About Us

Staff Biographies

    Brown, Dan

    Brown, Dan

    Berkeley Independent Reporter, , dbrown@berkeleyind.com

    Dan Brown is seemingly a Jack of All Trades (master of none) having "done it all" over the years, news, sports, government, education, features for more than twenty years – any kind of writing assignment imaginable – from NASCAR to bridal wear. An award winning humor columnist Dan puts it all into proper perspective when he says, "Well, I'm either well rounded or I have trouble holding down a job." Dan has served in numerous newspaper positions, from ad design, sports editing, feature writing, advertising writing, columnist, advice columnist, and freelance writer dating back to the 1980s. An adopted Son of the South, the Ohio native has been called a “Poor Man’s Lewis Grizzard.” Ever since Dan was old enough to scrawl that crude letter “e” in kindergarten he has wanted to do two things, play professional baseball and write. He is the consummate storyteller who believes one should never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. A 1976 draft-pick by the Chicago Cubs, Dan enjoyed an all too brief career in professional baseball, and ever since he soothes the searing wound by writing about his favorite pastime. Dan was also a college baseball coach and high school baseball coach over the long years since he had to let go of his childhood dream. Dan was inducted into his high school’s sports Hall of Fame in 2006 for his baseball accomplishments in his other life – such as holding the Indiana state record for 19 strikeouts in a single game, a record he held for all of 20 minutes, until Pat Underwood, a longtime major league pitcher struck out 20 that same day. As a writer and humor columnist, Dan truly does it all for the Berkeley Independent. If you don’t see Dan’s byline on it, then it didn’t show up in The Independent. In 2008 Dan took top spot as the number one humor columnist in SC as voted on by the SCPA. In 2009, Dan took second place, which given Dan’s ultra-competitive nature is merely first place for losers. In Dan’s eyes, if you’re not first, you’re last, often rings true. Dan enjoys writing, writing, and more writing, and longs to be on bookshelves next to the fella that stole his name. He also is a disciple of baseball and all things sports, and a three-chord hack on guitar. Last year Dan reunited with his college band Night Flight and can be heard playing patio concerts at Ball State in Muncie, Indiana. Dan is long divorced (yes ladies, he is available) and has two children, Brian and Sarah.

    Cantu, Leslie

    Cantu, Leslie

    Reporter, , lcantu@journalscene.com

    Cargill, Cheryl

    Cargill, Cheryl

    Business Manager, , ccargill@journalscene.com

    has been in and out of the newspaper business for close to 40 years. She says she is a Lowcountry girl – not by birth – but by choice. She has lived in Summerville for over 33 years and has seen The “Ville” grow from a sleepy little community outside of Charleston to the thriving and vibrant town it is today. She has two children who grew up in Summerville schools and have blessed her with four beautiful grandchildren. She and her husband Doug live in town with their three fur children that keep them very busy. When time allows, Cheryl is an avid reader and gardener and loves to kayak!

    Gantt, Rob

    Gantt, Rob

    Gazette sportswriter/Internet content mgr/Production, , rgantt@ourgazette.com

    Rob grew up in Aiken County, attending North Augusta High School and USC Aiken, before landing his first job with the Evening Post Publishing Company as a part-time sports writer with the Aiken Standard in 1995. He joined the company full-time in 1998, working in Aiken until moving to the Lowcountry in the summer of 2004 to take a position at the High School Sports Report. He accepted his current position with The Gazette in the summer of 2008 and has been a versatile employee since joining the small, dedicated Gazette staff. Rob covers local sports for The Gazette and also works in production for the publication and its two sister papers, the Berkeley Independent and the Journal Scene. Rob is a past winner of South Carolina Press Association writing and photography awards and continues to serve the company well. Outside of work, Rob is a computer and TV junkie and spends a great deal of his free time watching movies, sports, TV shows and listening to music. He is the proud father of one son, Chayson, an eighth-grade student at Hanahan Middle School. He has three sisters (Michelle, Holli and Lynli) and one brother (Marty). He is the son of Patricia Bentley and Bobby Gantt.

    Lee, Roger

    Lee, Roger

    Summerville Sports Editor, , rlee@journalscene.com

    Roger Lee is an aging writer who fears that with middle age on the horizon he may be forced to grow up sometime soon. As a young man he wanted to be a novelist, but discovered that requires more imagination than he is equipped with and turned to journalism. He was born a Georgia Bulldogs fan, but the lures of a smaller party college and persuasion of some close friends drew him to Georgia Southern for his college experience. He loves the ocean so it was no big surprise his first job out of college was one with a view rather than one related to his major. Working on tour boats in Charleston Harbor was a great experience, but six years of annoying tourists and circling the same waters finally became more than he could bare so he switched fields, though not before totaling one of his employer’s boats. As a general-assignment reporter for a weekly in Vidalia, Ga. he covered many beats, but quickly developed a passion for the sports beat. In fact, he says the onion-crop beat doesn’t even hold a candle. To his amazement upon moving to Summerville nearly eight years ago he found writing about local sports and being a sideline shutterbug was even more rewarding in the Lowcountry. He spends most of his spare time agonizing over the latest shenanigans of his teenage daughter, Allyson, or trying to figure out ways to limit the damage his make-it-up-as-you-go parenting style will inflict. While he loves Allyson more than anything else and is grateful for her, he is absolutely sure she will be the death of him. He also loves all things football, music, superheroes, the USA series Psych (you know that’s right) and game shows.

    Mack, Ann

    Mack, Ann

    Marketing Consultant, , amack@berkeleyind.com

    Born a native of Berkeley County I grew up enjoying the many activities that my home town of Moncks Corner had to offer. As a student of Berkeley High School, “GO STAGS!!!”, I enjoyed playing sports. I guess you could say gym was my favorite class. I played basketball and ran track. I did my share of swimming in lake Moultrie too, spending my summers in the water and at the pavilion of Lyons Beach. After I graduated high school, I went to Cosmetology College in Charleston. I moved to Florence, SC and worked as a Hair Stylist for a total of one year and found out fixing hair for a living was not for me. I worked seventeen years for the Florence School District before moving back to Moncks Corner and began my career as a marketing consultant in my community newspaper, The Berkeley Independent. I have been back sixteen years and I have enjoyed working, playing, serving my community and seeing the friendly face of friends and family here in my home town.

    Priest, Ellen

    Priest, Ellen

    Publisher, , epriest@journalscene.com

    Ellen Priest grew up in Connecticut and still cringes when she is called a “Yankee”, wondering just how long she will have to live in SC before her children stop calling her that. She has now spent more years in the south than she did in the north and considers herself a South Carolinian through and through. She spent almost 20 years toiling away at the Aiken Standard in Aiken, SC as Business Manager where she put her accounting degree to good use daily. Since being named Publisher at Summerville Communications in 2007, she has been fully embraced by the Lowcountry and she’s embraced it right back. Ellen has lived with, fed and cared for more critters than most people will see in a lifetime. Those have included: Red Tailed Hawk, Barred Owl, Barn Owl, Screech Owls, bats, opossum, squirrels, flying squirrels, fox, Hissing Cockroaches from Madagascar, mice, rats, many, many species of snakes, and coyotes. Her husband is a wildlife ecologist and biologist and has dragged her along on his adventures while living in 4 states, and visiting many others. He currently serves as the Dean of the School of Education at USC Aiken, where he has been employed for 23 years. His passion is teaching and nurturing teachers as they begin their careers. Her son Greg is a music education major at USC in Columbia, where he is a member of 5 bands, including the award winning marching band. Her daughter Jayme has an accounting degree from USC Aiken and is employed as an accountant here in the Lowcountry. Besides her human family, Ellen’s other passion is her dogs. She currently has 4 rescue dogs whom she adores, including one terribly scarred, formerly abused dog who is now living the good life lounging by the pool and sleeping on his soft bed at night.

    Randall, Ashley

    Randall, Ashley

    Marketing Representative, , ashley@journalscene.com

    Ashley Randall claims both Summerville and Aiken as home. While she grew up in the Lowcountry, her father grew up in Aiken and returned there in 2000. She graduated from Summerville High School in 2006 and went on to the University of South Carolina where she earned a B.A. in Public Relations in 2010. When she is not working at Summerville Communications, Inc., Ashley puts her public relations and marketing skills to use by volunteering for a veteran’s non-profit organization called Hidden Wounds. Veteran’s Affairs are an important issue to her because she’s the granddaughter of a Navy veteran, the daughter of an Air Force veteran and the fiancee of a Marine Corps veteran. She loves spending time with her fiance David and her two-year-old Boxer, Texas Ranger. Their favorite things to do are watching football, fishing, trying new restaurants, going to the beach and spending time in the mountains.

    Rogenmoser, Stefan

    Rogenmoser, Stefan

    Reporter, , srogenmoser@ourgazette.com

    I write about the life of the community, focusing on public and private school education. I believe in accurate and interesting reporting that keeps a sharp eye on those in power while keeping citizens informed of important events. I am often surprised at how many great untold stories exist within the community and how many people have a great deal of character. I love to write and tell people’s stories. I have been with the Journal Scene since May 2008. My most outlandish experiences here have been an interview with rock musician Paul Revere and reviewing junk food that can only be found at the Coastal Carolina Fair. I interned at WCBD NEWS-2 shortly before graduating from Charleston Southern University in 2007, where I majored in Communication but spent an almost equal amount of time studying English, my minor. I’m a Summerville High School graduate. My favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Ralph Ellison, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson and many more. When I’m not at work I can often be found blasting organ and piano with my rock band Go For Launch (goforlaunchband.com) or looking for interesting and artistic photos with a vintage Mamiya 35mm film camera strapped around my neck.

    Sheehan, Anne

    Sheehan, Anne

    Reporter, , asheehan@journalscene.com

    A native of New Hampshire, Sheehan comes to the Journal Scene from western Maine where she most recently was editor of the weekly newspaper the Advertiser Democrat. A 30-year veteran editor, Sheehan decided to head south looking for warmer weather and an opportunity to focus on writing. Winner of numerous awards including Maine Journalist of the Year, The George Polk Award, Michael Kelly Award finalist, and a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer for Local Reporting, she is looking forward to learning all about the South, Summerville and the greater Dorchester area, its history, its people and what makes it special.

    Watts, Judy

    Watts, Judy

    Executive Editor, , jwatts@journalscene.com

    Judy Watts is a native South Carolinian who has lived all over – from the North Carolina mountains to the California desert to the forests of Germany – and found there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home. Speaking of home, she makes hers with the Hubster, Pat Watts, a local attorney and their three wiener dogs Sally, Charlotte and Penny and the four turtles who guard the backyard. Their children, better known through her award-winning column The Watts Line as Surfer Dude and Manchild #2, are now grown. Dude lives in Oregon with his wife, daughter and their dog Charlie (short for Charleston); MC#2, an actor, has recently returned to Summerville from a three-year stint in Houston and also works with his father at his law firm. Judy began her love affair with newspapers when she was a 13-year-old student at Camden Junior High School. She continued her passion for journalism through high school, and was managing editor of The Johnsonian during her time at Winthrop. She has worked at The State Newspaper, The Post and Courier where she was Features Editor and is on round two at The Journal Scene and The Gazette where she worked earlier in her career. Although she worked as a freelance writer and photographer for a few years and tried doing other work (teaching, banking…) off and on, thinking that there was a whole world of things to explore out there, she finally gave in to the reality that newspapering was truly her thing. Through her work she has discovered the world and has had a great time sharing her experiences through the newspapers for which she’s worked. She and Pat enjoy spending time on their sailboat in Charleston harbor and with family at the cabin on Lake Wateree.