Downtown Phoenix Journal is pleased to welcome Natalie Morris as editor of its Eats & Drinks section.

Twitter followers may know Natalie as @eatSlow (a name that speaks pretty clearly to her support of the slow food movement).

Wine drinkers may know her as one of the board members of Cultivate Santa Cruz, a non-profit organization that addresses the challenges of small-scale agriculture in rural areas.

Downtown shoppers may have seen her at the recently deceased Urban Grocery & Wine Bar (moment of silence).

An Arizona native, Natalie has her Master of Food Culture and Communication from the University of Gastronomic Sciences based in Pollenzo, Italy and now owns her own consulting firm, Good Food Allies, which works to connect farmers and food producers with the administrative and marketing resources they need to succeed.

As Eats & Drinks editor, Natalie will contribute to the editorial direction, taking a creative approach to DPJ’s coverage of dining and drinking destinations, events, and products for the downtowner’s discerning palate.

“DPJ has always been my go-to resource for relevant downtown news, ” said Morris. “It’s my pleasure to be able to work with a team that values the sustainable growth of this city and is consistently keeping its residents at the forefront.”

“Natalie will be a fantastic addition to DPJ ‘s Eats & Drinks team,” said Catrina Kahler, DPJ publisher. “We look forward to bringing her pursuit of authentic culinary and beverage experiences in the greater Downtown Phoenix area to our readers.”