Three journalists with ties to El Paso have joined the El Paso Matters team, CEO Robert Moore said.

Elida S. Perez, René Kladzyk and Claudia Tristán were hired after a search that drew more than 100 applicants from across the United States and as far away as Great Britain.

Perez has been a reporter for the Salem (Oregon) Statesman Journal and Newspaper Tree and the El Paso Times in El Paso. She left journalism in 2018 to pursue a different career path but has been doing freelance writing since April for El Paso Matters.

“When I left journalism almost two years ago to work in financial services I never thought I would look back, but in recent months I have come to realize how important it is to be able to help inform the community in these unprecedented times,” Perez said.

Kladzyk has been doing freelance writing for El Paso Matters since April. Her work also has been featured in international outlets like Teen Vogue, The Creative Independent, and i-D magazine. 

An El Paso native, she did master’s research in El Paso and Ciudad Juárez from 2008-2010, studying how rising violence and a hardening borderline were transforming fronterizo identity. René loves to write about arts and culture, and is a musician who performs under the moniker Ziemba.

“I’m elated to join the team at El Paso Matters. El Paso is like nowhere else on Earth, and I look forward to sharing stories of it’s unique beauty and most pressing issues via my favorite local publication,” Kladzyk said.

Tristán previously worked as a television reporter for five years in West Texas and New Mexico. She has experience in both English and Spanish television news. As a journalist, Tristán most recently covered immigration in El Paso. 

She left journalism to work in government and on political campaigns. She joined the office of the New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Later she worked on Beto O’Rourke’s presidential campaign before joining Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s reelection campaign. 

“It’s an honor to get the opportunity to work alongside such talented journalists on the border. When I first heard of Bob’s endeavour more than a year ago, I knew I wanted to find my way onto the team. I’m flattered to get the chance to do that now and serve the El Paso community again,” Tristán said

El Paso Matters, which began publishing in February, now has seven journalists.

“We are fortunate to have journalists who are deeply rooted in El Paso but also have diverse experiences outside of journalism that enhance their skills,” Moore said. “We look forward to telling important stories about El Paso, Ciudad Juárez and the surrounding region.”