Julie Makinen
Chief Executive Officer
Julie began her journalism career as an intern at the Palo Alto Weekly before going on to work at the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and the International New York Times. She later served as top editor of The Desert Sun in Palm Springs and as editor-in-chief of The San Francisco Standard.
Julie graduated from Stanford University with a degree in human biology and has an M.A. in East Asian studies from UCLA. She was a 2017 JSK journalism fellow at Stanford and later worked as a senior case writer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
Bill Johnson
Executive Chairman
Bill was born and raised in the Palo Alto area, attended Stanford and started our company at age 26 after serving as press secretary to then-Congressman Pete McCloskey and consulting for the California Coastal Commission. He has lived in Palo Alto with his wife Terri more than 40 years and loves hiking, gardening, travel and just about any imaginable DIY project.
Mike Naar
Treasurer
Mike grew up in Palo Alto and served as Chief Financial Officer for Embarcadero Media for 20 years, retiring in 2015. Mike remains Treasurer and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Mike and his wife Diane raised three sons and reside in Palo Alto with their dog Phoebe, who is also the company’s mascot.
Heidi Hartley
Director of Marketing and Audience Development
For more than a decade, Heidi has worked for media organizations, helping to develop and execute marketing programs with both a broad and deep focus on integrated media.
She has worked across the media spectrum, including as a radio and podcast producer and as the Research Director for television and radio stations along the West Coast.
Gina Channell
President of East Bay Division
With over 30 years in the media industry, Gina started her career as an award-winning journalist in Illinois and, since 2006, has been the publisher of The Pleasanton Weekly and Danville/Ramon publications. Gina has three adult children and enjoys golfing, writing, and playing bocce in her off-hours.
Clay Lambert
Editorial Director, Peninsula Editorial Division
Clay, a longtime Palo Alto resident, brings decades of news experience to oversight of the Palo Alto Weekly, Menlo Park Almanac, Mountain View Voice and the Redwood City Pulse. The former editor and publisher of the Coastside News Group was named the national small weekly Editor of the Year by the Suburban Newspaper Association in 2010. He has covered government and sports for regional daily newspapers across the country and was inducted into the Media Hall of Fame at Colorado State University, where there is an endowed scholarship in his name.
Jeremy Walsh
Editorial Director, East Bay Division
A dedicated journalist since his days as editor-in-chief of the Benicia High School newspaper, Jeremy joined the organization in 2013 and rose through the ranks to become the editorial leader of the foundation’s East Bay Division in the Tri-Valley. His recurring “What a Week” column shares his perspective with the community on a range of relevant topics.
Stephen Fraga
IT Director
Stephen has an entrepreneurial background, having run both a software training company and a digital marketing agency. He enjoys learning about new technologies, fixing problems and automating things. In his free time he tinkers with open source software.
Catherine Wilson
Director of Development
Catherine has spent much of her career as a data scientist studying human behavior, decision-making, and public opinion. She holds a PhD in Social Sciences from Caltech, where her research examined how access to information influences voting behavior, demonstrating the importance of an informed public and a strong local press. She has also been actively involved in raising funds for local schools and youth programs.