UPDATE: As of mid October of 2012, Katie Brinkerhoff is no longer a full time reporter, due to family obligations. However, she still plans to contribute occasionally as a freelancer.

I began working as a reporter/photographer for the Northern Kittitas County Tribune in October 2011, and thoroughly enjoy this opportunity to serve and get to know my new community, after moving to the Thorp area in the spring of 2011.

I come from a family of photographers. My father was a portrait photographer who owned a studio where I grew up in Ohio and my sister had a wedding photography business before moving West to join family in Olympia where her son owns a studio and works photographing the Senate when they are in session.

I enjoyed writing and photography in high school, and working as a reporter/photographer for the Methow Valley News in Twisp and Winthrop (a newspaper which, incidentally, was once owned by the family that currently owns the Tribune) before moving to Kittitas County, where I am a newlywed bride. My husband Bob and I have seven kids and seven grandkids between us.

My favorite stories to write and assignments to cover include celebrating the accomplishments of Upper County residents. Whether it is a new business owner garnering the courage to begin a new enterprise, students meeting academic goals or pushing themselves in athletic pursuits, volunteers serving the community in ways that require focus and dedication, chronicling historical and family traditions in Northern Kittitas County or attempting to cover fairly both sides of a controversial issue, my job is my passion.

Are there stories out there you would like to see the NKC Tribune cover? Events that you would like photographed? Let us know. Your opinions, achievements and challenges are important to us, and we are here to serve you. We take delight in telling your stories.

Frankly, I’m old school 3^rd generation Upper Kittitas County (UKC) and my son is now the 4^th.  My grandfather “papa” started working in the Roslyn coal mines in 1909; 30 years later Frank Badda (for whom I am named after) became Superintendent of the mines until they closed in the early 60’s.

I was fortunate to be raised by two wonderful parents.  Roslyn classics in their own right, dad was a sports star, mom was a cheerleader.  You could find mom playing the accordion or piano at the Teanaway Grange, or find them both up at the lake coordinating our ginormous family reunions. Hiking, fishing, camping was how I spent my youth… throw in some dirt bikes or playing baseball and that’s how I grew up between UKC and “the West Side” (Seattle).

I was the youngest Eagle Scout in the state of Washington; I was only 12 and had to wait until I turned 13 to receive the award.  Passionate about anything outdoors I became an activist in the late 60’s becoming a member of REI, the Cousteau Society, even Greenpeace.  My early dream career was going to be Forestry.  But alas, things change, in college I found myself enrolled in pre-med dental classes…

One day a co-worker asked if I could help her out at a restaurant washing dishes, and well, as you guessed it, the rest was history.  Within a year I was the Chef.  Then came the many leadership and management seminars to lay foundations for a professional career. I spent the next 35 years as an executive chef at specialty niche restaurants, hotels and resorts.

I became virtually obsessive about learning classic French, Italian, Latin, Mediterranean and regional American cuisines.  I later went on to building and designing commercial kitchens and restaurants.

I’ve entertained everyone from heads of state, governors and senators, to foreign delegations to the United States.

I’ve partnered with ESPN, CNN, MTV, the X-Games, Sony, Swatch, Trans World Snow, Rolling Stone, Pepsi, Nabisco, Nestle, Campbell’s and others, like Burton, K2, Gnu, Marker, Lib Tech, Foursquare, Forum, Rusty, Roxy, Quicksilver, Vans, Marker, Billabong, and many more.  What a ride!

Along the road, I started working at a historic family butcher shop in North Seattle and later became a USDA federal meat cutter and then Plant Manager.   Imagine a chef in that position, I was like a “kid in a candy store” learning where everything came from in the world.

I became a committed “foodie”.  I wasn’t just satisfied with cooking “regular food” I developed a passion for learning about food.  From intricate culinary methods to organic garden growing there was no stopping me!

Bursting at the seams with way too much information, I began “teaching not talking” about food issues.

Currently, as a member of Slow Food USA, the USDA’s “Chef to Schools” program, the Public Health Department’s “Food Access Coalition”, and serving on many other community-based boards, I’ve maintained being a food activist.  I am available for speaking engagements and teach wonderful workshops on culinary topics and organic gardens.

The focus of my weekly column “Frankly Speaking” is not only about food, but also unique and interesting events & activities in Upper County, particularly ones relating to public service and education.  If you have an idea for a topic in my column, contact me at the email address in the gray box above or through the Tribune contact page today!