The Alpine Avalanche welcomed two new staff members.

Valeri Stair is the new office manager/bookkeeper. Stair is a former High Frontier instructor and a retail store manager.

Valerie Richard is the new classifieds manager. She is originally from Houston.

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The Austin Business Journal has hired a new reporter and promoted two other newsroom staffers.

Kate Harrington joins as a staff writer covering health care and the suburban areas of Central Texas, from Temple to San Marcos. She has spent much of the past year working for the Journal as a freelance writer.

Giselle Greenwood, who for three years has covered the technology and financial industries as a staff writer, has been promoted to assistant managing editor.

Chantal Outon, will continue covering Austin’s creative industries and add the title of editor of A Magazine, a quarterly lifestyle publication of the Journal.

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Gilbert Bailon, publisher and editor of Belo’s Dallas-based Spanish newspaper Al Dia, was elected president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

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Chris Barbee, managing editor of the El Campo Leader-News since about 1977, was promoted to general manager of the Leader-News, the Wharton Journal-Spectator and the East Bernard Express. The promotion was made by his father, Fred Barbee, publisher of all three Wharton County newspapers.

The elder Barbee also announced the promotion of Ron Sanders, news editor of the Journal-Spectator, to managing editor of the Wharton and East Bernard newspapers.

Both Barbees are past presidents of Texas Press Association. Chris Barbee immediately went to work at the family-owned Leader-News as sports editor after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 1974.

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Roeneal Boles stepped down after nearly a dozen years as editor of The Ballinger Ledger. In 2001, his family-owned newspapers, the Ledger and Winters Enterprise, were sold to American Consolidated Media.

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Rebecca Chavez-Becker is the new sales director of Hispanic publications for the San Antonio Express-News, overseeing sales for Conexion, Cancha and Mexico Express. Chavez-Becker has worked for The Dallas Morning News and Rio Grande Valley Newspaper Network.

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James Gallagher was promoted from reporter to city editor at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. He will oversee the news reporters and assignments. Gallagher began as a reporter in April 2005.

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The Hill Country News in Cedar Park announced two staff changes.

Reporter Ashley Richards took a job at the Laredo Morning Times. Replacing Richards is Amy Fowler, a north Texas native.

Deborah Mathison is back in the sales department. She takes the place of Anthony Sowder, who moved on to another company.

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Mary Hogan joined The Sealy News as a new reporter. She was a reporter for The Daily Texan while at The University of Texas at Austin.

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Ron Midkiff has been named publisher of the Big Spring Herald, moving to West Texas from the Dallas area after two years with Today Newspapers.

He replaces Ronnie Cupstid, who left to pursue other business interests.

Midkiff brings almost 20 years of experience having worked for Gannett Newspapers, Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. and American Consolidated Media.

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Angie Pagel is the new publisher of the Fort Stockton Pioneer. Pagel came from The Baytown Sun where she began her newspaper career in 1997 as an advertising representative. She left for about 18 months but returned to take over the classified section. Later she was named advertising director.

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Allen Showalter, president and founder of TPA associate member MyNewsPhotos.com, was elected president of Photo Marketing Association International, an international trade association for the photo imaging community with 20,000 members in more than 100 countries. MyNewsPhotos.com is based in Harrisonburg, Va., as part of Showalter Imaging Group.

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Lanny Smith was named editor of the Wood County Democrat. He has lived in Mineola for about 10 years.

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The Texas Circulation Managers Association awarded the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Becky Reeder as District Manager of the Year. She has worked for the paper for five years.

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The Texas Daily Newspaper Association announced award winners at its annual convention March 19 in Austin.

Darrell Coleman, president and publisher of the Wichita Falls Times Record News, received the 2006 Pat Taggart Award for Texas Newspaper Leader of the Year.

Nelson Clyde III, president and publisher of the Tyler Morning Telegraph, received the 2006 Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership.

Dan Purschwitz, a news copy editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, received the 2006 John Murphy Award for Excellence in Copy Editing. He has been with the newspaper for nearly three years since earning a degree from the University of Missouri.

Kevin Robbins, sportswriter for the Austin American-Statesman, received the 2006 Fred Hartman Excellence in Sportswriting Award. He won the award two years ago.

The TDNA Bright Idea Award winners for best newspaper promotion were:

Kerrville Daily Times — under 10,000 circulation, “NIE Holiday Coloring Book;” Wichita Falls Times Record News — 10,000 to 35,000, “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner;” Amarillo Globe News — 35,000 to 100,000, “Fully Loaded High School Sports;” and Austin American-Statesman — over 100,000, “Double Up on Austin” campaign.

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The Tri County Leader in Whitehouse made three staff changes.

The most recent addition is Jessica Matlock who came from the Kilgore News Herald where she began her career as receptionist. Matlock took over the ad manager position after the retirement of longtime Leader employee Mary Anne Conley.

Taking on the task of reporting and writing is Suzanne Loudamy. She has served on the city council and as mayor of Whitehouse.

Editor Charlotte Smith also comes to the Leader via the News Herald where she began work in 1992. She worked at the Longview News Journal for two years part time as a special sections editor before Kilgore.

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Jacob Truchard was named Columbus Chamber of Commerce Employee of the Year. Truchard is a staff writer with the Colorado County Citizen.

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The Victoria Advocate announced two staff changes.

Justin McCullough is the new marketing director. McCullough brings more than 10 years of marketing experience to the job, most recently, as chief operations officer of Agama Advertising in Victoria.

Rene Peckham, previous marketing director, has transitioned to community services specialist, with primary responsibility for all newspaper community involvement, sponsorships and trades. Peckham has more than 20 years experience, including coordinating all community programs at The Dallas Morning News and WFAA-TV, Channel 8 in Dallas.

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Asha Virlouvet joined the Aransas Pass Progress and Ingleside Index to handle circulation duties. She replaced Abel Sanchez, who retired in March.

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Nancy Young joined the news staff of The Eagle Press in Fritch. She left the Borger News-Herald editor job.

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Peter Young is a new Outdoors columnist for the Port Aransas South Jetty. His column will appear twice a month.