The Shuffle: Tales From A Promiscuous Labor Pool
june 17, 2011 05:00 pm
As the official start of summer approaches, mastheads across AAN Nation have undergone plenty of change over the past three months. Here's your handy guide to who's in, and who's out . . . for now:
In March, we said goodbye to two longtime editors: nine-year C-Ville editor Cathy Harding left to take over as development director at the Columbia Journalism Review, and ten-year Santa Fe Reporter editor Julia Goldberg announced her intent to ride off into the New Mexican sunset.
Goldberg has since been replaced by Alexa Schirtzinger in Santa Fe, while Will Goldsmith has been holding up the fort as interim managing editor in Charlottesville.
Editor Mara Shalhoup said goodbye to her comrades at Creative Loafing Atlanta, and said hello to her new role as editor of sister publication Chicago Reader. The Atlanta pub later named Eric Moran as its director of advertising. The editor position currently remains vacant.
The Dallas Observer tapped Joe Tone, former editor of The Pitch in Kansas City, to take over for outgoing editor Mark Donald. The paper also hired three new staff writers: Leslie Minora (a former Village Voice intern and Broward-Palm Beach New Times fellow), Anna Merlan (formerly a Santa Cruz Good Times contributor and recent graduate of Columbia's graduate journalism school), and Brantley Hargrove (a Nashville Scene reporter who won second place in the investigative reporting category of last year's AltWeekly Awards).
At The Pitch, managing editor Scott Wilson has taken over for Tone as editor. David Martin, previously a staff writer, is now managing editor. Justin Kendall is now news editor, David Hudnall is now music editor, Berry Anderson is now calendar editor, Abbie Stutzer is now clubs editor, and Ashford Stamper is now the art director.
Nashville Scene culture editor Tracy Moore recently departed, leading to a cascade staff changes: Former music editor Steve Haruch is now culture editor, former calendar editor Patrick Rodgers is now music editor, Laura Hutson is now calendar editor/arts writer, and Adam Gold is now a staff writer.
Scene's sister publication LEO Weekly saw 2008 AAJ fellow Phillip M. Bailey depart to become political editor of Louisville's NPR station, WFPL.
Willamette Week managing editor Hank Stern left in April to work as communications director for the county. The Portland-based paper brought on Pulitzer Prize winner Brent Walth to replace him.
Jake Pierce, who interned at Willamette Week last fall, recently joined the staff of Santa Cruz Weekly.
The Portland Mercury said goodbye to award winning art director Justin "Scrappers" Morrison, naming Suji Allen to replace him.
The Village Voice scored a major coup when it snagged pop culture blogger extraordinaire Maura Johnston as music editor to replace outgoing Rob Harvilla, who moved to the best coast to become managing editor at Rhapsody. The following month, it named former New York Press editor Harry Siegel as metro columnist, filling the slot left vacant by Tom Robbins in January.
After 25 years with Madison's Isthmus, news editor Bill Lueders is leaving this week to work at the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.
Up in Montana, the Missoula Independent named alt-weekly veteran Robert Meyerowitz as its new editor, replacing previous editor Skylar Browning. Meyerowitz has informed us that the paper recently hired "a new and fabulously cynical calendar editor, novelist Molly Laich. But you can call her the Molly Llama. We do."
The Independent Weekly in Lafayette, La. has hired Heather Miller as a full-time staff writer. Miller was previously a reporter at The Daily Iberian where she won a Best Investigative Reporting award from the Louisiana Press Association.
Former City Pages (Twin Cities) publisher Mark Bartel has landed at the Austin Chronicle, where he's now associate publisher. The paper's advertising director Simon Mulverhill is leaving to take a position with the mobile publishing company Forkfly.
Las Vegas CityLife publisher Geoff Schumacher left to take over as publisher of the Ames Tribune newspaper group in Iowa.
Albuquerque's Weekly Alibi hired Summer Olsson as arts editor last month, replacing John Bear.
Orlando Weekly named 2010 AltWeekly Award winner Jessica Bryce Young as its arts & culture editor.
Creative Loafing Charlotte named Wendy Goldstein as publisher last month. Its parent co., Creative Loafing Inc., announced several staff changes as well.
New Haven Advocate managing editor John Stoehr has been promoted to editor. Associate editor Betsy Yagla has departed the paper.
Cincinnati CityBeat sales rep Betsy Hodges has departed. Three new sales reps — Lauren Faulkner, Hilary Snyder, and Neil White — have arrived.
Gabe Meline, who took over for Gretchen Giles as editor of the North Bay Bohemian in October, tells us that Leilani Clark joined the Santa Rosa, Calif. paper as a staff writer last month.
Up the road in Eureka, Calif., North Coast Journal recently named Sacramento Bee veteran Carrie Peyton Dahlberg as its editor. She takes over for previous editor Tom Abate, who departed after a very brief reign.
Yes! Weekly marketing executive Jessica Schell has left after four years with the paper to take a job as a liquor rep.
Fast Forward Weekly in Calgary has hired James Wilt as a summer intern.
Maui Time Weekly welcomed back Anthony Pignataro as editor this week, replacing Jacob Shafer, who departed Wednesday. Pignataro was editor at the paper from 2003 to 2008.
And last, but certainly not least, AAN has hired former Metro Times intern Ilissa Gilmore as a editorial intern this summer.
Send in tips for next month's edition of The Shuffle to jason[at]aan.org.
