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Leor Galil Staff Writer

Leor Galil became smitten with altweeklies in the late-90s when he first picked up a copy of the Washington City Paper in his hometown, Bethesda, Maryland. After graduating from Brandeis University and completing a year as an AmericCorps volunteer, Leor moved to the midwest in 2009, where he earned his Master’s in journalism at Northwestern University. In 2010, Leor made his Reader debut as a freelancer, and in 2012 he joined the paper as a sta music writer. “Working at the Reader a ords me the ability to write detailed, holistic stories about local artists while simultaneously arguing for their importance, which is a rare opportunity in the dwindling culture media ecosystem bent towards covering the best-known musicians with the most power,” he says. By championing local music in all its forms and documenting the city’s musical legacy, from its biggest innovations down to its most esoteric subcultures, the Smash Mouth fan and Scorpio has become a Chicago “All Star” in his own right—and not just in the mortal realm. He’s been voted among Chicago’s five best pizzas in three of the Reader’s “Best of Chicago” issues, and he’s broken the top three twice. In 2020, Leor celebrated his first decade with the paper by publishing a collection of his writing, Chicago Pop Stars, Hardcore Heroes, and House Legends: Ten Years of Chicago Reader Music Features. We’re already looking forward to a part two, but in the meantime, we’ll look for Leor at his favorite Chicago hotspots, which include the Harold Washington Library, the Hideout, Hyde Park Records, Intuit Gallery, and Logan Square ice cream joint The Freeze.

Twitter: @imleor | Instagram: @therealimleor

T. Rogers III Account Manager

William T. Rogers III joined the Reader in May 2019, following a 15-year run with the iconic African-American newspaper, Chicago Defender. Raised on Chicago’s west side, Will graduated from Austin High School and earned his degree in computer operations and management from the College of Automation, though he soon realized he had a greater passion for his fellow man than for any machine. “I love meeting new people,” he says. “I guarantee that when I come into a room, I’ll make a few new friends by the time I leave.” Will brings a similar enthusiasm to the Reader, where he thrives on finding ways to uplift small businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs, forging connections and opportunities for all in a city with a long history of disparity and segregation. For that reason, Will describes his gig at the Reader as the “best job ever,” noting his appreciation for the paper’s equitable approach to coverage and the diversity of its sta . On the weekends, Will enjoys playing tennis or retreating to his man cave with his Yorkies, Chloe and Chase, to watch classic westerns, sci-fi flicks, and modern cartoons. “I’ll watch anything about special powers,” he says. Will hasn’t divulged whether or not he has any superhuman abilities of his own, but if he does, there’s a good chance it’s related to his knack for getting people to laugh.

Janaya Greene Social Media Coordinator

As the Reader’s social media coordinator Janaya Greene is responsible for sharing what happens at the paper with the digital world, which is no small task considering the number of stories, projects, podcasts, and events spinning in our orbit at any given time. But like the true Taurus she is, Janaya is intelligent, dependable, and driven, and she keeps the Reader’s online community engaged and informed, even when the general chatter in social media spaces seems like it’s about to go o the rails. Born and raised on Chicago’s south side, Janaya attended Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy and earned her Bachelor’s degree in public a airs journalism and in media and production analysis at Ohio State University. She further developed her skills at the New York Times Student Journalism Institute and Vice Media before returning to Chicago, where she completed a reporting fellowship with City Bureau before joining the Reader in 2019. When asked what she likes most about working at the paper, she replied that she likes “seeing Reader stories of the past remaining relevant and shared online in the current day.” In addition to her talents for journalism and community engagement, Janaya is also an accomplished visual storyteller, and screenwriter (she’s won several awards for her 2015 short film, Veracity). Outside of work you can find her unwinding with her cat Juniper (Junie for short) and a great book (her favorite novel is These Ghosts are Family by Maisy Card), visiting the South Shore Cultural Center, relaxing at Promontory Point, or grabbing a bite at Morgan Park sandwich shop, Home of the Hoagy.

Kerry Reid Theater and Dance Editor

Kerry Reid has worked for the Reader in various capacities since 1992, taking spins on the editorial and business sides of the organization, and freelancing in-between before becoming the paper’s theater and dance editor in the summer of 2019. What keeps Kerry coming back? “Simply put, the Reader is the best because people give a damn about the work and about the city,” she says. Kerry attended Downers Grove North High School before embarking on what she calls her Choose Your Own Adventure style journalism and theater hybrid degree. She graduated from Columbia College after transferring from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she took journalism classes with Brad Pitt, then promptly dropped him from memory. “I assume that this works both ways,” she says, but if you’ve ever met Kerry, you know the odds are slim-to-none that anyone, Hollywood A-Lister or otherwise, could ever forget her charm, wit, and deep knowledge of arts and culture (she cites Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, satirical novelist Dawn Powell, and midwest rock icons the Replacements among her favorite creative voices). Beyond the city’s many theaters and performance spaces, Kerry’s favorite local spots include Rosehill Cemetery, the Joseph Cornell room at the Art Institute of Chicago, and “the (eroding) beaches of Rogers Park.” Kerry lives on Chicago’s north side with her mathematician and data scientist partner, who she originally met at Mizzou and reconnected with years later— unlike Brad Pitt, he knows how to leave an impression!

Facebook: facebook.com/kerrymreid