Tara Bender was born and raised in Indiana and holds dear all things Midwest. After graduating from Taylor University in Upland, Ind. in 2006, she spent three years in Nashville, Tenn. as a middle school English teacher. Now as a journalism graduate student at Indiana University, she enjoys writing for H&L and Adventure Indiana and designing materials for various organizations in Bloomington. When she's not being a busy journalist, she's usually crafting, riding her bike, or having adventures with her Labradoodle, Gretta.
Todd Davidson has been working in digital media at the Hoosier Times since 1999. When not at the office, he's frequently found on a bike on the fantastic cycling roads in Monroe and surrounding counties. Todd lives in Bloomington with his wife and two children.
Jackie Sheckler Finch became a Hoosier more than 20 years ago when she moved to Indiana from Massachusetts for a newspaper job. She covered city government and other areas for The Herald-Times until she left in 2001 "for my own personal odyssey." Jackie is also author of 10 award-winning travel books, including "The Insiders' Guide to Indianapolis" and is currently working on the book "It Happened in Indiana" for Globe Pequot and writing travel apps, along with being the H-T travel writer. A Bloomington resident, she enjoys taking to the road to find the fascinating people and places that wait over the hill and around the next bend. She always looks forward to returning home to her resident watchdog and entertainer, Pepper, and to discovering the wonderful stories in her own hometown.
Bob Forgas came to Bloomington in 1977 to attend graduate school, but changed paths, left school and worked in the audio industry for 10 years. After building his own house in Sanders, he began working in 1987 at the Cyclotron, where he still manages electronic techs. He always had an interest in photography and the passion grew with the availability of digital images. He frequently travels to premier photo destinations and enjoys capturing photos of wildlife and landscapes. He describes shooting for Adventure Indiana as a "great experience" that allows him to meet new people and photograph them doing what they love to do.
An Indiana girl to the core, Kathryn Gardiner was born in Muncie where she was raised with her three older brothers and several pets. She received her bachelor's degree in Telecommunications from Ball State University, and earned her master's degree in Screenwriting from Hollins University in Roanoke, Va. She began calling Bloomington home in 2006 and has involved with Adventure Indiana from the start. She enjoys working on a throw-it-in-your-bag-and-go adventure piece. Away from the office, she spends most of her free time training in boxing, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and mixed martial arts.
Andrew Lehman was born and raised in the Bloomington-sized city of Alton, Ill., nestled along the Mississippi River. He spent much of his youth on the water fishing and boating and still enjoys getting out on the water today. After graduating college, Andrew moved to the great Northwest. He spent six years amongst the rolling wheat fields of the Palouse in Washington state. While there he worked for the Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Washington State University. Andrew then headed closer to home and settled here in Bloomington with his wife and two children. He has been with The Herald-Times since Feb. 2010 and is excited to take on the challenge of designing Adventure Indiana.
A native Hoosier with family ties throughout Indiana, Brooke Toole McCluskey is the marketing manager for The Herald-Times and Adventure Indiana. Brooke works with the content, layout and advertising staffs on promotions and brand identity. Brooke enjoys hiking, camping, visiting the Bloomington Farmers' Market, reading books with her young daughter, and playing so much Scrabble she dreams about it.
Patrick Petro has lived in Indiana all his life. He grew up in Cloverdale, and then attended DePauw University in Greencastle, earning his degree in studio art. In his career, he's photographed everything from weddings, events and portraits, to products, journalistic content and fine art. The most challenging - and rewarding - part of shooting for Adventure Indiana, he says, is capturing fast-paced activities "where the big shot might only present itself for a fraction of a second." Patrick enjoys spending time outdoors and goes hiking and camping whenever he can. He lives in Bloomington with his wife, two children, two dogs, a cat and a handful of chickens.
Joel Pierson has been a resident of Bloomington for 12 years, and is still finding things to love about the area. He is a regular contributor to The Herald-Times, H&L magazine, and Adventure Indiana. His interests include theatre, writing, editing and audio production. He is the artistic director of Mind's Ear Audio Productions, one of the country's most respected small studios. He is the author of five books, French Quarter, Mourning Lori, Don't Kill the Messenger, The Messenger Adrift, and Messenger in a Battle, all published locally. In his seven minutes of free time a week, he enjoys relaxing with wife and fellow journalist Dana, and their lovely hounds.
Lisa Tomcko is an Indiana transplant originally from the northern suburbs of Chicago. She fell in love with the Hoosier state during her time studying journalism, business and Italian at Indiana University. While working for the Indiana Daily Student and 812 Magazine, Lisa got to know the southern Indiana area. She looks forward to getting even better acquainted with its beautiful homes and interesting residents by writing for H&L and Adventure Indiana. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, playing piano and traveling, and she hopes to one day write about her travels.
Doug Wilson is a Bloomington native who worked as a reporter at The Herald-Times for 10 years, serving as sports editor the last couple of years. During his time at the H-T, he covered local government, local schools and Indiana University basketball and football. Doug is now director of communications and development at the South Central Community Action Program, which is a nonprofit organization in Bloomington that provides opportunities to help low-income people move toward personal and economic independence. He is a regular contributor to Adventure Indiana, H&L and HoosierNation at Scout.com.
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