FāVS News News and Commentary about Religion and Ethics in Eastern Washington and North Idaho
Tracy Simmons, Executive Director
Tracy Simmons is an award winning journalist specializing in religion reporting, digital entrepreneurship and social journalism. In her 13 years on the religion beat, Simmons has tucked a notepad in her pocket and found some of her favorite stories aboard cargo ships in New Jersey, on a police chase in Albuquerque, in dusty Texas church bell towers, on the streets of New York and in tent cities in Haiti.
Simmons has worked as a multimedia journalist for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas and Connecticut. Currently is a Scholarly Assistant Professor at Washington State University and serves as the executive director of FāVS News a digital journalism start-up covering religion news and commentary in Spokane, Washington. She also writes nationally and is a reporter and columnist for the Spokesman-Review.
You can reach Simmons at tracysimmons@spokanefavs.com.
Cassy Benefield, Associate Editor
Cassy (pronounced like Cassie but spelled with a ‘y’) Benefield is a wife and mother, a writer and photographer and a huge fan of non-fiction. She has traveled all her life, first as an Army brat. She is a returned Peace Corps volunteer (2004-2006) to Romania where she mainly taught Conversational English. She received her bachelor’s in journalism from Cal Poly Technical University in San Luis Obispo, California. She finds much comfort in her Savior, Jesus Christ, and considers herself a religion nerd who is prone to buy more books, on nearly any topic, than she is ever able to read.
You can reach Benefield at spokanefavs.cassy@gmail.com.
Mikayla Finnerty, Social Media Manager
Mikayla Finnerty is a multimedia journalism major at Washington State University. She was the social media editor for the Daily Evergreen spring 2022 and will be Managing Editor for the paper this Fall. During her time at the Evergreen, she has written for Roots, Opinion, and Culture. She has also created illustrations as well as taken pictures. Mikayla enjoys reading and baking in her free time.
Gen Heywood, FāVS News Photographer
Rev. Gen Heywood has been active in parish ministry for more than 30 years. From small towns to big cities, she always lets the needs of the community and the congregation be her guide. Gen credits the supportive leadership of Veradale United Church of Christ for including her work to overcome racism, poverty, the war economy and ecological devastation as part of her ministry. “Veradale UCC is a small church with a powerful faith. They are the reason I can be a witness for a world where we do justice, live with compassion and walk humbly with the Divine.” Gen grew up in rural Maine. She received a B.A. in Music Therapy and German from Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts, and her M.Div. from Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Massachusetts. She is a lifelong learner who lives in Spokane Valley, Washington, with her three dogs, as well as, sometimes, with her amazing young adult children.
To meet our Reporters, click here.
To meet our Columnists, click here.
To meet our Board of Trustees, click here.
FāVS is always looking for enthusiastic supporters to lend a hand in keeping FāVS running!
Contact Cassy Benefield at spokanefavs.cassy@gmail.com to talk about available volunteer opportunities including Marketing Director, Calendar Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, Fundraising Coordinator, Advertising and Promotional Executive, and more!
Contact Tracy Simmons at tracysimmons@spokanefavs.com if you’re interested in internship opportunities, from copy editing to graphic design, social media to event planning, photojournalism to public relations.