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The editorial independence of our editors and reporters is critical to the mission of The Beacon. The standards adopted by the Institute for Nonprofit News are our guide. Prior to working at The Beacon, journalists (staff and freelancers) agree to uphold the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. Journalists also disclose conflicts of interest and provide references and samples of past work to editors.
We’re always looking to expand our team and work with journalists from backgrounds and areas underrepresented in media. Click here to learn more.
JOYCE DAVIS, a sophomore at Wichita’s South High School, is an intern serving as The Beacon’s first high school correspondent. A 15-year-old Wichita native, she is a rising star on TikTok with more than 100K followers. Her favorite school subject is English. Her interest in journalism stems from a concern that her peers do not fully understand how much their lives are affected by current events at the local and national level. She also writes for Teen View Magazine, serves on the student council and is a cheerleader, a member of the Mayor’s Youth Council and an ambassador for Rise Up For Youth.
MIRANDA MOORE covers state government for The Wichita Beacon. Previously, she worked as an award-winning investigative reporter with the USA TODAY network in Florida. Prior to that, she wrote for The Washington Post, and provided research and data analysis for “60 Minutes” at CBS News and BuzzFeed News. She has also reported from the Missouri statehouse for the Columbia Missourian. Before becoming a journalist, she worked as a paralegal at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. and served in the Peace Corps in Uganda from 2009 to 2011. She holds masters degrees from the University of Missouri in business and investigative journalism, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies.
KRISTEN NICOLE POWELL is the Wichita Beacon’s Community Engagement Bureau Manager. She started her career working at the Center for Combating Human Trafficking and has also worked as a journalism intern, researching youth advocacy and the movement to close youth prisons. Kristen graduated from Wichita State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and also has experience in advocacy, organizing and social justice.
TRACE SALZBRENNER (he/they) is a reporter at The Wichita Beacon. His background is in community media and journalism, working for radio stations and newspapers across Colorado, where he grew up, and Kansas. Trace is a lover of music, animals and photography.
POLLY BASORE WENZL is the editor of The Wichita Beacon. She has deep ties in the Wichita community to journalism, nonprofits and education. Wenzl’s background includes 15 years as a reporter and editor with experience covering government at all levels, including as a Washington correspondent. The author of five books, she also specializes in narrative non-fiction and teaches a course at Wichita State University called “The Power of Storytelling” with her husband, Roy Wenzl. Wenzl holds degrees in journalism from Oklahoma State University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Contributors
📸 Fernando Salazar
📸 Alex Unruh
✍️ Joe Klopus
✍️ Cecilia Green
Beacon Media
HILARY BECKER is the audience and product manager for The Kansas City Beacon and The Wichita Beacon. She graduated from the University of Missouri – Kansas City with a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in marketing. She has over six years of marketing experience growing audiences at nonprofits and media organizations. In her free time she can be found cooking, rock climbing or enjoying a new show or book.
STEPHANIE CAMPBELL is The Beacon’s CEO. Campbell brings deep experience in nonprofit leadership roles spanning the education, startup, philanthropy, technology and performing arts industries, as well as skills in budget management, venture philanthropy, strategic planning and employee engagement. Campbell previously served as vice president of operations and communications at Kansas City-based nonprofit Leanlab Education, a nonprofit working towards equity in K-12 education, and associate director of the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Missouri Kansas City. In her free time she enjoys unwinding on the tennis court and spending time with her three kids.
JENNIFER HACK WOLF is the interim publisher of The Beacon, leading editorial, audience and product strategy for the two newsrooms in Kansas City and Wichita. Before that role, she served as audience director. Previously, Wolf launched a design-thinking consultancy, Below the Fold, helping nonprofits across the region solve critical problems. A Kansas City native, she spent more than 14 years at The Kansas City Star, first as a photographer and later as photo editor and editor of Ink Magazine. A Kansas City native and graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, she and her husband live in a old fire station and enjoy exploring the Flint Hills of Kansas.
BILL SUNDAHL is vice president of corporate partnerships at The Beacon. After a varied set of careers that led to the Fundraising Leadership Series at the University of Missouri – Kansas City in 2016, his passion for connecting people with ways to grow our community took root. Sundahl founded the Crossroads Music Fest in 2005. He spent eight years at KKFI 90.1 FM, starting as an events and volunteer coordinator, then development director. The last 10 years also found him playing bass and singing in the Starhaven Rounders. He and his wife are the proud parents of two daughters who all love to find fun places to camp near the water.