Mary C. Piemonte

Mary is a national award-winning professional journalist, and county-wide award winning photographer, with 16 years experience in reporting the news that matters to people living in impoverished neighborhoods, supervising staff, and training dozens of low-income adults and youth in the basic skills of journalism.
In addition, Mary has moderated numerous events on low-income issues, and served as a panelist at several conferences in and out of town, talking about the political issues effecting the low-income population, and any legislation regarding them.
Mary has also been a guest speaker on several local and national public radio broadcasts, and has been highlighted in several news print and online publications across the country, and in Finland.
Additionally, Mary has hosted a live call-in television show for a number of years on the Cable Access Network, Hotline Channel 21, for Residents' Journal talking with various guests about the issues she reports on in print and online.

Mary is one of the 1st place winners of the 1st Annual National Society of Professional Journalists awards for media collaboration, and the recipient of several local awards, including a Peter Lisagor Award from the Chicago Headline Club, a Studs Terkel Award from the Community Media Workshop and a "Couragious Voices" Award from the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs.

Mary's hobby is nature photography!