Our Editorial staff all live and work right here in Philly!
Greg Salisbury – Managing Editor
Greg Salisbury has been part of the Exponent in one fashion or another since the last century. He worked under the legendary Jane Biberman at Inside magazine as an editorial assistant before ultimately taking the reins himself from 2008 until its untimely passing this year. Additionally, he served as arts/culture editor and senior editor at the Exponent before being named as the paper’s managing editor. A third-generation Philadelphian, he has a Michael Corleone-type relationship with the city, although by now he can’t imagine living anywhere else. He is a proud member of Kol Tzedek in West Philly, where his son, Maje, and daughter, Jemma, will celebrate their B’nai Mitzvah next year.
Jon Marks – Senior Staff Writer
Jon brings a wealth of experience and versatility to the Exponent. After writing about sports in the Philadelphia area — going back to the Flyers’ Stanley Cup years and Phillies’, Sixers’ and Eagles’ heyday in the late ’70s and early ’80s — with the Norristown Times Herald and Philadelphia Journal, he spent 17 years with the Trenton Times. During that span as a Sixers’ beat writer, NBA columnist and general assignment reporter, he won several awards from the Pro Basketball Writers’ Association and North Jersey Press Club. He also worked for two local public relations agencies. In addition he’s been an active freelancer for numerous publications and websites, including the Boston Globe, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, San Jose Mercury News and Miami Herald, well as a regular contributor to Metro Philadelphia and sheridanhoops.com. A lifelong Philadelphia area resident, Marks attended Cheltenham High with current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He went on to receive his bachelor’s degree from Albright College before beginning his professional career. Bar Mitzvahed at Beth Sholom and later a member of Temple Sinai, Jon has maintained a lifelong connection within the Jewish community. The father of Lauren Marks, a sophomore at Temple University, Marks resides in Glenside with his fiancée, Debby Nathan.
Jason Cohen – Staff Writer
Jason grew up in Edison, N.J., and, much to the dismay of many people in Philly, roots for the Giants, Mets, Rangers and Knicks. He lives and breathes sports, but also loves journalism. He graduated from Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., with dreams of being on TV. However, those plans changed as he began to pursue writing. He is beginning to get used to life in Philadelphia. Besides the horrific parking, it is a nice city. He loves Del Rossi’s, which has some of the best burgers he has ever had. However, as a longtime employee of La Bagel, a New Jersey bagel shop, he is a bit biased about breakfast. Although it will be hard for him to watch his teams in Philly, he is looking forward to working at the Jewish Exponent and living in the City of Brotherly Love.
Marissa Stern – Staff Writer
Marissa is a Philly native and recent graduate of Penn State, where she studied journalism and English/publishing. While at school, she wrote for the campus newspaper and magazine and interned for the regional magazine, as well as Quirk Books and Iris Creative in Philadelphia. Her journalism career began after she discovered there was more to the newspaper than the comics section. She is excited to start working in the “real world.” She rereads Harry Potter at least once a year, drinks iced coffee year-round and is frequently lost. Her playlist jumps from One Direction to the Grateful Dead and she watches “Jeopardy!” every day and always shouts the answers, even when they’re wrong (which is often). She desperately wants to be friends with Amy Poehler and she is excited to be back home in Philly and its Jewish community.
Rachel Kurland – Staff Writer
Rachel is a recent graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism and a minor in coffee drinking (also a real minor in Jewish studies). She’s worked for several newspapers and magazines over the past few years. Her passion for journalism was most likely inspired by her mild obsession with Gilmore Girls TV character Rory Gilmore, the alpha journo star of her time (well, at least on the Warner Bros. lot). As an adventurous foodie, she’s excited to explore the city and try just about anything, or at least one notch below Bizarre Foods star Andrew Zimmern’s eccentric eats. Her move to Philadelphia has been an exciting one. Considering she comes from a state that is mostly below sea level and always above 100 percent humidity, she’s easily bewildered by the new things she comes across in the city, but mostly things like basements, coat rooms and cellars. She’s looking forward to getting to know the Jewish community and being a part of it.
