Meet our team of contributors
The Richmonder currently has three full-time employees. We also have a business manager, David Poole, who helps oversee financial matters. Poole founded the Virginia Public Access Project, and has decades of experience in the nonprofit space.
Our two reporters are:
Graham Moomaw: Graham is a politics and government reporter who has worked in Richmond journalism since 2013. After covering Henrico County, City Hall and the governor’s office for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, he spent nearly five years as a statehouse reporter for The Virginia Mercury. A Lynchburg native, Graham is a graduate of James Madison University and the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. He lives in Southside Richmond.
Sarah Vogelsong: Sarah has been covering Virginia for more than a decade, most recently as editor of the Virginia Mercury, a nonprofit news site dedicated to state policy and politics. She previously worked as a reporter at the Bay Journal, The Progress-Index and the Caroline Progress, and has written for numerous other publications, including Style Weekly, Virginia Business and Inside Climate News. She is a graduate of William & Mary and lives in Richmond's Northside.
Our founding editor is Michael Phillips, who has lived in Richmond for 17 years. He worked at the Richmond Times-Dispatch for 16 years as a sports reporter, sports editor, interim executive editor and senior editor.
The Richmonder will also have a rotating roster of freelance reporters and photographers, who provide expertise in a variety of areas. As our lineup evolves, we'll keep things updated on our website, which launches Monday morning.
Here are some of the writers and photographers you'll see on our site in the first weeks:
Tom Allen is the editor of the Virginia Journal of Education and the author of two books, Grace Happens and Roll With It, collections of his faith and values columns.
He previously contributed to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Ashley Jefferson is the owner of VA Style Studios, a creative design agency specializing in fashion, styling, and media production. With over 20 years of experience, Ashley’s background spans modeling, boutique ownership, and creative direction. She has transformed VA Style Studios into a leading force in the fashion industry, known for its innovative approach to styling, branding, and media production. Currently, she lives in Scott's Addition with her fiancé, Alex, and their little pup, Asha.
Ryan M. Kelly is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist based in Richmond specializing in news and sports. A lifelong Virginian, Kelly was born and raised in Northern Virginia, began his career in Newport News, worked as a staff photographer at The Daily Progress in Charlottesville, and has freelanced across central Virginia since moving to Richmond in 2017.
Justice Lowry is a photographer based in Richmond dedicated to capturing compelling stories through my lens. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for creativity, he's worked with a diverse range of clients, delivering high-quality photography that resonates with their unique vision. His work is all about bringing moments to life, blending artistry with authenticity.
Sean Sublette was born and raised in Richmond and is the only local meteorologist to hold the Certified Digital Meteorologist designation by the American Meteorological Society. Before coming home in 2021 to work for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, he was a broadcast meteorologist for 19 years in the Roanoke-Lynchburg area and worked six years with scientists at Climate Central in Princeton, N.J. He owns Sublette Weather and Consulting and contributes regularly to the Fredericksburg Free Press.
Kendall Taylor is currently a senior studying broadcast journalism at Virginia Commonwealth University.
She loves writing and reporting stories about arts, sports, education, lifestyle and more.
Brooke Landers is from Orlean, Va. and a recent Virginia Tech graduate with a degree in Multimedia Journalism. Her passion for storytelling is depicted in her music journalism, photography, and outdoor writings. As a new Richmond resident, she spends her time working at a flower shop, fishing in the James, and going to local concerts.
Sheena Jeffers is a Richmond native, and a VCU and ODU graduate. She is the author of LIVING TIDAL; she has written for Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Washington Examiner, Waterborne Magazine, and the anthology, Facing Fear Head On: True Stories from Women on the Water. A mother of two, she lives South of the James.
Hazel Hoffman is a VCU senior from rural Oregon studying Media Production and is passionate about sports, journalism, and the outdoors. They've written for the Commonwealth Times and produce radio during the day for Audacy Richmond.
Andy Thompson was the Times-Dispatch Outdoors columnist from 2007 to 2013. He now island-hops all over the James River with his wife, two kids and two dogs.
Jerry Lindquist covered sports for more than 50 years, including a 47-year stint at the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He is from New York City, by way of Red Bank, N.J., and Washington and Lee U. He is a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame
Charlotte Matherly is a Virginia native and a freelance journalist with a knack for covering government, education and business. She loves showing up to government meetings and combing through public records. She graduated with a journalism degree from James Madison University in 2023, where she led its award-winning student newspaper, The Breeze.
Tim Wenzell is a Professor of English at Virginia Union University. He has published a novel, short story and poetry collections, books on Irish ecocriticism, and articles in Richmond Magazine, as well as essays and literary analysis in academic journals.
The Richmonder believes quality journalism can connect the community. We look forward to sharing stories from the community, in addition to accountability journalism that keeps an eye on how your tax dollars are spent.
