Aedan Hannon

As a former rural journalist and small town resident, Aedan knows that rural communities are often overlooked and their stories often go untold. He believes every voice—especially rural voices—matters, so as LOR’s communications manager, Aedan prioritizes listening, collaboration, and relationship-building, devoting time and care to the people who make rural communities vibrant.

Originally from Denver, Aedan has called Alaska, southwest Colorado, and Wyoming home. As a journalist, he covered health, education, local government, the environment, and myriad other subjects for the Durango Herald and Casper Star-Tribune. Reporting for local newspapers revealed the many challenges rural communities face. It also connected him with people who were committed to making a difference, from ranchers, doctors, and teachers to youth mental health workers and citizen scientists. Aedan’s reporting has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Colorado Press Association, and the Wyoming Press Association.

Aedan received his B.S. in environmental science from Duke University where he studied agriculture and conservation. In a moment of clarity following a research catastrophe involving groundhogs (we promise, it’s a good story), he left science to pursue narrative journalism, completing a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Aedan joined the LOR team because he believes deeply in the organization’s mission to support rural communities. He wants to use his skills to highlight the incredible work taking place in rural communities across the Mountain West.

Aedan is a keen traveler, a published poet, and a corn snob—a trait he picked up while working on farms. He spends his free time trail running, biking, fly-fishing, and camping. Trading in Wyoming’s wind for Colorado’s traffic, Aedan now resides in Denver with his partner and the dog and two cats that make his house a zoo.