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Newsroom
Cindy Ramirez
Cindy Ramirez is editor of El Paso Matters. El Paso native Cindy Ramirez has spent most of her career in journalism, with some stints in public and media relations and military reporting. She’s covered everything from education to local government to border issues and has received several awards for news, feature and column writing. More by Cindy Ramirez
Pablo Villa
Pablo Villa is assistant editor of El Paso Matters. An El Paso native, he returned to journalism after working in public relations in the education sector, which included stints at El Paso ISD, UTEP and Fort Bliss. Before that, Villa was an award-winning journalist at the El Paso Times for 11 years. More by Pablo Villa
Elida S. Perez
Elida S. Perez is a senior reporter for El Paso Matters. Her experience includes work as city government watchdog reporter for the El Paso Times, investigative reporter for El Paso Newspaper Tree and communities reporter with the Salem, Oregon, Statesman Journal. More by Elida S. Perez
Priscilla Totiyapungprasert
Priscilla Totiyapungprasert is a health reporter at El Paso Matters and Report for America corp member. She previously covered food and environment at The Arizona Republic. Follow @priscillatotiya on Instagram and Threads More by Priscilla Totiyapungprasert
Daniel Perez
Daniel Perez covers higher education for El Paso Matters, in partnership with Open Campus. He has written on military and higher education issues in El Paso for more than 30 years. More by Daniel Perez
Diego Mendoza-Moyers
Diego Mendoza-Moyers is a reporter covering energy and the environment. An El Paso native, he has previously covered business for the San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union, and reported for the metro newspapers in Las Vegas and Phoenix. He graduated from Arizona State University with a B.A. in journalism. More by Diego Mendoza-Moyers
Claudia Lorena Silva
Claudia Silva was born and raised in El Paso and studied journalism at New Mexico State University. She’s covered a number of topics, from education to arts and culture, in both Texas and New Mexico. More by Claudia Lorena Silva
Angela Kocherga
Angela Kocherga is multimedia editor for El Paso Matters. She has dedicated her career as a journalist to reporting stories on both sides of the border for readers, viewers and public radio listeners. She previously served as Mexico City and Border Bureau Chief for a group of television stations. She also serves as news director at public radio KTEP. You can listen to stories by her on air at 88.5 FM and online at KTEP.org. More by Angela Kocherga
Sofia Sierra
Sofia Sierra is a summer intern for El Paso Matters. She is a student at UTEP, where she is majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in creative writing. She expects to graduate next December. Sofia works at The Prospector, UTEP’s campus newspaper, and hopes to continue to grow as a journalist. More by Sofia Sierra
Freelance contributors
Corrie Boudreaux
Corrie Boudreaux is an award-winning photojournalist and writer in the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez region and a lecturer in the Department of Communication at UTEP. She has covered general news and features in El Paso and New Mexico and migration, culture and security in Mexico. More by Corrie Boudreaux
Alex Hinojosa
Alex Hinojosa is an El Paso freelance journalist and a mass communications instructor at El Paso Community College. More by Alex Hinojosa
Audience
Angela Saavedra
Angela Saavedra is the audience development leader for El Paso Matters. She works to expand the reach of El Paso Matters’ journalism and deepen relationships with its audience. She founded the El Paso Matters Book Club in 2023 to celebrate El Paso’s unique border culture. Her previous work includes public relations and social media marketing. More by Angela Saavedra
Brandy Ruiz
Brandy Ruiz is an audience engagement reporter at El Paso Matters. She joined the staff in 2021 as a social media intern, completed a summer fellowship at the Texas Tribune and graduated with a degree in multimedia journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2023. More by Brandy Ruiz
Development
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Bill Pitchkolan
Bill Pitchkolan is the business development director with El Paso Matters. He is responsible for forming sponsorship and event partnerships with local organizations and businesses. Pitchkolan has 30-plus years of experience in advertising and management roles. He and his wife, Larisa, have three children.
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Kassie Ckodre
Kassie Ckodre is the major gifts director. Her responsibilities include securing resources and working with donors. Her previous work at the New Mexico State University Foundation as the director of development includes experience in capital campaigns, comprehensive campaigns, major gifts and planned giving. She has a master’s degree in leadership studies from UTEP and a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications from NMSU.
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Alyshea Johnson
Alyshea Johnson is the development and events director, guiding membership engagement and event planning to cultivate relationships with the community. Her background includes managing digital media, coordinating events and implementing outreach initiatives. An El Paso native, she received her BBA in marketing from UTEP and her master’s in communication and media management from Colorado State University.
Administration
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Vanessa Mills
Vanessa Mills is the controller for El Paso Matters, overseeing the organization’s financial operations. She has spent the past eight years working in the nonprofit sector in the Las Cruces community, gaining experience in accounting, financial reporting and regulatory compliance. Vanessa earned her bachelor of accountancy from New Mexico State University and is pursuing an MBA.
Robert Moore
Robert Moore is the founder and CEO of El Paso Matters. He has been a journalist in the Texas Borderlands since 1986. More by Robert Moore