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Who We Are
Executive Director
Jan Ritch-Frel has worked in Independent Media for more than two decades at a range of publications in many roles, including more than a decade with AlterNet. A graduate of St. Andrews University of Scotland, Jan previously worked on Howard Dean’s presidential campaign and for many media startup companies. He is the co-author of Neighbors From Hell: An American Bedtime Story (Feral House, 2015). Jan is co-founder of the Observatory, as well as a co-founder and writer for the Human Bridges project.
Manager of Editorial Projects, Programs Administrator
Brittani Banks
Production Editor and Outreach Coordinator
Brittani Banks is a writer with a BA in English literature and creative writing from Agnes Scott College. She has done editorial work for AlterNet, Dotdash, and other websites.
Elizabeth Carena
Development Manager
Elizabeth Carena is a business administrator and performing artist. She has served as managing director of Third Rail Projects and capital associate of Theatre for a New Audience. She holds a BA in performance from Fordham University at Lincoln Center.
Ruhi Bhasin
FEATURES Editor
Ruhi Bhasin is an editor and a senior journalist. Previously, she worked at the Times of India and the Indian Express covering politics, legal matters, and social issues.
April M. Short
Local Peace Economy Chief Correspondent and Co-Founder of the Observatory
April M. Short is an editor, journalist, and documentary editor and producer. Previously, she was a managing editor at AlterNet as well as an award-winning senior staff writer for Good Times, a weekly newspaper in Santa Cruz, California. Her work has been published with the San Francisco Chronicle, In These Times, LA Yoga, Pressenza, the Conversation, Salon, and many other publications.