Lisa Spinelli, Patch Staff

<b>Lisa.Spinelli&#64;patch.com</b><b> | 978-761-9473<br></b><b>Hometown: Rome, Italy | Birthday: July 29</b>

While my passion for writing started in Mrs. Ricci&#39;s library in Rome, Italy when I was only seven, my passion for journalism wasn&#39;t kicked off until I was about 23 in Washington, D.C.  I began my journalism career by helping with the start-up of a music magazine named Innerloop. A few months into writing for the magazine I thought, &#39;Why am I in HR when I could do this for a living?&#39;

I applied the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University and they were smart enough to let me in. Seven years later, I have written for the Associated Press, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, URB, DJ Times, Red Herring, the Boston Phoenix and the Oklahoma Gazette, to name a few.

I have worked and written/edited for newswires, new media, television, newspapers, trade publications, tourism books and even some PR and marketing materials and websites. In my off-time I am also writing, working on a book about my father&#39;s experiences as the deputy chief of the CIA in Mogadishu, Somalia (and have been for some time).

When I&#39;m not writing or catching up on news from friends across the globe, I&#39;m probably playing with my baby daughter and snuggling with my Air Force officer hubby (when he&#39;s home), eating a bunch of pasta or dreaming about the days I used to dance my heart out before my knees went south.

<b>My Beliefs<br></b>At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, as a human, I do have a certain set of beliefs and slants. As a military wife, I am naturally slanted to sympathize with the troops, but that is definitely not to say that I am in favor of many Dept. of Defense policies or procedures. I am also what many call liberal, meaning I believe in freedom for people&#39;s personal lives and am 100 percent against prejudice, racism, sexism, gender-bias and homophobia. I have zero tolerance for racists, bigots, sexists, homophobics and zealots/fanatics of any religion or group.

<b>Politics<br></b>I believe that faith in politicians is almost entirely dead and no matter what a politician does he/she will be called out from one side or the other. And most politicians deserve to be called out really. I lean to the left, but I find fault with them as well. 

<b>Religion<br></b>If there is anything above and beyond this life, I think it&#39;s so incomprehensible to us it&#39;s like describing a masquerade ball to an ant. I did grow up Catholic though so I have my share of guilt in everything I do.

<b>Local Hot-Button Issues<br></b>Some of the most important issues around Wilmington right now, I believe, are (as most towns in America) centered around taxes and job growth. While Wilmington has a relatively stable economy and a budget that&#39;s &#34;out of the red,&#34; residents are not immune to the effects of the national economy.