
Shannon Casas
Editor in chief
Shannon has worked numerous jobs in the newsroom since joining The Times as a copy editor in 2006. She was named editor in October 2018. She enjoys editing, writing, photography and engaging readers in what The Times has to offer. She has been a foster parent since 2014 and is a member of Gainesville First United Methodist Church.

Nate McCullough
News editor
Nate joined The Times in 2015 to manage a team of page designers who produce a variety of publications, including The Times and other newspapers and special projects. He’s been in the business since 1999. He has “always been a news junkie” and “always believed that journalism is a necessary service.”

Thomas Hartwell
Digital Editor
Thomas joined The Times in 2020, after working as an education reporter and photographer at The Marietta Daily Journal in Marietta and a government reporter at The Cherokee Tribune in Canton. He is a Dawsonville native with a love for good journalism, photography, playing music, exploring the great outdoors and especially snacking. When he's not working, you can find him trying out coffee shops, perusing North Georgia rivers and trails or sneaking up on sunbathing lizards.

Bill Murphy
Sports editor
Bill, a Hall County native, has been covering local sports at The Times since 2004. He enjoys working with local coaches and seeing the talent and growth of young athletes.

Nathan Berg
Sports part-time reporter
Nathan began his career in journalism by covering University of Georgia sports at The Red & Black — UGA's student-run newspaper — while attending college. His love for both sports and storytelling is what led him to pursue a career in sports reporting.

Niara Collins
Copy editor
Originally from Alpharetta, Niara joined The Times as a copy editor in July 2019. Previously, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Louisiana State University, where she also worked as a copy editor for the student-run newspaper, The Daily Reveille. When she isn’t working, Niara enjoys writing creatively, listening to music and podcasts, or watching Netflix.

Jeff Gill
News reporter
Jeff has been reporting at The Times for more than two decades, so he’s more than familiar with local issues, people and places. He’s covered various topics through the years but now focuses on business, transportation and South Hall. He is a Sunday school teacher at West Hall Baptist Church and enjoys learning about history, whether local or otherwise.

Ethan Howard
Copy editor
Ethan grew up in Dahlonega where he also attended the University of North Georgia to study writing. When he is not designing pages for The Times, Ethan enjoys reading science fiction, especially stories by Ray Bradbury.

Gabriela Miranda
News reporter
Gabriela started her career in journalism with the student-led newspaper at the University of Georgia, The Red & Black. She joined The Times in 2021 and covers education and other topics important to local families. As a Spanish bilingual reporter, she also covers stories in the Hispanic community.

Kelsey Podo
Features reporter
Kelsey left a reporting position in the Smoky Mountains to join The Times in December 2018. She covers business and features and enjoys sharing the interesting lives of people in the community. When Kelsey is not out finding stories, she’s most likely playing Dungeons & Dragons, working on cosplay or reinforcing her reputation as a professional cat lady.

Scott Rogers
Photographer
Having grown up in North Hall, Scott has a vested interest in telling the stories of the community through his award-winning photos. He’s been shooting photos for The Times since 2000.

Robbie Sequeira
News reporter
Robbie joined The Times in 2021 after moving to the area from Iowa. A love for journalism brought him from The Bronx to Minnesota to Iowa, and now Gainesville, to cover how local government is affecting the everyday lives of its constituents. When he's not doing that he's listening to Mariah Carey and crying about his New York sports teams.

Nick Watson
News reporter
Nick began his career in journalism at The Times in 2014 after graduating from the University of Georgia, where he worked at the Red & Black student newspaper. He reports on public safety issues and works to hold officials accountable for their actions. When he’s not responding to breaking news or digging into data from an open records request, he’s probably winning a trivia game or answering all the questions on “Jeopardy.”