Meet the Team – Shasta Scout

Staff

ANNELISE PIERCE

Founder / Managing Editor / Community Reporter

Annelise is Shasta Scout’s Director and Managing Editor and a Community Reporter focusing on religious & political movements, and local government. Read more

CARLI RAY

Team Administrator

My name is Carli, and I am a part-time team administrator at Shasta Scout. Read more.

MADISON HOLCOMB

Reporter

Madison graduated from the University of Illinois in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in sustainability, energy and the environment. She’s a multimedia and investigative reporter assigned to Shasta Scout’s Civics and Community Engagement beat, which focuses on politics, local governance and accountability and how local community members engage with their environment, each other and people in power. Read more.

BRENDA GONZALEZ

Reporter

Brenda graduated from Boston University in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science. She’s a multimedia reporter assigned to Shasta Scout’s justice beat, which is focused on public safety and minority communities. Read more.

MARY BEECH

Reporter

Mary graduated with a master’s from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in New York City in May 2026. She’s a multimedia and investigative reporter assigned to Shasta Scout’s Human Needs beat which is focused on housing and homelessness, public health, and social services. Read more.

Columnists

SHARON BRISOLARA

Op-Ed Columnist

Sharon is a local program evaluator, educator, writer, and resilience & equity coach who writes Underground Good, a monthly column focused on the mindsets and world views of the unseen, ordinary people doing good in Shasta County.

IRENE SALTER

Op-Ed Columnist

Irene is a local leadership coach, educator and PhD neuroscientist, who writes Inside Public Service, a monthly column focused on providing a window into the workings of government at a human level.

ALISSA JOHNSON

Op Ed Columnist

Alissa is an accomplished cellist and an activist for the human rights of autistic and unhoused people. She writes We The Homeless People, a monthly column focused on the perspectives of Shasta County’s homeless community.

COMING SOON

Op Ed Columnist

Our latest columnist

Governing Board

Sam Gross

President

Sam Gross is a co-founder and VP of Content for Stacker, a data journalism newswire that produces and syndicates stories to over 2,000 publishing partners. He sits at the intersection of editorial, newsroom product, and partnership strategies to support the creation of coverage that can complement the efforts of local news organizations.

Irene Salter

Board Member

Irene is a local leadership coach, educator, and PhD neuroscientist. She has been a columnist for Shasta Scout and is now on the governing board.

Lisa Heyamoto

Secretary

Lisa Heyamoto is dedicated to building a durable local news infrastructure through sustainable organizational growth, systems thinking and community engagement. She is Vice President of Portfolio Learning at the American Journalism Project, where she surfaces data insights across the grantee portfolio to create rich learning experiences that move news organizations forward.

Jeanette Logue

Treasurer

Jeannette Logue has had two professional careers. She taught at the
elementary and junior high levels in the Happy Valley Union Elementary School District for seventeen years.

Shasta Scout is a news media organization operating under the non-profit North State Community Journalism Project, a 501(c)3.