Andrew Brown
Andrew is an investigative reporter at the Connecticut Mirror, where he has worked since July 2021.
Prior to moving to Connecticut, Andrew was a reporter at local newspapers in North Dakota, West Virginia and most recently South Carolina.
He’s covered business, utilities, environmental issues, the opioid crisis, local government and two state legislatures.
Andrew is a graduate of Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania, where he majored in history and political science. He also attended the University of Missouri’s graduate school of journalism.
Since joining the CFOG board in 2022, Andrew has become co-chair of its Communications and Marketing Committee and is a member of its Program Committee.
He lives in West Hartford with his fiancé, Mary Katherine Wideman, a data journalist for the Associated Press, and his dog, Remy.
Leslie Mayes
Leslie Mayes is a reporter and anchor for NBC Connecticut, which she joined in 2015. She’s also the creator and host of “Connecticut in Color” a program dedicated to highlighting the stories and discussing the issues of the Nutmeg State’s communities of color.
Leslie joined NBC after working in Charlotte, North Carolina where she was a morning reporter at News 14 Carolina.
Prior to her time in the south, she covered national politics as the Washington Bureau producer for the Time Warner Cable News channels. While in the nation’s capital, she covered both of President Barack Obama’s inaugurations and several State of the Union addresses. Leslie began her career in TV behind the camera as a news assistant and photographer in New York City for NY1 News.
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Leslie credits her roots in the nation’s capital for her early love of news and current events, particularly national politics. She holds a degree in Government & Politics from St. John’s University in New York City.
Leslie is an active member of the National Association of Black Journalists, enjoys working with children from under-served communities, and telling stories that might often go unnoticed.
Since joining the CFOG board in 2022, Leslie has become a member of the Governance, Mitchell Pearlman Award and the Stories Behind the Stories committees.
She and her husband and their cat Chloe live in Hartford County.05