Denise is a Deputy Editor at CalMatters, leading our coverage on several beats. She was previously senior editor at EdSource. As associate editor for The Center for Investigative Reporting, Denise was part of one team that won a George Polk Award and another that was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She began her journalism career at The Bakersfield Californian, where she covered several topics, including higher education, and later became an editor. She also worked as an editor at the Union-Tribune in San Diego. Denise is a Bay Area native and a graduate of Santa Clara University.