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2021 Staff

The Chautauquan Daily 2021 staff, from left: Meg Viehe, Mary Lee Talbot, David Kwiatkowski, Nichole Jiang, Grace Bukowski, Kristen Triplett, Max Zambrano, Dave Munch. Front Row, from left: Sara Toth, Annalee Hubbs, Laura Philion, Sarah Vest, Nick Danlag

Editors


Sara Toth – Editor

Sara Toth is entering her fourth summer as editor of The Chautauquan Daily — this season once again back in the newsroom producing a physical newspaper  — and works year-round in Chautauqua Institution’s Department of Education. Previously, Sara served four years as the Daily’s assistant and then managing editor. An alum of the Daily internship program, she is a native of Pittsburgh(ish), attended Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, and worked for nearly four years as a reporter in the Baltimore Sun Media Group.

Dave Munch – Photo Editor

Dave Munch is the photo editor of the Daily and serves year-round as multimedia producer for Chautauqua Institution. A Cincinnati native, Munch graduated from Ohio University and has worked as a staff photographer for the Baltimore Sun Media Group and the Erie Times-News. Munch’s work has been featured in publications across the country. He lives in Jamestown with his partner.

Copy & Digital Editors


Laura Philion – Copy & Digital Editor

This is Laura’s second season with the Daily, but her first on the grounds! Although born in Buffalo, she has spent most of her life in the South, bouncing between North Carolina and Virginia. In the fall, Laura will return to Sarah Lawrence College as a senior studying writing and art history. When not copy editing this summer, she will be on the lake, getting a sunburn.

Annalee Hubbs – Copy & Digital Editor

Annalee Hubbs is spending her first season in Chautauqua as a copy and digital editor for the Daily. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Annalee recently graduated from Western Kentucky University where she studied journalism, digital advertising and fashion merchandising. When she is not working, Annalee can be found reading, playing board games or tending to her 40-plus plants.

Design Editors


Grace Bukowski – Design Editor

Grace Bukowski is a design editor at The Chautauquan Daily and studies new media design at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is from Mayville, New York, but this is her first time spending a summer at Chautauqua. Her goal this season is to build an understanding of the community and all that makes up Chautauqua. When she is not designing, she spends her time learning about ocean life and ways to be more eco-friendly.

Olivia Dutkewych – Design Editor 

Olivia Dutkewych is a rising senior majoring in publication design at Ohio University. She is head of publication design at Variant Magazine and has also worked with The Post at OU. This is her first season with the Daily where she serves as a designer. In her free time, Olivia likes to do arts and crafts and listen to true crime podcasts.

Photographers


Kristen Triplett – Photographer

This is Kristen Triplett’s first season with the Daily where she serves as a photographer. She discovered her love for photography in college and will be graduating from Ball State University with a degree in photojournalism at the end of this summer. Her passions are portrait photography and portraying stories through her work. When not working, Kristen enjoys frequenting local coffee shops, playing guitar and spending time by the riverfront in her hometown of New Albany, Indiana.

Reporters


Nick Danlag – Reporter

This is Nick Danlag’s second season at the Daily reporting the morning lecture recap. He worked remotely last year but loved waking up each day in Las Vegas to learn more about Chautauqua through his reporting. From Mount Laurel, New Jersey, Nick earned a creative writing degree from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. As editor-in-chief of his student newspaper, The Current, he loved helping the staff develop their voices.

Nichole Jiang – Reporter

Nichole is a rising senior at Penn State University majoring in digital print journalism with a minor in Chinese. At PSU, Nichole served as a web writer for Valley Magazine and is currently an editor and writer for College Magazine. As a first-timer at Chautauqua, Nichole is excited to be working with the Daily and experiencing everything the area has to offer. Nichole loves going to the beach and trying out new recipes.

David Kwiatkowski – Reporter  

David Kwiatkowski is a rising senior at Miami of Ohio University studying journalism and American studies. He is both a senior campus and community editor and the entertainment editor for The Miami Student newspaper, a writing consultant for the Howe Writing Center, and a staff writer for Gaye Magazine. He will be reporting on the theater and opera companies during his first season at Chautauqua. When he isn’t writing or editing, David enjoys listening to music and podcasts or watching movies.

Jordyn Russell – Reporter

Jordyn Russell is a senior at Penn State University where she studies broadcast journalism and theater. Jordyn’s interest in reporting began during her freshman year when she was able to take her first journalism class, leading to her dream of becoming a news anchor within the entertainment industry. When she is not busy writing, Jordyn enjoys singing with her a cappella group, Shades of Blue, and performing in musicals.

Mary Lee Talbot – Reporter

Mary Lee Talbot writes the recap of the morning worship service. A lifelong Chautauquan, Mary Lee is a Presbyterian minister, author of Chautauqua’s Heart: 100 Years of Beauty and a history of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd. She edited The Streets Where We Live and Shalom Chautauqua. She lives in Chautauqua year-round with her stabyhoun, Sammi.

Deb Trefts – Reporter

Deb Trefts is a policy scientist with extensive United States, Canadian and additional international experience in conservation. She focuses on the resolution of ocean and freshwater-related challenges and the art and science of deciphering and developing public policy at all levels from global to local.

Sarah Vest – Reporter

Sarah Vest is a recent Saint Joseph’s University graduate and lifelong Chautauquan, though this is her first season working at the Daily. She will be reporting on literary arts. At St. Joe’s, Sarah majored in English and minored in both biology and medieval, renaissance and reformation studies. She was a coxswain for the Division I women’s rowing team, and when not on the water, Sarah enjoys spending time reading and baking.

Meg Viehe – Reporter

Meg Viehe is a retired teacher living in Newport Beach, California, during the off-season. She is happiest when she and her husband Rich are surrounded by grandchildren and their parents, the extended Viehe clan and friends at Chautauqua. Her advice to her grandchildren and others: “Be nice to everyone at Chautauqua. You never know who will be part of your future family.”

John Warren – Writing Coach

John Warren is a writing coach and occasional columnist for The Chautauquan Daily. His “day job” is as news director for The University of California, Riverside. He was a writer and editor in print journalism for 20 years, including at The Virginian-Pilot. He is a lifelong Chautauquan.

Max Zambrano – Reporter

Max Zambrano is a recent Western Kentucky University graduate in his first season at Chautauqua. At WKU, he served as editor-in-chief of the Talisman magazine and website, majored in political science and minored in journalism writing. Max has traveled to Australia and Morocco, and he hopes to visit all 50 states (28 to go). This summer, he will report on interfaith lectures and sacred song services. Let him know if you want to play backgammon on Bestor Plaza.