About Us

Meet the folks who bring you Cars.com and KickingTires’ daily content.

David Thomas, Editorial Producer: “People around the office like to call me the “blog guy” but I prefer Chief Blogging Officer. Either way I run Cars.com’s blog KickingTires, and I write new car reviews. Before coming on board here I was online editor for MPH Magazine and before that I launched and edited Autoblog."
First Car: 1989 Ford Probe

Patrick Olsen, Managing Editor: "A native of Los Angeles, I have worked as a newspaperman for most of the last two decades in both the Chicago and L.A. areas. As Cars.com’s Managing Editor, I work with this great team to bring you all the news, research and advice you’ll need to buy your next car. I’m not a gearhead, but more of a fan of how cars are becoming smarter, more comfortable and more fun."
First car: 1985 Toyota pickup, with absolutely no options, including no rear bumper.

Mike Hanley: "After briefly writing for Racingone.com, I joined Cars.com in 2002. I've held a variety of positions since then and am currently one of the site's resident car reviewers. Though I often give high marks to cars with superb handling qualities, I have a soft spot for old Detroit land yachts. I also tend to prefer manual transmissions, though I'm thankful today's stick shifts are more refined than the one in the 1951 Willys Station Wagon that I learned on."
First Car: 1975 Chevrolet Impala coupe

Bill Jackson: “I handle the Buying Guides and parts of the Research channel here, in addition to writing Weekend Athlete for Kicking Tires. I've moved all over the place both as a kid and as a former newspaperman. I like any car that carries my bike, Nordic skis and camping gear.”
First car: 1973 Volkswagen Beetle.

Kelsey Mays: “A Seattle native, my experience includes heading up the automotive section of a west Los Angeles weekly, as well as brief stints writing for Edmunds.com and TrulyHollywood.com. As my dilapidated 1994 Toyota Celica proves, I’m a stick-shift purist and bona fide car geek — no doubt explaining the serious imbalance in my time-spent-researching-camshafts to time-spent-dating ratio.”
First Car: 1994 Toyota Celica

Beth Palmer: “I’m Beth, and I do the copy editing around here. I’m a transplanted West Coaster who will eat avocado on just about anything and learned to drive in a 1984 (or possibly ’86 — does it really matter?) Plymouth Reliant."
First Car: 1984-86 Plymouth Reliant

Eric Rossi: "I handle Cars.com’s multimedia needs but I’m still a car junkie at heart. I’ve been to every Chicago Auto Show since the age of three and my prized possession is my black-on-black 2005 350Z. I started at Cars.com after graduating from Bradley University, but during college I worked at a small multimedia firm and also ran my own car detailing business."
First Car: 1990 Toyota SR5 pickup, named Mabel

Amanda Wegrzyn: "After spending three years writing and editing at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, I made the next logical career move and joined the Cars.com editorial team, where I handle the Advice section and auto shows coverage. I learned how to drive on a 1992 Toyota Previa, and ever since I have gravitated toward large vehicles that are next-to-impossible to parallel park on Chicago's north side."
First car: 1995 Ford Explorer

Joe Wiesenfelder: "After six years in the magazine business, I made the jump to Web publishing in 1995 to apply my experience with photography, video and the written word. I joined the cars.com launch team in 1997 and, well, time flies.

I'd say my emphasis is cutting through marketing claims and technobabble to determine what really matters to car buyers. Nothing tees me off more than supposed improvements that degrade the driving experience. I'm the harshest critic of transmission performance that you're ever likely to meet, and I remain baffled by the SUV craze, but I judge all vehicles on their own merit. If I have a shortcoming, it's a blindness to the image aspect of vehicles. SUVs and sports cars don't make you cool, and minivans don't make you lame. Many people, and the entire state of California, clearly disagree."

First Car: "My first car was a 1971 Oldsmobile Delta 88, whose 455-cubic-inch engine awoke the car nut in me – and made me a big-block snob for eternity. I now own a ’79 Fiat Spider I bought from Tom ("Click") Magliozzi from NPR's Car Talk. It makes me miss the ’71 Olds. If you are what you drive, I'm in serious, serious trouble."