Last week, I visited San Antonio to attend Press Forward Summit 2026 with funders, journalists and community leaders about the erosion of local news—and the growing reach of disinformation across our information ecosystem. It is hard to overstate what is lost when communities have fewer trusted reporters asking questions, documenting decisions and helping people make…

Yesterday I was flying high above beautiful Gunnison, Colorado, to celebrate the gifts that bilingual community leaders bring to this who live here. This place has a way of making big questions feel very close to the ground. And the special people whose labor, leadership, culture, and care help keep this valley moving in ways…

Last week in Tabernash, Colorado, a clear night sky offered a reminder of what thoughtful stewardship can protect. Colorado’s dark sky communities are about more than astronomy. They reflect local choices about conservation, responsible growth, wildlife protection, energy use and public access to a resource many people rarely experience: a truly dark night sky. That…

Last night, I watched Lithium Rising: The Race for Critical Minerals on PBS, and I’m still sitting with its central question: what happens when the technologies we need for a cleaner future depend on extraction from places already carrying so much ecological burden? The film follows the global race for minerals powering batteries, electric vehicles,…

Why Field Notes, Why Now I am beginning this site at a moment when my professional curiosity is becoming bigger than any single role, project, or institution can hold. For much of my work, I have been focused on strategic communications: how we explain complex issues, how organizations build trust, how public messages move people…