Columns

Journalists know a little bit about a lot of topics.

But we don’t know it all. And we certainly aren’t subject matter experts on some of the topics that matter most to you — education, homelessness, development, transportation, real estate, the environment and more.

That’s why we’ve called on a team of experts to write regular columns on these important issues. Our San José Spotlight columnists are prominent industry experts and leaders in their respective fields. Every week, they’ll share inside information, insights on trends and patterns and a deep understanding of the issues.

We’ll feature new columns on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays as we work to expand the topic areas. Know an expert who might be a good fit to write a regular column? Email ideas and suggestions to [email protected].

Columnists

Bob Staedler
Principal at Silicon Valley Synergy

Bob Staedler

Column contributed first Monday of every month

Ray Bramson
Chief Operating Officer, Destination: Home

Ray Bramson

Column contributed second Monday of every month

Mary Ann Dewan
County Superintendent of Schools

Mary Ann Dewan

Column contributed third Monday of every month

Laura Sandoval
Regional Director, PATH San Jose

Laura Sandoval

Column contributed fourth Monday of every month

Raúl Rodríguez
Interim Chancellor, San Jose – Evergreen Community College District

Raúl Rodríguez

Column contributed first Wednesday of every month

Erin Zimmerman
Climate Reality Leader at Climate Reality Project

Erin Zimmerman

Column contributed third Wednesday of every month

Rich Robinson
Silicon Valley Political Strategist

Rich Robinson

Column contributed fourth Wednesday of every month

Karen E. Philbrick
Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute

Karen E. Philbrick

Column contributed first Thursday every other month

Monica Mallon
Founder, Turnout4Transit

Monica Mallon

Column contributed first Thursday every other month

Ruth Silver Taube
Labor and employment lawyer

Ruth Silver Taube

Column contributed second Thursday of every month

In Your Backyard
Featuring voices of homeless residents

In Your Backyard

Column contributed third Thursday of every month

Neil Collins
Chief Executive Officer, Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS

Neil Collins

Column contributed fourth Thursday of every month

Former columnists

Aaron B. Zisser
Civil rights attorney and criminal justice reform expert

Aaron B. Zisser

Former columnist

Chris Funk
Superintendent, East Side Union High School District

Chris Funk

Former columnist

Jaime Fearer
Deputy Director, California Walks

Jaime Fearer

Former columnist

Opinion

Latshaw: My fiery encounter with natural gas

I was a freshman at UCLA in 1962. I was removing my hopefully warmed meal from an old oven and suddenly flames erupted, causing me to jump away. The ancient, gas-filled oven had a non-working pilot light and combusted in my face when I opened the door. My eyebrows and arm hair would grow back,...

Ballard: Remembering the leaders who inspired urban farming to feed those in need

In the past two years, the Silicon Valley Community has lost two incredible community leaders, Thang Do and Raul Lozano, most recently with the passing of Raul. Coincidentally, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) was connected to both of them through a program, written about here in Streetsblog, that ultimately inspired SVBC’s commitment to the farm...