Core Team
Chris Amico
Applications Developer
Chris oversees the technology platform that supports the StateImpact network and helps develop data-driven storytelling tools for reporters. He joined NPR from the PBS NewsHour, where he developed interactive news applications and data-driven projects. His career began in newspapers, where he covered education in Southern California before moving to Dalian, China, where he taught English, studied Chinese, and freelanced for magazines. He is originally from the Los Angeles area.
Lynette Clemetson
Program Director
Lynette Clemetson started in January of 2012 as director of StateImpact, overseeing the journalism and collaboration efforts of the team and serving as a primary point of contact for station managers. Throughout her career, Clemetson has distinguished herself as a traditional and digital journalist specializing in online strategy and entrepreneurial journalism. She served as a domestic correspondent covering political, social, and cultural issues at The New York Times and was the founding managing editor of TheRoot.com, a leading online source of news and commentary that was launched in 2008. Before joining The New York Times, Clemetson worked as a national and international correspondent for Newsweek magazine.
Danny DeBelius
User Experience Designer
Danny is responsible for the information architecture, design, prototypes, and front-end development that form the basis of the overall StateImpact user experience. Danny joined StateImpact from the Las Vegas Sun, where he was a senior web designer. While there, Danny was part of a team that won several national awards for “Do No Harm”, a series and multi-platform investigation on hospital care. Previously, he worked as a designer at The Rocky Mountain News.
Elise Hu
Editorial Coordinator, Digital
Elise works to ensure StateImpact breaks new ground through strong reporting and innovation on multiple platforms. She guides states in hiring, training and editing reporters and helps promote the project on NPR.org, where she contributes to the It’s All Politics blog. Elise joined NPR from The Texas Tribune, a non-profit digital news organization in Austin, where she worked as a political reporter and led multimedia projects. A former TV reporter who ditched the klieg lights for a start-up, Elise’s passion is connecting with audiences on any platform.
Becky Lettenberger
Multimedia Trainer
Becky works closely with station reporters and the StateImpact team to ensure strong visual and multimedia presentation across our sites. Becky joined NPR in 2009 as part of a Knight-funded digital training effort, in which she helped facilitate and train more than 300 NPR reporters, producers, editors and managers. She’s also part of the multimedia production team, coordinating daily news visuals for NPR.org, producing multimedia projects and providing on-going training and support.
Ken Rudin
Editorial Coordinator, Broadcast
Ken works with stations to hire, train and edit reporters at StateImpact stations. Ken, who first came to NPR in 1991 as political editor, has been covering politics for more than 25 years and brings a wealth of radio reporting and editing experience to the team. Ken provides on-air campaign analysis, has edited NPR political reporters and worked closely with stations and station reporters on political coverage. He makes regular appearances on Talk of the Nation and the It’s All Politics podcast, and writes the weekly Political Junkie column. He is deeply experienced at coaching reporters new to political coverage and helping them find the right balance and sourcing on their stories.
John Stefany
Project Manager
John creates and manages project plans for StateImpact, helping to define the process and ensuring the features the team develops are delivered. John has a unique background as a PMP-certified project manager who also comes with a strong track record as a computer assisted reporter and editor. Previously, John led the successful implementation of a new content management system at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He also led a team of developers, designers, and editors/reporters in the building of crowd sourcing applications.
Matt Stiles
Database Reporting Coordinator
Matt oversees data journalism efforts at StateImpact, helping train and guide reporters in finding and sharing the untold stories of state government using data and guiding the development of data applications and storytelling tools. Matt most recently worked as a reporter and data applications editor at The Texas Tribune, a non-profit digital news organization in Austin. Previously, he covered government, politics and law enforcement at both The Dallas Morning News and the Houston Chronicle.