Staff additions, changes and promotions at Texas newspapers.

Staff additions, changes and promotions at Texas newspapers.

Promotions and staff changes at Texas newspapers.

Staff promotions, additions at Texas newspapers.

Staff promotions, additions at Texas newspapers

EL CAMPO –  U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Corpus Christi) has named former publisher and longtime El Campo resident Chris Barbee as his district field representative for the southern end of the 27th Congressional District. 
Barbee will handle Wharton, Matagorda, Jackson and Calhoun counties. 

PARIS – Interim publisher and longtime business manager Relan Walker has assumed the role of publisher of The Paris News, Dolph Tillotson, president of Southern  Newspapers Inc., announced.
Walker said her goal is to continue the Paris News’ tradition of quality and community-minded coverage. She pledged to “make sure the employees of the Paris News have the resources and support they need to produce a quality product each day.”

Zahira Torres has been named editor/news director of the El Paso Times.
Torres, 36, returned to El Paso from the Los Angeles Times last year to lead the newspaper’s investigations under former editor Robert Moore. She has deep roots in El Paso and at the El Paso Times. 

Brian Brisendine, 38, has succeeded his late father as as editor and publisher of the Brownfield News.
Lynn Brisendine, publisher since April 1977, died Oct. 14. 
The younger Brisendine is a Brownfield native, reared in the community. He graduated from Brownfield High School in 1997.
He is a 2001 graduate of West Texas A&M  University in Canyon with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications/print journalism and a minor in English. While in college, he worked as sports editor, reporter, news editor, and advertising saleperson at the Canyon News.

New publishers have taken over at four Texas newspapers