Cardinal News has recently welcomed nine staff members across the news and business teams.
As a nonprofit, nonpartisan local news organization covering more than 16,000 square miles with 33 counties and 12 cities, growth is essential to executing our mission “to report the untold stories of Southwest and Southside Virginia, and strengthen the voices of the people in our communities who have been sidelined in the commonwealth’s political, economic and cultural conversations simply because of where they live.”
And there’s more growth to come in 2026. We currently have openings for an Editor in Chief, a Southwest Virginia accountability reporter and a Partnerships Manager.
Here are the people who have joined Cardinal News since November 2025:
- Sarah Stevenson, chief revenue officer
- Todd Jackson, associate editor
- Renai Bodley, major gifts officer
- Laura Kebede-Twumasi, audience engagement and retention manager
- Anna Rubenstein, Southwest Virginia reporter
- Julianna Stephenson, Martinsville reporter
- Erick Solorzano, New River Valley reporter
- Meghan Mangrum, education reporter
- Morgan Brown, revenue operations support
Sarah Stevenson, chief revenue officer
As chief revenue officer, Sarah Stevenson works to build and sustain the revenue that funds Cardinal’s independent, nonprofit local news operation — including major gifts, sponsorships and the member support that makes it all possible.
A Northern Virginia transplant who has called Salem home for the past two years, Sarah brings more than two decades of nonprofit fundraising experience to Cardinal News, having worked with organizations focused on press freedom, civil liberties and digital privacy.
She holds degrees in religion and sociology from Dickinson College and a certificate in developing major gifts from the Indiana University School of Philanthropy. When she’s not building donor relationships, you’ll find her on her patio with a cup of coffee while her dogs, Odin and Margaret, make the most of the backyard.
Todd Jackson, associate editor
Todd Jackson has been a journalist in Southwest Virginia for nearly four decades.
That includes 31 years with The Roanoke Times, covering everything from spot news to murder trials to the state legislature to Roanoke City Hall, and he served as New River Valley bureau chief for more than a decade.
He is a Virginia Tech graduate and lives in Christiansburg.
Renai Bodley, major gifts officer
Renai Bodley is a Roanoke native whose career in local journalism spans more than 35 years. Her experience includes serving as a reporter, producer, television news director and public radio general manager — positions that have given her a deep understanding of the vital role local news plays in strengthening communities.
Today, Renai channels that passion into philanthropy, helping ensure that high-quality, independent journalism remains accessible to the people who depend on it. She believes that trusted, fact-based reporting is essential to an informed public, civic engagement and the long-term health of communities across Virginia.
As major gifts officer for Cardinal News, Renai works closely with supporters who share a commitment to preserving local journalism for future generations. She enjoys building meaningful relationships with donors and connecting them to the impact of Cardinal News’ reporting on issues that matter most to Virginians.
Laura Kebede-Twumasi, audience engagement and retention manager
Laura Kebede-Twumasi grew up in Culpeper and got her start in journalism writing a local newspaper column as a high school student.
Since then, she’s reported on government and religion for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, K-12 education in Memphis for Chalkbeat and the history of racial injustice in the mid-South for the Institute for Public Service Reporting.
Throughout, her focus has been on ensuring the folks most affected by an issue have a say in shaping news reporting. As our audience engagement and retention manager, Laura wants to know what you want out of Cardinal News so that our news goals align with community needs.
Anna Rubenstein, Southwest Virginia reporter
Anna Rubenstein is a reporter covering Southwest Virginia and a recent graduate of Boston University. At Cardinal News, Anna will cover counties along the Kentucky border, producing accountability and enterprise work.
During college, she worked for WBUR, Boston’s NPR station, and spent summers interning at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Baltimore Banner.
She is from West Windsor, New Jersey, where working for her high school radio station shaped her belief in local news and its ability to help us understand each other better. She has lots to learn and welcomes any help.
Julianna Stephenson, Martinsville reporter
Julianna Stephenson is a Southwest Virginia native, originally from Botetourt County. She recently graduated from Washington and Lee University, where she studied journalism and education policy.
She was co-editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, the Ring-tum Phi, and helped lead the organization’s nonprofit incorporation to secure financial sustainability and editorial independence.
She also served as an education reporter, anchor and producer for the university’s weekly live broadcast, the Rockbridge Report. Julianna has previously reported in Southwest Virginia through internships at The Roanoke Times and WDBJ-TV.
Erick Solorzano, New River Valley reporter
Erick Anthony Solorzano is the New River Valley reporter for Cardinal News.
Originally from Powder Springs, Georgia, he graduated from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2020 with a major in journalism and a minor in political science.
Before joining Cardinal News, Erick worked as a community engagement journalist for The Current Roanoke, a digital-first newsroom focused on telling local stories in new and engaging ways. His reporting centered on economic and personal finance issues impacting communities across Southwest Virginia.
Meghan Mangrum, education reporter
Meghan Mangrum joined Cardinal News in 2026 after serving as the managing editor of the Fauquier Times, a weekly newspaper based in Warrenton.
She previously covered education in Tennessee for nearly seven years at the Chattanooga Times Free Press and The Tennessean, part of the USA Today Network, before joining The Dallas Morning News’ Education Lab team.
A Florida native, she earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and attended graduate school at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communication.
An award-winning journalist, Meghan was named best education writer in Tennessee four years in a row and was part of the Fauquier Times team that won first place in the Virginia Press Association’s inaugural A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism. She and her family (and their three dogs) live in Lynchburg.
Morgan Brown, revenue operations support
Morgan Brown has worked in business operations and consumer relations for over five years, most recently serving as a patient access representative for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. She is passionate about connecting with readers on a personal level and helping to sustain accessible and accurate news for the Southwest Virginia community where she was born and raised. As revenue operations support, Morgan maintains records and ensures accuracy and efficiency for donors and other staff.
