Editorial Bios

Diablo Editorial Team

Editor In Chief: Susan Dowdney Safipour
Susan Safipour has been Diablo magazine’s editor since March, 2000. She is responsible for planning Diablo magazine’s story line-ups and directing an accomplished staff of editors and designers. A native of New York City, Susan graduated on the Dean’s List from the University of Colorado at Boulder journalism school. She worked as a reporter and editor with newspapers for 15 years before joining Diablo. Her last newspaper job was as an assistant metro editor at the Contra Costa Times. Susan lives in Clayton with her husband, Fred, and 8-year-old son, John.

Executive Editor: Michaela Jarvis
Michaela came to Diablo in May 2001. Previously, she worked at United Media as an editor for a number of nationally syndicated columnists. Michaela has also been on staff as an editor and writer for the San Francisco Chronicle and Sunset Magazine. Before that, she enjoyed the freelancer’s life—writing for publications including the Washington Post, Newsday, and the St. Petersburg Times—until she realized she was spending too much time waiting by her mailbox in her pajamas. Michaela has also worked as a ski instructor and a chef.

Senior Editor/Senior Writer: Peter Crooks
Peter Crooks returned to his hometown of Lafayette and began working at Diablo magazine in 1998, after spending most of the '90s as a scuba-diving, movie-watching, library-frequenting vagabond, living in Micronesia, Australia, and the Grand Canyon National Park. In addition to his love of all things East Bay, Pete is a major film buff—his movie blog, Pete's Popcorn Picks, can be found at Diablomag.com, and he has contributed weekly reviews for radio programs on KFRC, KNBR, and 107.7 The Bone. He has written stories for the Arizona Daily Sun, Via magazine, Athletics magazine, and Theowlmag.com, and appeared as an expert tipster on the television programs Bay Area Backroads and Eye on the Bay.

Managing Editor: LeeAnne Carson
LeeAnne has been a word nerd since working on Pleasanton Middle School's yearbook. A graduate of Azusa Pacific University, where she studied journalism and graphic design and edited The Clause, the school's weekly paper. LeeAnne came to Diablo in 2002 as an editorial intern, followed by Research Editor, and now Managing Editor. She is also a freelance writer, designer, and proofreader.

Associate Editor: Martha Ross
Martha Ross was born at Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek, graduated from Acalanes High School, and grew up thinking Contra Costa County was the most boring place on earth. But after stints living outside Chicago and in San Francisco, Humboldt County, and Bangkok, Thailand, she’s back in the East Bay suburbs with her husband and son—and delighted to rediscover how vibrant and sophisticated the region has always been. She comes from a newspaper background, editing political stories for an English language daily in Southeast Asia and covering crime in Richmond. She is the recipient of the James Madison Freedom of Information Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California chapter, and twice been nominated for Best News Story from the Western Publications Association for articles published in Diablo.

Assistant Editor: Ethan Fletcher
Ethan Fletcher was born in Berkeley and grew up in Massachusetts, graduating from Northeastern University with a BA in Sociology and no idea what he wanted to do with his life. He lucked into a reporting job with the San Francisco Examiner where he covered everything from politics to crime to Sunday street festivals. After an ill-fated return to school, he is delighted to be gainfully employed at Diablo.

Napa Sonoma magazine and Design for Living Editor