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.
Annie Comperchio is an artist and photographer who lives in Leelanau County and coaches seasonally for Ann Arbor Rowing Club. Annie has been working as a photographer for 20 years, specializing in portraiture. She formerly put down roots in the agricultural side of food systems in Leelanau, growing produce for local chefs. During the summer months, you’ll find her on the Huron River alongside rowers. You can see her work at anniecomperchio.com or on Instagram @a.comperchio
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].
Alex Kourvo is a book editor and writing instructor who co-runs The Emerging Writers Workshop at the Ann Arbor District Library, where she teaches monthly classes for fiction writers. When she’s not reading and writing, she walks dogs, avoids football traffic, and eats key lime pie whenever possible. You can find more about her at AlexKourvo.com.
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 and Intersection: Everything That Moves. 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].
Bree Stilwell grew up in the sister cities of Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. After spending fifteen of her post-college years in Chicago, Las Vegas and Northern California, she finally relented and returned to the city that at some point calls us all back… if we ever left.
During that time and since, she’s studied poetry in Prague, worn every possible hat in the Napa Valley wine industry, rehabbed a brewery loft in Detroit’s Eastern Market, and was the project manager for the restoration of The Dixboro Project.
She’s a creative entrepreneurship mentor by day, and the author of Caravan by night—a Substack newsletter about culture, art-making and the evolving human experience. Bree lives with her husband, son, stepsons on the northwest side, and can be found at just about any AADL event, nursing her oat flat while working remotely at Dozer, or enjoying all four glorious seasons on the B2B Trail.
