CONTRIBUTORS

Paden Hughes has lived in San Luis Obispo for almost ten years, starting off at Cal Poly and staying to build a career in small business ownership and consulting. It was the love of the landscape and scenery that kept her on the Central Coast, but now that she has been welcomed into the greater San Luis Obispo community, the sense of belonging makes this place her home. She strives to carve out time to be spontaneous and enjoy this beautiful area for all its adventures—and it’s a joy for her to share these experiences through SLO LIFE Magazine.

Dawn Janke has been teaching writing to college students for more than ten years. A Chicago native, she’s been living the SLO Life since 2008. Janke directs the Writing & Rhetoric Center at Cal Poly State University and moonlights as a writer and editor for SLO LIFE Magazine. Jessie Rivas and his wife, Stacey, came from San Francisco where he attended California Culinary Academy and raised his family. He built his career working in restaurants, as a private caterer and on a food truck that was converted from an old school bus. He and his family moved to San Luis Obispo last year to start a business of their own, The Pairing Knife, a catering company and mobile food kitchen. He is passionate about food and loves sharing his knowledge with everyone he meets, including right here in the pages of SLO LIFE Magazine.

Chris Bersbach has been a contributing photographer to SLO LIFE Magazine since 2012, focusing on photographing subjects for the regular Meet Your Neighbor story and for the cover of each issue. He specializes in editorial portrait photography, and his taste runs toward the anachronistic (especially when it comes to choosing cameras and neckwear). When he isn’t making photographs, Chris works as an environmental consultant and helps manage the local community bouldering gym and yoga studio. (He does not have a lot of free time.) Jeanette Trompeter was born in San Luis Obispo, but lived in Northern California before returning to the SLO Life to attend Cal Poly. She began at KSBY in San Luis Obispo while in college then took off to chase her career for a few years. In 2010 she decided there really is no place like home and returned to KSBY to anchor the evening news. She does a weekly segment called “Out and About” and enjoys exploring the Central Coast as much today as she did as a student. She loves horses, our local wine country, and spending time around the water. You can follow her adventures on KSBY, jeanettetrompeter.com, through her social media sites, and here in SLO LIFE Magazine.