Your dear editor-in-chief Martin Austermuhle will be leaving at the end of the month—it’s hard work putting your 104-pound dog on a diet—and we’re happy to announce that Benjamin Freed will be leading the site as the new editor-in-chief.

Ben joined DCist in late 2011, after working as a regular contributor to Washington City Paper and freelancing at publications like T: The New York Times Style Magazine and other publications. Besides enjoying Veep and James Bond, Ben has covered the gay couple who found their engagement photo was being used in anti-same-sex marriage political propaganda; the man who ordered a TV but got a gun from Amazon; the Georgetown law students who obscured a SCOTUS protest; and lots of stuff about Uber. He’s also covered the 2012 election and inauguration. (He went to the official inaugural ball, and had no fun at all, though he was made to sit through two sets by the band Fundot.) He comes from Albany, N.Y., but try not to hold that against him.

Send questions and suggestions to tips@dcist.com, or feel free to get in touch with him at ben@dcist.com. You can also leave comments, because he loves interacting with you guys!