Prior to his turn to journalism with Westside Voice, Todd Flora worked to shape public opinion and public policy for more than 25 years working among some of California’s most dynamic leaders in government and public affairs.

His professional life has included corporate responsibility and corporate philanthropy work for IBM, public affairs and technology consulting at Edelman Public Relations, where he rose to Vice President of Public Affairs. He has also served as Senior Government Affairs Officer with First 5 LA, an organization charged with funding early childhood development programs for children prenatal to five. Further, he also spent time with EcoMotion, an energy and environmental consulting firm.

Todd has also put his management and strategic communications skills into leading two nonprofit advocacy organizations. As Western Regional Director of The Concord Coalition, an organization Co-founded by former Senators Paul Tsongas (D-MA) and Warren Rudman (R-NH) to advocate fiscal responsibility while ensuring Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are secure for all generations; And the California Clean Money Campaign, an effort to establish a system of publicly funded elections in the state. Prior to that, he began his public affairs career as Special Assistant to then Lt. Governor Gray Davis.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Todd has been involved in a wealth of political and issues oriented campaigns. He is former Board member of Heal the Bay, a leading coastal and water quality organization, and an elected Commissioner on the Santa Monica Rent Control Board (where he was affiliated with Santa Monicans for Renter’s Rights). Previously, he served on the Board of Downtown Santa Monica Inc. – a business improvement district – and on the Advisory Board of Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE), an effort supporting labor and working people.

But of course, the two things Todd would probably most want you to know are that he is (A) an avid – and “many people say” quite talented – steering wheel drummer and (B) he watches ALL of the shows and loves to chat about them.

He is a graduate of the University of Richmond (’93) and received his Masters in Political Management from George Washington University (’96). In 2020, Todd entered the Journalism Certificate program at UCLA Extension. A native of the San Fernando Valley and raised in Brea, CA, Todd and his wife, Erin, have lived in Santa Monica for more than 25 years.

Disclaimer: Westside Voice’s news articles will be straight-up news as it happened. However, Todd’s progressive leanings will likely and often be found on the news site’s editorial and candidate endorsement pages.

Saahil Malik is a radio and print journalist, who has a background in social media. He graduated from UC Irvine with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and is currently working on obtaining his Master’s in Communication from West Virginia University.

Most recently he has worked for Snapchat as a content curator and was a Chargers beat writer for LAFB. Malik is a first-generation Indian-American who has seen the power of connecting in communities through sports, and emphatically believes in their power to bring people together for the greater good. A staunch advocate for the necessity and importance of local journalism, Malik is looking forward to serving the West Los Angeles community. His community.

A lifelong West LA native, Christian May-Suzuki has spent the better part of the past 4 years covering all types of news in Culver City, Gardena, and Long Beach. He loves his dogs, sports, games of all sorts, and a nice beer.

Korrea is a graduate of California State University, Dominguez Hills with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She also earned a degree at Clovis Community College with a AA in psychology.

She was a first-generation college student. Always curious, Korrea is a Fresno native and loves sports. Her favorite sports are football and basketball and her favorite teams are the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Lakers.

Korrea loves doing what she does and making a positive impact in people’s lives. She was raised by her amazing grandparents Arthur and Devone.  Korrea is determined to make a difference in this world. She loves spending time with her loved ones and her pets at home.

Noor Sufi is a news reporter who has a background in investigative journalism. She graduates from Cal State Northridge in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Investigative Journalism with an emphasis in criminal justice.

Rebecca Grazier is originally from the east coast, and studied Journalism at Los Angeles City College. She has written for the Los Angeles Collegian as well as LOCALE Magazine. She loves spending time with her family and her cats.

Madeleine Benn has experience in radio and print journalism, having previously hosted a handful of radio shows and contributing to several print and web news outlets. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Southern California with minors in screenwriting and comedy.

Born, raised and educated in Los Angeles, her passion for the city extends beyond the arts to include city government and volunteer opportunities. She also enjoys performing improv comedy.