Kris Vera-Phillips, Patch Staff

<b>Email: kvp&#64;patch.com    <br>Phone: 510-219-3515<br>Hometown: Diamond Bar<br>Birthday: 5/24</b>

<b>Watch More: Newark Patch Video</b>

I am the editor of Newark Patch, a news and information website about Newark, Calif.

Before I came to Patch, I worked behind the scenes in TV news. While television news anchors updated our viewers and news reporters covered wildfires, snowstorms, marathons and other live events, I called the shots from the other side of the camera. I spent the last five years working as a television news producer in Sacramento and Kansas. 

As a multimedia news producer for News10 in Sacramento, I tracked breaking news on police scanners, wrote news stories, examined video elements and juggled new information for my on-camera team in the studio and in the field. Inside the control booth, I managed the timing for live reports and interviews. I kept my anchors updated on changes in the show, from new scripts to news conferences. In addition to producing News10 Good Morning, News10 at 6 and News10 Midday, I also wrote, shot and edited web stories for news10.net.

I started working in the Sacramento market at KCRA 3 where I produced KCRA 3 Reports from 7 to 9 AM and other news shows. Before moving back to California, I produced 49 News at 10 p.m. and Good Morning Kansas at KTKA 49 News in Topeka, Kansas.

I earned my bachelor&#39;s degree in American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. After working in tech support for three years, I earned my master&#39;s of science from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Through the Medill News Service, I worked as an assistant producer for Reuters Television in London. In Medill&#39;s Chicago newsroom, I covered the technology beat for Chicago daily papers and produced a weekly news program for Evanston and Chicago Public Television. I also worked at the D.C. Bureau of the Medill News Service, where I produced news segments on then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama, U.S. Congressman Bobby Rush and U.S. Congresswoman Melissa Bean.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, I reported on politics, business and culture for KALX News on 90.7 FM. 

Outside of our virtual newsroom, I enjoy tweeting and blogging about my culinary adventures. I work off the calories from my eating expeditions by jogging and walking with my American cocker spaniel Daisy and my husband Mark. 

I am new to Newark. I look forward to learning more about this community and the people who live and work in this city.

<br><b>Your Beliefs </b><br><i>At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.</i><br><br><b>Politics </b><br>How would you describe your political beliefs? Moderate<br><br><b>Religion</b><br>How religious would you consider yourself? Catholic<br><b><br>Local Hot-Button Issues</b><br>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community? Budget cuts in city government and the school district, Measure U, redevelopment plans<br><br>Where do you stand on each of these issues? The challenging economy has forced all communities, including Newark, to make difficult financial decisions. At the December board meeting for the Newark Unified School District, I listened to union members and librarians argue to keep department funding in the face of steep budget cuts. I watched board members attempt to protect school services and jobs as their budget discussions extended into the next morning. I will continue to track these budget developments and listen to all sides of the discussion. I will keep Newark Patch readers informed about these issues on this site as well as on Twitter and Facebook.