The Chautauquan Daily 2022 staff, front row from left: Dave Munch, Hal Stein, Megan Brown, Alyssa Bump, Joeleen Hubbard, Mary Lee Talbot, Sammi (seated), Sara Toth, Cassidey Kavathas, Drew Follmer, Addyson Gibson, Ellen Mintzer, GraciAnn Hicks and Raegan Steffey. Back row from left: George Koloski, Kaitlyn Finchler, Meg Viehe, Sean Smith, Dylan Townsend, Arden Ryan, Georgia Pressley, Chris Clements, Will Karr, Skyler Black and Breanna Nelson. Not pictured: Deborah Trefts, Alexander Graham and John Warren.
Editors
Sara Toth – Editor
Sara Toth is entering her fifth summer as editor of The Chautauquan Daily and works year-round in Chautauqua Institution’s Department of Education. Previously, she 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. She lives in Jamestown with her husband, a photographer, and her Lilac, a cat.
Dave Munch – Photo Editor
Dave Munch serves as multimedia producer for Chautauqua Institution and works during the summer assembly season as photo editor of The Chautauquan Daily. A Cincinnati native, Dave graduated from Ohio University with a degree in photojournalism and has worked as a staff photographer for the Baltimore Sun Media Group and the Erie Times-News. His work has received local and national recognition and has been featured in publications across the country. Dave lives in Jamestown with his wife and enjoys tending to an increasingly large vegetable garden when the temperature is above freezing.
Breanna Nelson – Assistant Editor
Breanna Nelson is a 2021 graduate of SUNY Oswego, where she majored in communications with a concentration on public relations. During the 2021 season, Breanna served as the Daily’s editorial office manager. She is excited to return for a second season at Chautauqua, where she will serve as the assistant editor.
Copy Editors
Raegan Steffey – Copy Editor
Raegan Steffey is spending her first season at Chautauqua copyediting for the Daily. In May 2022, she graduated from Western Kentucky University where she studied English literature and professional writing. Her passion for journalism is rooted in both the ability to give voices to community members and the opportunity to create unity and understanding. When she is not copyediting, she can be found reading a book somewhere on the grounds or perfecting her homemade matcha recipe.
GraciAnn Hicks – Copy Editor
GraciAnn Hicks is from Lima, Ohio, and attends Miami University as a journalism and professional writing double major with a minor in Spanish. At Miami, she is involved with RedHawk Radio and The Miami Student Magazine. She will be copyediting during her first summer at Chautauqua. When she’s not working, she enjoys listening to music and reading books.
Design Editors
Addyson Gibson – Design Editor
Addyson Gibson recently graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in visual communication, specifically publication design, and a minor in advertising. She is originally from Springfield, Ohio, and this summer she joins the design department for The Chautauquan Daily. She’s excited to collaborate and contribute to the Daily, as well as explore and learn more about Chautauqua.
Alexander Graham – Design Editor
Alexander Graham is a first-time design editor at the Daily. Having recently completed his master’s at Ohio University, Alexander is thrilled for this long overdue change in scenery. When he isn’t designing, Alexander can be found doodling in his sketchbooks, listening to podcasts while taking a stroll and playing music with the rest of his band back in Athens, Ohio.
George Koloski – Design Editor
George Koloski is spending his first summer in Chautauqua as a design editor for the Daily. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, George is a rising senior majoring in publication design at Ohio University. When he is not designing, he likes to watch soccer, draw and play with his Corgi, named Ojo. His goal for the summer is to soak up all that Chautauqua has to offer and become a more well-rounded designer.
Drew Follmer – Design Editor
Drew Follmer is a flourishing senior at Ohio University studying publication design and infographics. This is his first year in Chautauqua and at The Chautauquan Daily. He is an art director and designer for Backdrop Magazine and has designed for Variant magazine. He is from Cincinnati and enjoys playing billiards in his free time.
Photographers
Joeleen Hubbard – Photographer
Joeleen Hubbard graduated from Western Kentucky University in May 2021 with a degree in photojournalism, and she is entering her second year of graduate school at Ohio University, where she is working toward her Master of Arts in visual communication. As a first-timer in Chautauqua, Joeleen will be working as a photographer and is excited to explore the area with her camera. When she’s not photographing, she enjoys cooking, listening to music, petting her cat and spending time with friends and family.
Sean Smith – Photographer
Sean Smith is an undergraduate student at the University of Southern Mississippi. Sean teeters on the edge of being a life-long Chautauquan due to his family vacations here in the past. He enjoys taking photos, which is part of the reason why he is a photographer this year at The Chautauquan Daily.
Georgia Pressley – Photographer
Georgia Pressley is a photographer at The Chautauquan Daily and is studying photojournalism at Rochester Institute of Technology. At her college, Georgia is the president of RIT’s student chapter of the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and works for the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences Facilities. Georgia began her photography career when she was 10 years old, taking photos on whatever camera she could find. She is excited to capture the wide breadth of experiences that take place at Chautauqua.
Dylan Townsend – Photographer
Dylan Townsend is an undergraduate photojournalism student at Ohio University where he works for his student newspaper, The Post. He is interested in exploring stories related to community, the environment and conflict. In his free time, he enjoys taking his camera on hikes and spending time outdoors. At the Daily, Dylan looks forward to broadening his horizons and honing his craft while he works as a photographer.
Reporters
Skyler Black – Reporter
Skyler Black is a rising senior at Miami University studying journalism and emerging technology and business design. At Miami, she reports for UP Magazine and The Miami Student newspaper while also serving as an undergraduate assistant to several journalism classes. This summer, Skyler will report on the environment and Bird, Tree & Garden Club. When not writing, Skyler enjoys listening to music and skiing in her home state of Michigan during winter.
Megan Brown – Reporter
Megan Brown previously managed the business office of The Chautauquan Daily, but she returns as a reporter for the 2022 season. This fall she will graduate from Houghton College with degrees in writing and communication. Outside of class, she works as the co-editor-in-chief of her college’s newspaper The Houghton STAR and consults in the writing center. Megan loves any storytelling medium, traveling and learning new crochet patterns from YouTube.
Alyssa Bump – Reporter
Alyssa Bump is a life-long Western New Yorker, but this is her first season on the grounds of Chautauqua. She is eager to recap the Interfaith Lecture Series while broadening her perspective of the human experience. Alyssa is a senior at SUNY Fredonia, majoring in journalism and public relations with a minor in professional writing. As editor-in-chief of her college newspaper, The Leader, Alyssa focuses on becoming a compelling storyteller and an innovative leader.
Chris Clements – Reporter
Chris Clements is reporting on literary arts during his third summer with The Chautauquan Daily. He has previously written previews for the Interfaith Lecture Series and Sacred Song Services and covered literary arts digitally in 2020. Chris is a second-year grad student at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he is a Master of Fine Arts candidate in creative writing, specializing in fiction. He’s passionate about all things related to literature, music and film, especially author David Foster Wallace, jazz singer Cecile McLorin Salvant and the films of Paul Thomas Anderson.
Kaitlyn Finchler – Reporter
Kaitlyn Finchler is a rising senior at Kent State University majoring in journalism with a minor in public relations. She’s currently the social and digital director for KentWired, serving previously as the general assignment, feature and opinion editor. She is also a third-year member of Tri Sigma sorority. This is her first summer at Chautauqua, and she is previewing the Interfaith Lecture Series. She’s very excited to interview the speakers and see everything Chautauqua has to offer.
Cassidey Kavathas – Reporter
Cassidey Kavathas, a Buffalo native, is a rising junior journalism student at St. Bonaventure University. This is her first summer at the Daily. She is covering Advancement, Institution administration, the board of trustees, the CPOA and dance. She serves as editor-in-chief at her college’s newspaper, as well as news director at her college’s radio station. Cassidey has previously reported for PolitiFact NY, The Olean Times Herald, TAPInto Greater Olean and St. Bonaventure University’s advancements office.
Ellen E. Mintzer – Reporter
Ellen E. Mintzer is the theater beat reporter for The Chautauquan Daily this summer. She recently earned her Master of Arts in arts journalism and communications from Syracuse University. As a freelance arts and culture journalist, she’s written reviews and features about theater, opera, dance, film and more. Ellen loves weird niche comedy, psychological horror and provocative contemporary theater. (A Strange Loop is the best work of art she saw this year.) She is absolutely thrilled to be spending her summer in Chautauqua and covering its theatrical offerings and beyond.
Mary Lee Talbot – Reporter
Mary Lee Talbot writes the recap of the morning worship service. A life-long Chautauquan, she 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
Deborah 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.
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 their children, grandchildren and 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 – Reporter
John Warren is a writing coach and occasional contributing writer for The Chautauquan Daily. His “day job” is as news director for The University of California, Riverside. He was a writer and editor for 20 years, including at The Virginian-Pilot. He is a lifelong Chautauquan.