Our Advisory Board
ChicoSol’s managing editor Leslie Layton is a bilingual journalist who founded ChicoSol in 2007 as a classroom teaching tool while working as an adjunct faculty member in the Chico State University journalism department. In recent years, she has guided ChicoSol into a much larger role as a nonprofit online news source for the community.
Lindajoy, a member of the ChicoSol founding family, is a bilingual writer and teacher who assists with administration, Spanish translation and arts coverage. Lindajoy has worked on newspapers in California and in Central America and as a financial journalist in Mexico City. She also founded Dos Tradiciones, a Mexico-based nonprofit cultural exchange organization.
Natalie, a journalist with 10 years experience, grew up in Chico and earned degrees in journalism and political science at Chico State. She served as editor of the Butte College student newspaper The Roadrunner, editor of the Chico State newspaper The Orion, worked in Chico as a daily newspaper reporter and began writing freelance for ChicoSol in 2022.
Nancy Park
Nancy, a native Chicoan, has a journalism degree from UC Berkeley and oversees ChicoSol’s membership program. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Contra Costa County and has served on the boards of Chico Housing Action Team, Shalom Free Clinic and Friends of Bidwell Park.
Forrest Hartman
Forrest is a full-time lecturer at California State University, Chico, and adviser to The Orion, the university’s independent, student-run news organization. He is chief film critic for Highbrow Magazine, an online magazine, and serves as a university liaison at ChicoSol.
Other contributors
Yucheng Tang is a California Local News fellow who began reporting full-time for ChicoSol in September 2024. Tang completed an MFA at New York University in narrative nonfiction writing and covers city government at ChicoSol. He received a national health fellowship from the University of Southern California after arriving that funded a two-part series on Butte County’s mental health diversion court.
Patrice Berry is ChicoSol’s creative director, producing our weekly newsletter, The Little Sun.
Dave Waddell, our former news director, contributes investigative reporting. Dave is a professor emeritus in the Chico State Department of Journalism and worked for 20 years for daily newspapers.
Karen Laslo is a freelance photographer who often contributes photos to ChicoSol.
Chloé Brault works with ChicoSol in fundraising and revenue.
Danielle Alexich is ChicoSol’s resident poet, who reminds us of the power of art to inform and engage.
Carina Merrick (Fila Design) redesigned ChicoSol’s website for a February 2026 relaunch, guiding us through the process of organizing almost 20 years of material.
Work with ChicoSol
ChicoSol has a growing team of people who are passionate about news, democracy and citizen engagement. Volunteer to support this community-run news outlet by joining Friends of the Sun, or contact us at chicosolnews@gmail.comto discuss freelance opportunities.