Joan has written for several local news organizations, including the Belmont City News and the Palo Alto Daily News, where she was advertorial editor and columnist for nine years.  She is active in a variety of community service organizations: Peninsula Humane Society, Companions for the Soul, and Samaritan House.  Joan is married to Eric, a wireless product specialist for Cisco; they have two sons in college, a loyal Labrador retriever and two curious cats.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1959, I was raised in Columbus, OH, and attended Ohio University in Athens, where I received a bachelor's degree in journalism. I've been living in the Bay Area for 20 years and am an avid runner, tennis player and SF Giants freak.