Newsmakers

The Abilene Reporter-News announced several staff changes in January including a new publisher. George Cogswell, an E.W. Scripps Co. executive in Florida who previously worked at the Wichita Falls Times Record News, is the new publisher. Cogswell succeeds David Mercier, who resigned Jan. 31. Mercier had held the position since August 2000 when he was promoted from vice president of sales and marketing. Anthony Wilson was promoted to assistant managing editor of content. He had been the content editor and has been on staff since 1991. Barton Cromeens was promoted to assistant managing editor of presentation. He had been visuals editor and came on board in 1996. Celinda Emison will be the daily’s first full-time reporter based in Brownwood. She previously was a freelance correspondent for the daily and has worked for the Monahans News, Brownwood Bulletin and Waxahachie Daily Light.

Rachel Ainsworth is a new reporter for The Marlin Democrat. She is a recent graduate of Wayland Baptist University in Plainview.

Melanie Briggs was named Texas Carrier of the Year by the Texas Circulation Management Association. She will advance to compete in the National Carrier of the Year award program. She begins her route at about 3 a.m. each day for the Amarillo Globe-News, where she has worked for three years, and covers 250 houses in about two hours.

Karisa Brunken has been named news editor of the Cleburne Times-Review.

Margarette Chavez was named editor of the Wilson County News. She comes from North Carolina where she was communications manager for a publishing company. Former news editor Marty Kufus left the newspaper to become security manager for the Bexar Metropolitan Water District.

Bill Day was promoted to deputy business editor of the San Antonio Express-News. He was named assistant business editor in January 2002 and joined the staff in 2000 after being managing editor at the Des Moines Register.

Patricia Gardner received the 2003 H.M. Baggarly Media Award for Journalism at the Texas Farmer’s Union state convention. She is the farm and ranch reporter for The Canyon News and was cited for regular coverage of agricultural issues that leave the reader with a positive outlook on the farm and ranch world.

Keenan Gingles has been named publisher of the Ennis Daily News and Ellis County Newspapers Inc. Gingles has worn many hats at newspapers including reporter, editor, ad director, publisher and district manager. He comes from The Abbeville (La.) Meridional where he was regional manager and publisher. Former publisher Don Wilson will assume a consulting role with the management group that publishes the News and other newspapers in the South and Midwest.

Andrea Gray joined the staff of the Grand Saline Sun as assistant editor. She is a student at Tyler Junior College majoring in journalism. She replaced Wilbur Callaway who was promoted to assistant editor of another Westward Communications newspaper the Wood County Democrat.

Marcial Guajardo is the new editor for the Hill County News in Cedar Park. He came from the Round Rock Leader where he was a longtime reporter and associate editor.

This year’s large daily winner of the Jim Lehrer Awards is Jeanne Russell of the San Antonio Express-News. The awards are sponsored by the Victoria Advocate and Victoria College, which the famous newsman attended from 1952-54.

Kurt Johnson joined The Banner Press Newspaper in Columbus as staff writer covering Fayette County. He worked in trade journalism for the last several years, producing local news pages for Texas Co-Op Power magazine.

Jorge Krzyzaniak is a new sports writer for the Borger News Herald.

Debi Menasco joined the Jacksonville Daily Progress as advertising consultant. She has worked in sales most of her career.

Meta Minton has been named editor of The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale, Ill. She had been editor of the Midland Reporter-Telegram since November 1998 and before that worked for newspapers in Illinois her native state.

Derek Moffatt is the San Angelo Standard-Times’ new advertising director, a position the newspaper has not had in two years. He was promoted from retail advertising manager and joined the staff in 1997. The promotion will allow the newspaper to focus more on the planning, organization and long-term strategy of the ad department.

Thomas Mooneyham is the new editor of the River Cities Tribune in Marble Falls. He came from the Hallsville Herald and another East Texas newspaper where he was editor and publisher.

The National Newspaper Association’s board of directors tapped veteran newspaper manager Brian Steffens as the next executive director for the association. Steffens had been interim director for the association during its transition to its new headquarters at the University of Missouri. He has served as senior vice president and editor of the Editor & Publisher Co., and as editor of Quill and advisor to the leadership at the Society of Professional Journalists. Steffens has 20 years of experience, including editing posts at the Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald and Detroit News.

Norval Pollard was promoted to director of consumer marketing for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. He had been director of marketing and is a 25-year veteran of the newspaper.

The Texas House of Representatives honored J.A. “Jimmy” Wisch posthumously with House Resolution 75. Wisch, who died Jan. 26, 2002, was founder and publisher of the Texas Jewish Post in Fort Worth, which he ran for 56 years. He was a staunch defender of the State of Israel and a combatant of anti-Semitism.

Aaron Reed is a new staff writer for the Taylor Daily Press. He came from the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services where he was a public information officer and before that was in public affairs for the Texas National Guard and an Army journalist.

Wes Turner was honored with the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Longhorn Council of Boy Scouts of America. He was cited for his long support of Scouting.

Shawn Vargo left his post at the McKinney Courier-Gazette to relocate with his family to his hometown Corning, N.Y. Vargo first joined the Courier-Gazette staff in 1995 and wore many hats over the years.

The Victoria Advocate announced two staff changes. Joe Patrick Bean will become editorial page editor Feb. 28 following the retirement of Dan Cobb, who has worked for the daily for 20 years. Bean currently is associate editor of the editorial page and before that was opinion page editor at a the Muskogee (Okla.) Daily Phoenix and Times-Democrat. Thomas Doyle joined the staff as business reporter. He came from the Amarillo Globe News where he covered the medical and business beats.