Our Staff
SUSAN PEIFFER, Publisher
Peiffer comes to City & State PA from Metro Philadelphia and Metro Boston, where she served as publisher of the daily newspapers for several years. During her time there, Peiffer developed expansion opportunities for the publication, such as an exclusive distribution agreement with the transit authority SEPTA and strategic partnerships with nonprofits and political organizations. Additionally, Peiffer is known for developing robust digital media platforms and finding new ways to engage with readers and stakeholders. Prior to relaunching City & State PA, Susan served in various leadership roles at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Valassis, and the Washington Examiner. A resident of Bucks County, Susan also sits on the boards of several nonprofit arts organizations.
JENNY DEHUFF, Editor-in-chief
A native of New England and a 2005 graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Jenny DeHuff has been part of the Philadelphia media landscape for the past 15 years on just about every level of journalism. From covering cops and courts in Norristown to authoring Philly's hottest gossip column, Jenny finds what she likes to write about most is politics and navigating its murky waters each election cycle. She's covered everything from Obama's inauguration to the Sandy Hook shooting to the Philadelphia Wing Bowl. Her bylines include the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, Metro, Playboy Magazine, The Morning Call, Philly Weekly and Philly Voice. Over the span of her career, she's won multiple awards for investigative journalism. In May 2021, she oversaw the successful relaunch of City & State PA as its editor-in-chief. She lives in South Jersey with her husband, dog, two cats and nine backyard chickens.
JUSTIN SWEITZER, Senior Reporter
Justin Sweitzer is a native of the Lehigh Valley who has lived in Harrisburg since 2019. A graduate of Kutztown University, he has covered state and local government for a variety of Pennsylvania-based publications, including The PLS Reporter, WFMZ-TV, The Home News and The Lehigh Valley Press. Justin has a strong passion for writing about state-level policy in a manner that educates and informs readers throughout the Commonwealth, and hopes to meet that goal as a member of the City and State Pennsylvania team.
HARRISON CANN, Staff Reporter
A Bethlehem, Pennsylvania native, Harrison Cann has political reporting experience in both Pennsylvania and Maryland. As a member of the University of Maryland Class of 2019, he covered local and state government in College Park and Annapolis. Following graduation, he moved back to the Commonwealth to cover the legislature in Harrisburg. Harrison is excited to continue reporting on policy issues affecting everyone from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, and everywhere in between.
MIKE FLECK, Senior Sales Executive
A native Pennsylvanian, Mike has over two decades of experience in Pennsylvania government, inclusive of five years of service on his local school board and four consecutive terms as a state representative in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Mike served on Governor Tom Wolf’s transition team for agriculture and later joined the Wolf administration as the Bureau Director for Workforce Partnerships and Operations. Under his leadership, Mike managed the PA CareerLink System. Mike later served as the political director for the Pennsylvania State Education Association.
MATT SYRVALIN, Media Sales Associate
Matt Syrvalin is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and has lived in Philadelphia since 2021. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in political science. Matt’s passion for politics is only narrowly exceeded by his love for the Cleveland Browns, and he is excited to bring his talents to City and State PA.
LAURA HURLIMAN, Events Manager
Born and raised in central Pennsylvania, Laura Hurliman has been working professionally in the sales and events industry since her graduation from Temple University in 2015. From traveling all over the country coordinating marketing promotions to planning corporate events in Nashville, TN, she is excited to be entering a new world of media and politics. Laura looks forward to being back in Pennsylvania bringing her skills and experiences to City and State PA.
BEN TAHA, Digital Marketing Associate
Ben Taha is a Delaware County native who grew up on Wawa hoagies and is nostalgic for the optimism he once felt during the era of the Sixers’ Process. Since graduating from Penn State University in 2018 where he wrote for ’The Underground,’ Ben has managed websites and written content for startups and entrepreneurs. He’s excited to bring his skills to City and State PA and hopes to, one day, execute the perfect Gritty-based news tweet.
Advisory Board
Keir Bradford-Grey
Sam Chen
Michael Days
Joseph Hill
Mary Isenhour
Lindy Li
Teresa Lundy
Sharmain Matlock-Turner
Michael Newmuis
Dennis Owens
Bill Peduto
Dave Reed
Al Schmidt
Matt Smith
Al Spivey
Paul Steinke
Brian Tierney
Lauren Vidas
Ray Zaborney