About Us

MercerMe provides the news – hyperlocal, independent, reliable, and digital — to Hopewell Valley in New Jersey, since 2013. Run exclusively by members of this community, MercerMe relies on reader subscriptions and advertising partners to keep the news coming.

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Managing Editor

Amie Rukenstein

Amie lives in the recently-restored oldest structure in Titusville and has worked for MercerMe since August 2019. As the CFO of a company that manages affordable housing, and board member of several non-profit organizations, she finds herself most often with her laptop open and excel and google on the screen. Amie received her BA in Political Science from Marist College and her JD from Brooklyn Law School.

Publisher & Founder

Mary Galioto

Mary Galioto lives in Hopewell Township raising her two awesome kids. She is the founder and publisher of MercerMe, and served as long-time editor. She holds a BA in English from Binghamton University and a JD from Seton Hall Law School. In her free time, she enjoys the arts, nature, and taking things way too seriously.

MercerMe Team

Mary Galioto

1185 POSTS

Amie Rukenstein

196 POSTS

Renata Barnes

51 POSTS

Colleen Murphy-DePaolo

33 POSTS

Angela Fee-Maimon

22 POSTS

Deborah Howlett

20 POSTS

Ambreen Ali

15 POSTS

Contact Us!

MercerMe encourages guest posts, photography and calendar submissions, letters to the editor, tips on news, feedback, and more. We’d love to hear from you!

Our Policies

Our Policies

History & Hightlights

The Beginning: MercerMe was born from a mommy-blog written by now publisher Mary Galioto and two friends. MercerMe and its current model was established in December of 2013 to provide the sorely needed news this community has been looking for. The publication has since continued under Galioto’s guidance, always with our readers and our community in mind.

MercerMe Received a Grow and Strengthen Grant along with support and mentorship from Montclair State University’s Center for Cooperative Media in 2014.

MercerMe Welcomes Mayor Cathleen Lewis as Columnist: From 2014 to 2016, we were proud publishers of a column “Mommy Mayor” by Lawrence Township’s former mayor, Cathleen Lewis, who wrote of her take on work-life balance and life as a publically involved working mom.

Letters to the Editor: We started accepted letters to the editor in October 2014 to expand community participation possibilities and ensure that MercerMe really continues to serve as the community’s news source.

The Taste Chase: One of our highlights is our popular column, The Taste Chase, written by Pennington resident Renata Barnes. She scouts out the tastiest treats from all corners of Mercer County. Yum it up and binge on some of her past reviews by clicking this link!

MercerMe’s Cut Throat Cookie: This is not your grandma’s holiday cookie exchange. Not unless your grandma is well-versed in smack talk and has a filthy mouth. MercerMe’s Cut Throat Cookie is a competitive and lively cookie contest and exchange that brings together the love of baking and the glory of bragging. Wonderfully organized and hosted by MercerMe’s best and bravest supporters most notably the amazing Renata Barnes (also of The Taste Chase).