite outings. Matt’s books include California Summits, Sierra Summits, Yosemite Adventures and Yosemite Epics. He’s taught and advised an award-winning high school journalism program for more than 20 years.
Brian Bahouth
Founder & Editor EmeritusBrian has been a public media producer for the better part of 25 years. He has been news director at three public radio stations, KRZA serving Alamosa, Colorado and Taos, New Mexico, KUNR in Reno, KVMR in Nevada City, California, and Brian was a co-founder of KNVC community radio in Carson City, 95.1 FM. He has reported for Capital Public Radio, Nevada Public Radio, and has filed numerous reports for the Pacifica Network News and National Public Radio.
He holds a BA in English from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, and an MA in English from the University of Nevada Reno. Brian is a veteran of the sea-going US Navy, ‘79-’85. He and his wife have lived in Reno since 1999.
Henry Kingman
WebmasterHenry started building websites in 1996, and went on to hold technical and editorial roles for a variety of computer trade publications. Since 2009, he has operated Winnemucca Web Works, LLC, a small provider of website development services, hosting, and maintenance. He lives in Winnemucca, where he grew up, and loves to explore Nevada by foot and bicycle.