Fresnoland has been growing this summer, with three new staff additions by September.
Please join Fresnoland in welcoming Rob Parsons, our new senior editor, to the Fresnoland team.
Rob will lead Fresnoland’s team of beat reporters to bring original, quality accountability and explanatory journalism that central San Joaquin Valley residents can trust.
He joins Fresnoland from The Fresno Bee, where most recently, he was the editor of The Bee’s Education Lab.
“I’ve admired Fresnoland from the beginning and am absolutely thrilled to join this team of incredibly talented reporters, editors and documenters,” Rob said.
With his editorial leadership and nearly 20 years of newsroom experience, Fresnoland is excited to expand our ability to investigate, explain policy, and help residents navigate life in Fresno and beyond.
He lives in west central Fresno with his wife, Tarynn, and their two cats. Outside of editing, you’ll likely find Rob mixing barbecue sauces and grilling meat in his backyard. He is a native of northern California.
Rob replaces Fresnoland’s founding editor, Dympna Ugwu-Oju, who joined the EdSource team in April.
His first day with Fresnoland was June 12. He can be reached at rob@fresnoland.org.
Economy and housing beat reporters added
Fresnoland is also gaining two new beat reporters to cover labor and economic issues as well as the region’s affordable housing crisis.
Julianna Morano is joining the team on August 28 as Fresnoland’s first full-time labor and economy reporter, after previously serving as a reporter covering education for The Fresno Bee. Julianna is a native of Michigan and an alumnus of the University of Michigan. Julianna can be reached at julianna@fresnoland.org.
Pablo Orihuela will be joining Fresnoland as a housing reporter on September 11, as part of the inaugural class of California Local News Fellows. Pablo is a native of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley and a recent graduate of California State University, Northridge. Pablo can be reached at pablo@fresnoland.org.