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2002-03 Bob Buckel Azle News

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Bob Buckel, 125th president, is his family’s second generation to serve as president of Texas Press Association — his father Walter Buckel was president in 1985-86.

Buckel graduated from Lamesa High School in 1974 and went on to Lubbock Christian University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1977. He attended graduate school in English at the University of Texas in Austin.

In spring 1978, Buckel joined the El Campo Leader-News as sports editor. In fall 1979 he went to work for his father at the Lamesa Press-Reporter and eventually moved up the ladder to become editor.

In 1981 he joined the Andrews County News as a news and sports reporter. He left that post in 1984 to become managing editor at the Muenster Enterprise.

In summer 1985, with two partners, Buckel started the Cooke County Leader in Gainesville, a weekly that earned a TPA Sweepstakes honor in 1986 but subsequently closed due to a bad economy.

On April 1, 1987, he became publisher of the Azle News and Springtown Epigraph. He stepped down from that job in December 2011 after nearly 25 years, and in April 2012 joined the staff at the Wise County Messenger in Decatur, where he serves as editorial director.

Buckel is married to Krisan and they have two daughters and one son.

He was president of North and East Texas Press Association in 1993-94 and recipient of the Sam Holloway award from that association.