Dave Algase has reported on nearly 400 local businesses since returning to community journalism in 2022 after a hiatus of twenty-eight years. The Kenyon College alumnus is also an independent information professional, a Jeopardy! champion, a devoted dad, and a fan of the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Browns.
Antonio Cooper is a freelance journalist from Detroit, Michigan. A multi-time winner of E-Current Magazine’s “Best Journalist of Washtenaw County,” his coverage of music festivals, local government, and interviews with local celebrities has appeared in the Detroit Metro Times, XXL Magazine, High School Sports Illustrated, the Ann Arbor Observer, and Pop Magazine.
Shelley Daily is a freelance writer who’s lived with her family on Ann Arbor’s west side for twenty-five years. A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, she’s fallen in love with Ann Arbor and its people, and especially enjoys writing profiles for the Observer. A favorite day for her is a hike at the Arb, a visit to the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and a bite to eat in a window seat at Old Town Tavern. You can find her work at writingbyshelley.com and you can reach her at [email protected].
Della DiPietro discovered a love for writing in a U-M freshman English class with an essay that led to a Hopwood award. She wrote for the Michigan Daily and went on to an award-winning career in TV journalism. Another passion is effective governance, and she has served in local elected positions for nearly 30 years. She and her husband Gary enjoy kayaking the Huron from their backyard and running on the Border-to-Border Trail.
Trilby MacDonald is a journalist, nonprofit strategist, and grant writer advancing community‑led environmental solutions, equitable food systems, and land access across Michigan. Trilby was founding editor of the Ann Arbor Observer’s weekly news publication a2view, served as chief editor and staff writer for Current Magazine, and writes for the Ecology Center’s online environmental newsroom. She also supports community climate action as a technical assistance provider for the Michigan Healthy Climate Community Accelerator. Trilby co‑founded the Michigan Flower Growers’ Cooperative and Michigan Farm Link, and previously ran a four‑season farm.
Before settling in Ann Arbor, Trilby worked in documentary film and international nonprofit coordination in Brazil. A native New Yorker, she has made her home in Washtenaw County since 2010 and lives in Webster Township with her partner and two children. Trilby enjoys taking walks in the woods with her dog Oscar and cat Maple.
Anna McLean is a University of Michigan undergraduate, student journalist, and unapologetic em-dash lover. She’s majoring in Political Science and serving as the Managing Editor of the Michigan Daily’s investigative journalism beat. When she’s not chasing a story or editing a lede, you’ll likely find her with a beach read in hand, sipping an overpriced Ann Arbor matcha, or posting pictures of her adorable cat, Juno. You can find her work here, and she can be reached at [email protected].
Micheline (Micki) Maynard is a born-and-raised Ann Arborite who has lived in six different parts of town. She remembers buying candy at Drake’s, and one of her first jobs was as a gift wrapper at Jacobson’s. As a grown-up, she’s written six books and reported for publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, and Fortune. She has two Substack newsletters, CulinaryWoman (culinarywoman.substack.com) and Intersection: Everything That Moves (intermove.substack.com). You can also follow her on Threads and Instagram @michelinemaynard and TikTok @CulinaryWoman, or email her at [email protected].
Davi Napoleon is a theater historian and freelance writer. Although she specializes in the arts, she has written about a variety of subjects for local and national magazines and loves diving in and learning new things. She grew up in New York City and came to Ann Arbor to study at U-M. After doing her doctorate at NYU, she returned to the town she missed. She’s lived here for over 45 years and has contributed to the Observer for almost that long. You can read more about her here.
Thanks to a creative grandmother, at an early age, Cynthia Furlong Reynolds knew she was destined to be a writer. An English/History double major taught her the power and terror of deadlines. After college, she annotated the Maine Women Writer’s Collection and later worked for Princeton University (assistant director, publications/communications) and the University of Tampa (director, publications/communications). As her husband was frequently transferred and they were raising three children, she worked for a succession of newspapers and magazines. She has published a dozen children’s books, a novel, countless magazine articles, and histories, two of them Michigan Notable Book Award winners. After earning her MFA in creative writing, she launched two twice-monthly writing workshops in Dexter, which have persevered for 15 years. Four of her Ann Arbor Observer articles have won Writers’ Digest awards for journalism. A Good Housekeeping Award winner, her children’s book Grammie’s Secret Cupboard honors the grandmother who inspired her to become a writer. She can be reached at www.CynthiaFurlongReynolds.com or [email protected].
Mia Risberg is originally from Sweden but has lived in Ann Arbor for the past 20 years. She is an artist who works in a variety of mediums including acrylic paint, oils, and colored pencils. She has exhibited at various U.S. venues, and her work has been featured in several publications such as ArtMaze Magazine, Create!, Friend of the Artist, as well as on podcasts such as Studio Break and Create!.
She is the founder and curator of 813 Microgallery, a minute freestanding gallery space on the east side of town, where she showcases on a small scale, the work of a different artist each month. She is inspired by nature and loves taking walks with her oversized labrador, Phil, in Nichols Arboretum.