Meet the Reporters

Hayden Pigott, Editor

Hailing from Fort Myers, Florida, Hayden received her Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and is a huge Longhorn fan. After spending four years in the Mile High City — three of those in the Junior League — she traded the Rockies for the Appalachians and moved to Charlotte in August of 2022. Hayden spent her childhood summers in Linville, so the Queen City felt like the right change up as she now works from home permanently. Hayden works for Miles Partnership, a marketing agency for the travel and hospitality industry. She is their TikTok Platform Manager — a fancy title to say she runs strategy for clients on how they should use the fastest-growing social media platform. Before that, she was a travel writer at the same company. Hayden runs BestEatsCharlotte on TikTok and Instagram, so you can always find her trying a new CLT restaurant. Right now, she’s searching for the best tacos and her next mystery novel.

Best place to meet JLC members for coffee: Rosie’s Coffee & Wine Garden

Elysa Graham, Reporter

Elysa joined the JLC in 2022, soon after moving to Charlotte, as a Transfer from Junior League of Greensboro (JLG), which she joined in 2019. Her last two placements have been on Fund Development, specifically the Day of Giving. She is from Miami, Florida and went to school at a Historically Black university: Florida A & M University, affectionately known as FAMU, during her freshman year before joining the U.S. Army. During Elysa’s 13 years of service, she found an opportunity to complete her education through the doctoral level at Troy University with a concentration in nursing. Elysa has one younger sister and has been married to her husband, Mike since she was 19. They have two schoolage boys. Elysa and her family moved to Charlotte for her husband's work. She currently manages a healthcare clinic that provides comprehensive and compassionate healthcare using a direct care model, which focuses on affordable monthly memberships instead of insurance. In her free time, Elysa likes to watch crime shows and historical dramas, she loves a good Disney trip (Florida girl), and a Florida beach is her happy place.

Favorite walkable neighborhood: South End

Jessica James-Hill, Reporter

Originally from Tampa, Florida, Jessica received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, MS in Sport Management and a graduate certificate in Fundraising Management from the University of Florida. She worked for the Florida Gators athletic department in ticketing, compliance, student-athlete development, marketing and donor/sponsor relations. Jessica switched to academics as a full-time fundraiser for UF's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where she joined the Junior League of Gainesville in 2015. In 2018, her husband Mike became the athletic director for the Charlotte 49ers, which moved them to the Queen City. In 2021, while seven and a half months pregnant, Jessica landed a dream role fundraising for the Wikimedia Foundation, the parent company of Wikipedia. She has three children — Luke, Ellie and Bobby.

Favorite restaurant: Fin and Fino

Laura Shintay Blake, Reporter

Laura Shintay Blake, a Charlotte native, graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2015 with a degree in Business Administration. Being a devoted Tar Heel, she spent another year at UNC to complete the Master of Accounting program. She then moved to New York and began her career in public accounting. In 2017, Laura joined the New York Junior League and spent her time there volunteering with children. She moved back to Charlotte during the pandemic and transferred to the Junior League of Charlotte, joining the Renaissance West/Kids in the Kitchen committee. This is Laura's first year as a reporter for The CRIER, and she is excited to put her love of writing to use! Laura enjoys being with family and friends, exercising and participating in a book club. She now works as an accountant for a hedge fund and is happily settled in Charlotte with her husband, Alex, and their Corgi puppy, Carl. Best place to meet JLC members for drinks: Foxcroft Wine

Briana Rinaldo, Reporter

Briana relocated to Charlotte from Syracuse, New York in 2017, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a Master of Science in Public Relations. Growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, she’s always been curious about diverse spaces and different cultures. Being surrounded by classmates, neighbors, coworkers and friends from all over the world, she sought to get to know as much as she could from all of them. This led her to make storytelling a crucial part of her career, working in communications for a study abroad organization, a marketing firm focused on psychology and now a Charlotte financial company. Outside work, Briana is a semi-professional samba dancer, amateur painter, part-time music journalist and dog parent alongside her wonderfully supportive fiancé.

Favorite walkable neighborhood: Chantilly in Elizabeth

Mallory Pearce Guest Reporter

Mallory came home to Charlotte in 2018 after living in Paris, France. She holds B.A. degrees from Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina and M.S. degrees from East Carolina University. She is happy to bring her archival knowledge to cover some of the most unique parts of history throughout the last 96 years of the JLC. Mallory has been in the JLC for four years and her current placement is Marketing & PR chair. Mallory works as a process engineer for Wells Fargo to fund her traveling habit. In her spare time, she enjoys college and NFL football, volunteering for Second Harvest Food Bank, running (slowly) and trying new breweries. Mallory lives in the Oakhurst area with her fiancé, Rob and their blended family of three dogs: Baker, Millie and Homer.