Julia M. Dendinger — President
Julia is the assistant editor of the Valencia County News-Bulletin. She has worked at the community paper since 2006. During that time, her writing and photography has been acknowledged by the New Mexico Press Association and National Newspaper Association.
Julia has a passion for educating the next generation of reporters, and deeply appreciates what new reporters bring to the field. She has served on the SPJ Rio Grande board since 2019.
Megan Kamerick — Treasurer
Megan is news director at KUNM-FM where she also produces the monthly show University Showcase.
She is a correspondent for New Mexico PBS where she co-hosts the podcast “Growing Forward: Cannabis and New Mexico” and has freelanced for NPR, Latino USA and several podcasts including Peace Talks Radio. She also does freelance writing for several publications.
Megan previously worked as a producer at New Mexico PBS, a reporter and editor for the New Mexico Business Weekly, associate editor at New Orleans City Business and a reporter and editor for the San Antonio Business Journal.
She reports on the arts, economic development, social enterprise, public affairs and issues impacting women and children. She has won numerous awards for writing, radio and television segments and is the previous president of the Journalism & Women Symposium. She has served at several different times on SPJ Rio Grande Board for over a decade. She has done two TED talks on women and media and is a TED speaker coach.
Jesse Jones — Secretary
Jesse Jones lives in Albuquerque with his wife and son. Jesse graduated from the University of New Mexico twice. He graduated with a degree in multimedia journalism in 2022 and, in 2006, he received a bachelor’s degree in University Studies with an emphasis in photojournalism.
He is currently a reporter covering local government and news for nm.news.
Diego Lopez — VP of Communications
Diego Lopez is the editor of the Cibola Citizen, the only local newspaper serving Cibola County. His work focuses on local government accountability, public records access, education, environmental issues and the role of community journalism in rural areas.
Lopez has led in-depth coverage of open government issues, charter compliance and public transparency, and is a frequent advocate for the responsible use of New Mexico’s Inspection of Public Records Act. He has also developed special reporting projects centered on civic education, voter engagement and strengthening trust between local institutions and the communities they serve.
In addition to his newsroom work, Lopez is building statewide civic-information initiatives aimed at helping New Mexicans better understand their government and public systems. He is passionate about supporting local and student journalists, defending press freedom and ensuring rural voices are represented in broader journalism conversation.
Tom Johnson
Tom Johnson is a retired journalist and professor of journalism. He has been a member of SPJ for 50 years, starting as the inaugural president of the chapter at Trinity University (San Antonio) in the early ’60s. He was the SPJ Region 9 director in 2010-2012, and on the NM Foundation for Open Government board from 2017-2022.
Currently, he is a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors, and a board member of Global Santa Fe, the Rio Grande chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and New Mexico Writers.
Adrian Hedden
Adrian Hedden is the energy and environment reporter for the Carlsbad Current-Argus, where he’s worked since December 2016. During his time in Carlsbad, Hedden covered topics such as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and the nuclear sector, oil and gas, agriculture, crime, courts and local government.
Hedden was named the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau’s Reporter of the Year in 2018 and has won multiple other awards from the New Mexico Press Association.
Before joining the team in Carlsbad, Hedden worked as a breaking news reporter and community reporter at the Arizona Republic as part of the national Pulliam Fellowship program.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in online journalism at Central Michigan University and interned at the Flint Journal and Morning Sun newspapers in Michigan, and the Bristol Herald Courier in Bristol, Tennessee. He also holds an Associate Degree in Journalism from Washtenaw Community College in his hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is studying for a masters in communication at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales.
Carina Julig
Carina Julig is a reporter at the Santa Fe New Mexican, where she covers local government. Prior to joining the New Mexican in 2023, she worked at newspapers in Colorado including the Loveland Reporter-Herald, Sentinel Colorado and the Denver Post. She has a journalism degree from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Gillian Barkhurst
Gillian Barkhurst is a homegrown journalist covering all things New Mexico. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in multimedia journalism and Spanish.
She currently works at the Albuquerque Journal as the local government reporter.
Abigail Salas
Abigail Salas is a New Mexico Local News Fund Fellow. She will be serving as a multimedia journalist for KRWG. She received a bachelor of arts in journalism and media studies from NMSU in 2025. She is a Las Cruces native and is excited to share the stories of the people of the community and to give a voice to those that need one.
Andy Lyman
Andy Lyman is an independent journalist based in Albuquerque. He has more than a decade’s worth of experience reporting on state politics and editing local publications. He previously served as both a board member and president of the SPJ Rio Grande chapter.
Jessica Carranza Pino
Jessica Carranza Pino is the editor of El Defensor Chieftain, the oldest weekly in New Mexico. As a third-generation librarian on her maternal side, Jessica grew up surrounded by books, magazines and newspapers. Her mother and grandmother have always been community activists and also worked at newspapers during their careers.
Jessica studied art at Instituto Cabañas in Guadalajara, then worked on small organic farms in Hawaii, California and Mexico. After decades of taking classes at multiple colleges and studying a variety of topics, she earned a bachelor’s in design and art with a minor in Spanish from the University of Arizona in 2023.
When Jessica isn’t covering a meeting, writing a story, or putting together the newspaper, you can find her competing in burro races, triathlons and ultramarathons.