Debra (Lo Guercio) DeAngelo is 100% California grown. She grew up in Carmichael, and is a graduate of La Sierra High School. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC Davis, and worked in the social services field for 10 years before switching to journalism.

A resident of Winters, California since 1981, she has been the managing editor and columnist at the local weekly newspaper, the Winters Express since 1992. Her weekly column also runs in the Davis Enterprise on Sundays.

As editor and columnist for the Winters Express, Debra has three first place awards (most recently in 2010) and three second place awards for writing columns from the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Under her editorship, the Winters Express won the CNPA’s General Excellence award in 2001, as well as several first and second place awards for its editorial page, lifestyle coverage, local news coverage and environmental reporting.

At the national level, Debra has four first place, two second place and two third place awards for columns from the National Newspaper Association, and a third place award for environmental reporting. The Express also won a second place in General Excellence in 1998 from the NNA.

In 2002, Debra won a national talent search for The Front Porch, a budding syndicate that grew to publication in 45 newspapers. The Front Porch closed its doors three years later just as the print media industry started struggling financially and cutting back. She is also a former columnist with the Mountain Democrat in Placerville and the Fairfield Daily Republic.

In addition to her “Because I Say So” column, Debra also writes a local travel column, “Inns & Outs,” and a brief entertainment/critique column, “A Quick Critique.” Samples o all three columns can be found on her website, www.eDebra.com. Debra has served as a CNPA Better Newspaper Contest judge for 17 years and was an essay judge for the Yolo County Academic Decathlon for 15 years.

When not sitting at a keyboard, she enjoys spending time with The Cutest Main in the World (aka: her husband, Joe) in San Francisco and the Napa Valley, attending Scottish/Celtic and medieval reenactment festivals, swimming, yoga and working out, and is continually studying the healing arts, alternative spirituality, bodywork, nutrition and health. Besides her position as editor and columnist, she is also a Certified Massage
Therapist with her own private practice. In her community, she serves as board member for the Winters Chamber of Commerce.

Contact Debra