Below are staff profiles of the people who report, write and edit The Manhattan Mercury.

Walt Braun
Editorial Page Editor

At The Mercury: since April 1990. Editorial page editor since 1994; news editor 1990-1994.
Previous Experience: Copy editor at Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, 1988-90; city editor at Rock Hill (S.C.) Herald, 1985-88, and as a reporter at Kingsport (Tenn.) Times-News; Bristol (Tenn.-Va.) Herald-Courier, 1983-85; and Emporia (Kan.) Gazette, 1979-1983.
Education: University of Kansas, off and on 1970-1979; Campion Jesuit High School (it's now a prison!) in Prairie du Chien, Wis.
Personal: Born June 11, 1952. Married since 1977 to Maggie, a special ed teacher; two sons, Connor, born Jan. 28, 1987, and Preston, born Nov. 10, 1988. One golden retriever, Ralph, who likes his Kleenex one at a time right out of the box.
Hobbies: Gardening, planning trips, golf, sort of, and helping the boys in whatever their seasonal activity is.
How to contact me: Call 776-2300 ext. 252 or e-mail: wbraun@themercury.com.

Mike Dendurent
Wire Editor 

At The Mercury: Since April, 1981.
Previous experience: Reporter and editor at Grit, Williamsport, Pa., 1973-1976. Managing editor at the Wamego (Kan.) Times, 1976-1980.
Education: Bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communications from Kansas State University, 1973 (editor of the Kansas State Collegian, fall 1972). Wamego High School, 1969.
Personal: Born March 12, 1951. Married to Joyce (McLaughlin) Dendurent, nurse. Daughter, Mandy, born April 23, 1988. Son, Jeff, born Sept. 25, 1991. 
Hobbies: Walking, record collecting, jazz aficionado.
How to contact me: Phone (785) 776-2300, ext. 241. E-mail mdendurent@themercury.com. 

Bill Felber
Executive Editor

At The Mercury: Since September, 1969. Started as a part-time sports and news reporter; full-time reporter in January 1972; news editor in 1973; executive editor since 1986.
Previous experience: The Harvey (Ill.) Tribune, 1967-69, part-time sports and news reporter.
Education: B.A. in Journalism, Kansas State University, 1971; I completed 24 hours of graduate work toward a degree in history in the early 1980s.
Personal: Married since 1973 (Linda) with one son (Frank, born May, 1998). Don't ask. I am also a former member of the board of directors and treasurer of APME, a national organization of newspaper editors. I am a 14-handicap golfer (I was a 9-handicap before the kid was born), and am the author of three books: 125 Years of Professional Baseball (1994), The Horse in War (2001), and The Book on The Book (2005). The Book on the Book was released in paperback by St. Martins Press in the spring of 2006.
How to contact me: Call 776-2300 ext. 240 or e-mail: felber@themercury.com. 

Javier Gonzalez
News Editor

At the Mercury: News editor since April 2009.
Previous experience: Copy editor for SportsDay at The Dallas Morning News May 1998-October 2008. Copy editor for The Tennessean in Nashville February 1994-May 1998.
Education: BA in Journalism 1993 University of Houston
Personal: Born March 15, 1971 in Laredo, Texas. Youngest of eight children of Carmen and Hortencia Gonzalez. I grew up in Houston. Married to Sylvia Gonzalez, who is a nurse, in 2003. We have four wonderful children.
Hobbies: Besides spending time with my wife and kids, I enjoy reading, traveling, listening to Jimmy Buffett music and cheering on the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Astros, Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Cougars.
How to contact me: (785) 776-2300 ext 242, or jgonzalez@themercury.com

Patrice Holderbach
City reporter

At the Mercury: City reporter since February of 2009.

Previous experience: Contributor, South Edinburgh (U.K.) Echo, fall of 2008. Intern and freelancer, The Topeka Capital-Journal, winter of 2002 to fall of 2008. News intern, The Kansas City Star, summer of 2005. Editorial intern, Mother Earth News magazine (Topeka), spring of 2005. Reporter, Scripps Howard Foundation Wire (Washington, D.C.), spring of 2004. Editor in chief, Kansas State Collegian, fall of 2004.

Education: University of Edinburgh, 2008, MSc in Creative Writing. University of Oxford, 2007, MSc in Forced Migration. Kansas State University, 2006, BA in Print Journalism, secondary majors in International Studies and American Ethnic Studies, minor in Leadership Studies.

Personal: If life had been different, I would have listened to my brother and become a dog psychologist.

Hobbies: Photography, fiction, bargain-travel, rocking out to British pop-rock.

How to contact me: (785) 776-2300, ext. 249. E-mail pholderbach@themercury.com.

Joshua Kinder
Sports Editor

At the Mercury: Sports editor since January of 2007.
Previous experience: Sports writer, The Lawton (Okla.) Constitution, Aug. 2006-Dec. 2006; Sports writer, Dodge City (Kan.) Daily Globe, June 2004-Aug. 2006; Part-time sports writer, The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, April 2000-March 2003; Managing editor, Kansas State Collegian, summer 2003; Sports editor, Kansas State Collegian, fall 1999.
Education: Kansas State from 1998-2004, Social Science, with an emphasis in Criminology. Graduated from Dodge City High School in 1998.
Personal: Born Oct. 3, 1979. An only child, grew up in Wichita (Kan.), Garden City (Kan.) and Dodge City, and the son an college art instructor and a high school journalism teacher.
Hobbies: Besides catching as many sports events as possible, also enjoy camping, traveling, golf, photography, country music and collecting sports memorabilia.
How to contact me: (785) 776-2300 ext. 244, or e-mail me at jkinder@themercury.com.

Will Klusener
Education Reporter

At the Mercury: since August, 2005. Started as a part-time Riley County Commission/features/news reporter; full-time education reporter since October, 2006.
Previous experience: news/entertainment/features reporter and copy editor at the K-State Collegian from 2004 to 2005. Covered the local music scene, wrote music reviews and reviewed restaurants, among other things.
Education: at K-State from1999 to 2006. Received bachelor's degrees in social science and journalism. Attended Maize High School from 1995 to 1999.
Personal: I have one brother, Andrew, who is studying Spanish and international business at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan. My parents, Brian and Laura, are still married after 26 years of frustration with my brother and me (big up, Mom and Dad!). I also have Tourette's Syndrome, which has helped me empathize with and understand other people. I enjoy rock 'n' roll, jazz, classical, classic country and hip-hop music. I hated sports until I came to K-State, then got swept up in the culture and jumped off the bridge along with everyone else. I now think I know more about sports than I actually do, and sometimes prove it.
Hobbies: I play the saxophone, guitar, bass and drums, and pick up other instruments easily. I'm fascinated with other cultures (Russian/eastern European and Scandinavian in particular), and soak up everything I can get my hands on. I read and write German fairly fluently, and am teaching myself Russian and Norwegian. I love foreign language films. I ride my bike when I can, and am an avid fan of shooting sports. I also collect odd and vintage watches, when money allows.
How to contact me: (785) 776-2300, ext. 246, or email me at willk@themercury.com

Rod Mikinski
Staff Photographer 

At The Mercury: since 1979.
Previous experience: 1975-1977 Opalousa Daily World (LA) 1977-1979 Casa Grande Dispatch (AZ).
Education: University of Kansas, bachelor of science 1975.
To reach me: Call (785)776-2300 ext. 253 or e-mail: news@themercury.com.

Edward Seaton
Editor in Chief

At The Mercury: Since June, 1969.
Previous experience: Reporter and copy editor The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky., 1968-1969. Served as president, American Society of Newspaper Editors (1998-99) and Inter American Press Association (1989-1990).
Education: Bachelor's degree in government from Harvard University, 1965. Graduate studies Universidad Central, Quito, Ecuador (1965-66, Fulbright scholar); University of Missouri School of Journalism (1966-67).
Personal: Born Feb. 5, 1943. Married to Karen (Mathisen) Seaton, housewife and former college Spanish teacher. Two sons, Ned and Jay. Hobbies: Tennis, reading, cooking, Latin America.
How to contact me: Phone (785) 776-2300. E-mail eseaton@themercury.com. 

Ned Seaton
General Manager

At The Mercury: Since July, 1996. Previously served as the news editor through October, 1999.
Previous experience: Reporter at the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times, 1993-1996. Newsman at the Kansas City bureau of the Associated Press, 1992-1993. Reporter at the Orange County (Calif.) Register, 1990-1992.
Education: Bachelor's degree in social studies from Harvard University, 1990. Manhattan High School, 1986.
Personal: Born Dec. 13, 1967. Married to Jacqi (Lambert) Seaton, a Manhattan family physician. Three children: Jake Hannah and Brett.
Hobbies: Tennis, softball, reading.
How to contact me: Phone (785) 776-2300, ext. 255. E-mail nseaton@themercury.com. 

Ed Skeel
Web Producer

At the Mercury: Since October 2006.
Education: BA Film Studies (Hons) Southampton Institute, Southampton England. 2004.
Personal: Born 1982. Married since 2005 to Sara, a graphic designer; no children currently, but two neices I miss very much. I was born in England and moved to USA in 2005 on a more permanent basis to live with my wife. My family are mainly back home in England, but I have relatives spanning the globe, which is nice, and since getting married, more family.
Hobbies: I LOVE writing. I am working on full length feature film scripts, graphic novels, childrens stories, sitcoms and video game reviews on occassion. I enjoy basketball, playing computer games, playing football (soccer), composing music, watching films and all manner of creative things and eating good food.
How to contact me: Call 776-2300 ext. 265 or e-mail: eskeel@themercury.com

Kate Waller
Staff reporter

At The Mercury: Since August 2007.
Education: I received a B.A. in English Literature from Kansas State
University in 2005.
About Me: I grew up in Wichita and moved to Manhattan to attend
college in 2001. In the summer of 2006, I married an amazing guy,
Jared Waller from Garden City, who is a teacher at Manhattan High
School. I enjoy reading, watching movies, taking walks, and
generally enjoying the company of friends.
How to Contact Me: You can call at (785) 776-2300, ext. 251, or send
me an email at kwaller@themercury.com

Jerry Wofford
Police and court reporter

At the Mercury: Police and court reporter since March 2009.
Previous experience: News intern at The Oklahoman, summer of 2007. Reporter, photographer, managing editor, editor-in-chief, at The Oklahoma Daily, 2006 through 2008.
Education: BA in journalism, minor in Middle Eastern Studies, from the University of Oklahoma, 2008.
Personal: Born July 13, 1986, and raised in Alma, Ark. Strayed from the family tradition and went to a university that was not the University of Arkansas, where my parents graduated and my brother currently attends. Have two more brothers still in grade school.
Hobbies: Anything outdoors: hiking, kayaking and traveling in general. I don't own a television (which is quite liberating), so I spend most of my time spare time reading anything from news stories and magazines to books.
How to contact me: Call 776-2300 ext. 248 or e-mail jwofford@themercury.com