Patrick Grego, Editor-in-Chief

An award winning journalist based in the Hudson Valley, Grego’s reporting won the New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished feature writing, multiple honors from the New York Press Association, and the Institute for Nonprofit News’ Community Champion Award. Grego is a graduate of The City College of New York, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English. When he’s not working on a story, or editing the weekly edition, Grego can be found exploring the many parks, preserves and natural wonders that distinguish Pine Plains and its surrounding communities.

Bob Barnett, Volunteer Contributor

Bob Barnett is a health editor, writer and author. He’s worked at The Runner, American Health, Parenting, MD Minute, Bottom Line Personal, the websites Miavita.com and iVillage (NBC), and publications for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). He is the author of Tonics and co-author of Volumetrics. Most recently, Barnett was the editor of Cancer Health magazine and website. Now an independent journalist once again, he writes for several publications, including the New Pine Plains Herald. Barnett and his wife first bought land in Pine Plains at a tax auction in 1998 and built a house, after a few false starts, in 2004. They split their time between New York City and Pine Plains. They have a daughter and a Labradoodle.

Lenora Champagne, Volunteer Contributor

Lenora Champagne is a writer, performer and director who is active in a number of Pine Plains activities. In addition to writing and reporting for the Herald, she has directed five Evergreen Cemetery Tours, co-curated (with Darrah Cloud) the Local Produce playreading series at The Stissing Center, and helps raise vegetables in the community garden. She has written articles, essays, and playscripts for newspapers, journals, and books, including The Paris Metro, TDR (The Drama Review), PAJ (Performing Arts Journal), American Theatre Magazine, Performance Research, and other publications, and is editor of Out from Under: Texts by Women Performance Artists (TCG).  Three of her plays are collected in New World Plays (No Passport Press). A long-time Pine Plains visitor and a resident since 2017, she is Professor Emerita at Purchase College, SUNY and currently teaches at NYU. www.lenorachampagne.com 

Tristan Geary, Freelance Contributor

Tristan Geary is a writer living in Hudson. His writing and reporting has been featured in The New York Times, The Times Union, Chronogram, and more. He graduated from Bard College in 2020, where he studied music. He often covers arts and culture, but has gained experience in local government, environment, and travel stories. Outside of journalism, Geary writes poetry and short fiction, you can find him doing readings at bookstores, bars, and in nature around the Hudson Valley. 

Claire Gunning, Volunteer Contributor

Claire Gunning recently retired after spending 22 years as the Art and Architecture Librarian at the Cooper Union in New York City. Prior to Cooper Union, she was a librarian at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and the New York Public Library. Since her retirement, she has moved from Brooklyn to Pine Plains, with her husband, Jay Osofsky.  

Peter Klebnikov, Volunteer Contributor 

Kelbnikov has spent his entire career in journalism, starting out at a small-town newspaper before moving to a conservative daily, The Washington Times, winning one of the country’s top journalism awards, the National Investigative Reporters and Editors grand prize. Peter then spent a decade overseas, working to bring American values to Poland, Ukraine and other countries struggling to emerge from communism. Hired by the Hearst Corporation, he started the first Western newspaper in Russia, and then ran a foundation for New York University in Moscow, attempting to introduce press freedom to countries emerging from communist dictatorship. For the past 20 years, Peter, a lifelong lover of the outdoors, served as chief editor at the Environmental Defense Fund, a national environmental group. He and his wife live full time in Pine Plains.

Mike Manning, Volunteer Contributor

Mike Manning moved to Pine Plains in 1991. With his wife Mary, he ran the Tower Deli from 1993 to 1994. Mike worked at the New York Department of Transportation for 25 years, retiring in 2019. (Mary passed away in 2013.) Mike serves on the board of Friends of Stissing Landmarks, and is a member of the Little Nine Partners Historical Society, in addition to volunteering with the Ashokan Rail Trail, the Pine Plains Free Library, the Meals on Wheels program in Millerton, and the Time and the Valleys Museum. Mike is a member of the Catskill 3500 club, having climbed each of the 35 peaks twice.

Robert Melnyk, Digital Production Assistant

Robert Melnyk is a graphic who’s always seeking to learn and grow in his craft. He’s a graduate of SUNY New Paltz, where he developed a keen eye for design. Starting as an intern at One EPIC Place in New Paltz, NY, he gained valuable experience and insights into the industry. Following his internship, Robert continued his journey as a Graphic Designer at Stepping Stone Multimedia in Kingston, NY, where he had the opportunity to contribute to various projects and refine his skills. Currently, he’s part of the production team at the Herald, where he enjoys collaborating with colleagues and bringing ideas to life.

Will Maitland Weiss, Volunteer Contributor

Weiss’ first job out of college was as second-in-command on a two-person staff for a weekly newspaper in Massachusetts.  After many years’ detour into nonprofit development, marketing and management and a dozen years and counting teaching an undergraduate course in entrepreneurship, he is delighted to return to journalism and to draw attention to the town of Ancram.

Judith Wolff, Volunteer Contributor

Judith Wolff is a lifelong photographer who began her career as an editor in documentary films. She transitioned to television, editing A&E Biographies and one-hour specials for the History Channel, Comedy Central, National Geographic and New York Times Television. She joined WNET in 2002 to help launch Now with Bill Moyers, then went on to edit other public affairs programs and documentaries at PBS, including two that won Emmys. After an eight-year stint at the PBS NewsHour Weekend, she moved to Pine Plains in February 2022. At the Herald, Judith provides production and photography support and produced the paper’s first social video.