Hello there!

I'm Bryanna Hampton, your new local editor for Ballwin-Ellisville Patch. I've been a Patcher in Creve Coeur and Sunset Hills-Crestwood over the past year or so, and I'm super excited to be joining Patch full time in this community I'm quickly learning to love.

Before I share about me, I want to know about you and what Ballwin-Ellisville is all about. What's important to you? What things do I HAVE to do? My familiarity with the area is growing and I want to make sure I don't miss anything!

All right -- here's a quick overview of yours truly:

• I recently graduated from Missouri Baptist University with degrees in communications and public relations. 
• There, I served as the managing editor of our student online news source, Timeline Online, and anchored/produced/edited for the weekly student broadcast, "Timeline."
• I had a great time learning and reporting in New York City last summer during the World Journalism Institute's convergence media course. I miss a lot about that exciting city, especially the cityscape and Mr. Softee ice cream.
• Two words: Cardinals baseball.
• During my "off" time, I shoot photos for fun, draw, read and help out at my church. Of course, I love to spend time with family and friends and, admittedly, we all do a lot of eating good food.
• Favorite TV shows: "The Big Bang Theory," "The Office" (the Steve Carell years), "Seinfeld," "House"
• Want to get on my good side? Coffee. Yup.

Hopefully we'll meet as I'm out and about in the area and at different meetings and events, but feel free to introduce yourself here! Join our Patch community if you haven't already and let me know what's up -- from news tips to quirky photos to organization announcements to road projects, I want to know and make sure I'm covering what matters to you.

If you ever have any questions or just want to meet to find out more about Patch, email me at bryanna.hampton@patch.com or through my personal Twitter account, @bryannahampton.

As always, you can keep up with Patch in a few handy ways:

• "Like" our Facebook page
• Follow us on Twitter
• Sign up for a helpful email newsletter
• Keep up with us on Foursquare
• See what's happening on Instagram (ballwinellisvillepatch) 

Thanks! And don't forget to give me your tips to being a local in Ballwin and Ellisville in the Comments section!

- Bryanna