The Associated Press Managing Editors met last month in Milwaukee and named new officers. Texans on the board include Houston Chronicle assistant managing editor Walter Johns as treasurer and Stuart Wilk, managing editor of The Dallas Morning News, as secretary. Paula LaRocque, a Morning News assistant managing editor, received the APME meritorious service award.

Twila Aufill, a 39-year veteran of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, was named general manager. She had served as division controller and now will focus on day-to-day operations.

The Bandera Bulletin announced two new staff members. Sara Rex is an accounts representative who comes from a radio background. Justin Seaman just graduated from Bandera High School and joined the sports department.

Barry Boesch is the new editor for the Denton Record Chronicle. He joined sister newspaper The Dallas Morning News in 1977 and has been involved in the expansion into the suburbs since the News launched a Plano section in 1987. He served as acting editor in Denton from April to August of this year as part of an effort to improve coordination between the two newspapers, both owned by Belo.

The (Borger) News-Herald hired three new employees in the mailroom — Justin Strickland, Dywon Robinson and Sharon Willis.

Bob Carlquist was appointed to executive vice president and general manager in charge of the Houston Chronicle’s business divisions. Carlquist had been senior vice president for administration. He first joined the staff in 1979.

The Dallas Bar Association honored three reporters from The Dallas Morning News at its 18^th annual Stephen Philbin Awards luncheon. Legal affairs writer Mark Curriden and staff writer Allen Pusey won the grand prize for their series of articles “The Role of Juries in America” Jason Trahan won for articles written while at the Arlington Morning News.

Denny Deady was named Citizen of the Year by the Decatur Chamber of Commerce. She is the special projects manager for the Wise County Messenger and has been on staff since 1977 serving as general assignments reporter, managing editor, sports editor and advertising sales manager before moving into her current position in 1999. She is active in the Decatur Main Street Promotions Committee, the American Cancer Society, Wise County Youth Fair andis a past director of Wise County United Way. She received a plaque and $500 savings bond.

Heather Herrington, a news reporter for the Silsbee Bee, married Jessie Picard Rhodes Sept. 29 in Liberty.

Kimberly Lynch is the new editor of the Cleveland Advocate. She was raised in Cleveland and the nearby Tarkington area. She graduated from Sam Houston State University in 1997.

The Huntsville Item announced two staff changes. Michelle Lyons traded her reporter job for the public side of communications to become a public information officer for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice effective Nov. 19. She had been a reporter at The Huntsville Item for four years where she covered the prison system and TDCJ. Prior to Huntsville, Lyons worked for The Bryan/College Station Eagle. Kurt Allen left his job as assistant sports editor at The (Conroe) Courier to become news editor of the Item. He replaced David Arkin who was promoted to managing editor.

Roy McNett, editor and publisher of the Blanco County News, had heart surgery last month at a San Antonio hospital after suffering chest pains. He was recovering and in good spirits.

Peter Rogers is the new publisher of the Orange Leader. He came from the Dickinson (N.D.) Press where he was publisher for 13 years. He also served seven years as publisher of the Democrat-Messenger in Waynesburg, Pa., and started in the business at the Caspar (Wyo.) Star Tribune.

State Rep. Tommy Williams, R-Navasota, presented Pat Craddock with a state proclamation honoring Craddock’s 42 years of journalistic service to Grimes County. Craddock retired recently from The Navasota Examiner where he had been reporter, editor and photographer. Craddock now lives in Houston and is a consultant to newspapers in Southeast Texas.

John Starbuck left his longtime post at the Abilene Reporter-News to become editor of his hometown newspaper, the Merkel Mail. Starbuck had been a writer for the Reporter-News for nearly 10 years.

Leslie Stewart is the new managing editor of the Joshua Star. She graduated in 1999 a year early after taking dual-enrollment classes at Tarrant County College and correspondence classes at Texas Tech University. She replaced Jay Strickland who took a position in Commerce.

Doug Toney, publisher of the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, won second place in the Carmage Walls Commentary Prize for Local Editorials given by the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation. The prize was named for Benjamin Carmage Walls, whose newspaper career spanned seven decades.

TPA board member Linda Welch married John T. Holmstrom Oct. 13 in Jonah. Welch is editor of the Williamson County Sun in Georgetown and serves as an appointed director on the TPA board.

Stan Weinberg won first place in the American Cancer Society, Texas Division 20^th annual Texas Media Awards. He is a staff writer for the Hood County News. Adam Yanelli was promoted to managing editor of the Uvalde Leader-News. He has been on the staff for three years. Yanelli worked as an assistant in the business section of the San Antonio Express-News before coming to Uvalde. He replaced John Bayless who took a position with a San Antonio company.

John Mudd also joined the Leader-News as an advertising account executive. He was district manager for the Courier Journal and Louisville (Ky.) Times and zone supervisor for Detroit Newspapers before moving to Central Texas.