About Exit133

Derek Young is the founder and editor of Exit133. He is unabashedly pro-Tacoma, has a penchant for wine over beer, and truly appreciates a well maintained vintage apartment building. Derek does not work in real estate, the arts, or in the city government. He moved from Southern California during the exodus of 1992 and has never looked back. Derek doesn't mind biking in the rain, greatly discourages the baking of pecan pie, and maintains a great disdain for fake window shutters. He often scans negatives and slides without first clearing the dust and lint. He apologizes. Derek spent ten years in the corporate offices of REI before jumping into his side projects full time in February 2007.

Derek graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a BS in Biology, a second major in Politics & Government, and a minor in Chemistry. He will receive his MBA from the University of Washington Tacoma's Milgard School of Business... sometime soon.

Erik Hanberg was born and raised in Tacoma. Besides lending his Grit City heritage to Exit133, Erik monitors the art pulse of the city and will pretty much read any book if someone tells him its their favorite. In recent years, he was the Managing Director at the Grand Cinema and developed the ever-popular 72-Hour Film Competition. Erik is also the brain behind the Horatio Theater, maintains his personal blog, and thinks that refrigerator should be spelled with a "d" in it. Like "fridge". Despite having been to both Russia and Cuba, Erik continues to bring a staunch capitalist perspective to all meetings.

Erik attended Carleton College in Minnesota and graduated with a degree in English, although his diploma is written in Latin. Go figure.

Whitney Rhodes grew up with the typical prejudice against Tacoma. An education drew her, grudgingly, into the heart of downtown. Once here, Tacoma's "grit, beauty, and spirit" won her over and she is now fully committed to the City - albeit with a passport in her pocket. Whitney worked with community garden efforts around town when some meeting brought her to Suite133. Derek discovered she found City Council meetings amazingly interesting (Yeah. She's weird like that.), and the rest is history. Whitney has an affinity for historical buildings, fresh tomatoes and wants it known that she really likes the Murray Morgan Bridge and can't imagine our city without it. Take note WSDOT.

Whitney graduated from the University of Washington Tacoma with a BA in Political Economy and Urban Studies with Global Honors.