Key Staff

Aaron Kaufman

Director of Development

Aaron joined Common Dreams in early 2017. After graduating with a finance degree from Boston University, Aaron pursued several environmental-related job opportunities on the west coast. More recently he managed a national marketing campaign for a domestic manufacturer. In the development role, Aaron is focused on engaging new readers to support the dedicated voices of this space, who encourage and inform others with extraordinary coverage, perspective and insight.
Email: info@commondreams.org

Abby Zimet

Further columnist

Abby has written CD's Furthercolumn since 2008. A longtime, award-winning journalist, she moved to the Maine woods in the early 70s, where she spent a dozen years building a house, thinning the carrots, hauling too much water, experiencing true if ragged community, and writing. Having come of political age during the Vietnam War, she has long been involved in women's, labor, anti-war, social justice, and refugee rights issues.

Email: abby@commondreams.org

Andrea Germanos

Senior Editor

Andrea is a senior editor and staff writer. She joined Common Dreams in 2007 after teaching ESL for many years in Chicago. An avid bicycler, gardener and supporter of her local farmers, she tweets about food justice and environmental issues.

Email: andrea@commondreams.org Twitter: @andreagermanos

Brett Wilkins

Staff Writer

Based in San Francisco, Brett specializes in issues of war and peace and human rights. In addition to writing for Common Dreams, he is a member of Collective 20, an international socialist authors' group featuring movement leaders including Noam Chomsky and Medea Benjamin. Locally, he serves on the executive boards of the San Francisco Berniecrats, an Our Revolution affiliate, and Ethics In Tech, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy group. When not writing or organizing, he enjoys traveling the world, long-distance running, building his library of antiquarian books, and in his one remaining guilty American pleasure, San Francisco Giants baseball.

Email: brett@commondreams.org Twitter: @BrettWilkinsSF

Craig Brown

Executive Director

Craig and his late wife, Lina Newhouser, founded Common Dreams in 1997. Formerly a community organizer and political consultant, Brown has managed many progressive campaigns, including the campaigns of former US Rep. Tom Andrews (D-ME) and served as Chief of Staff to Congressman Andrews. In 1991, Brown and Andrews helped co-found the Congressional Progressive Caucus . Brown leads the vision and editorial direction for Common Dreams.

Email: craig@commondreams.org Twitter: @Craig_Brown

Jake Johnson

Staff Writer

Jake, a previous freelance contributor, joined Common Dreams as a full-time staff writer in 2017.

Email: jake@commondreams.org Twitter: @johnsonjakep

Jessica Corbett

Staff Writer

Jess joined Common Dreams as a staff writer in 2017, after working for publications in New York City and Chicago, including Rolling Stone, The Nation, In These Times, VICE, and Fusion. She earned a degree in journalism and international studies from Ithaca College, where she developed her passion for exploring the intersection of politics, public health, and environmental policy through journalism. Jessica is a dedicated yogi who loves long books, live music, and adventures abroad.

Email: jessica@commondreams.org Twitter: @corbett_jessica

Jon Queally

Managing Editor

Jon has been with Common Dreams since 2007 covering US politics, foreign policy, human and animal rights, the climate crisis, and much in between. In addition to his role as the newsroom manager, he works daily as the opinion editor.

Email: jon@commondreams.org Twitter: @jonqueally

Julia Conley

Staff Writer

Julia began her journalism career on PBS's weekly news analysis show Bill Moyers Journal, first as a production assistant and eventually producing interview segments for veteran journalist Bill Moyers. She also worked for over two years as a producer on Al Jazeera America's daily news broadcasts, and later on documentary films focusing on issues including the roots of the American opioid crisis and the history of white supremacy in the U.S. She has written for the quarterly women's magazine A Women's Thing, and joined the Common Dreams staff in 2017.

Email: julia@commondreams.org

Kim Monaghan

Operations Manager

Kim served as a Maine State Representative from 2011-2018. She received an M.A. in Public Policy at the Muskie School of Government and a B.A. in Communications from the University of Maine. In the 1990s, she worked with Craig Brown as office manager for Tom Andrews' Congressional campaign and later managing Tom's Capitol Hill and Maine offices. She later worked for an International Exhibition Company, overseeing conference programs. Joining Common Dreams from 2005-07, and returning in 2013.

Email: kim@commondreams.org

In Memoriam: ​Lina Newhouser

Lina Newhouser was an artist, political activist, organic farmer, businesswoman and proud, loving mom. Lina co-founded Common Dreams in 1997 with her husband, Craig Brown. Lina passed away in 2008 after battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma.