By Mondo Times editors
Boulder, Colorado USA
Posted on September 29, 2009 at 2:22pm

Jim Willse Retires as Newark Star-Ledger Editor, Will be Replaced by Kevin Whitmer

-- Newark Star-Ledger Editor Jim Willse has announced his retirement and named a successor, the Star-Ledger reported on September 28, 2009:

"Jim Willse will retire next month as editor of The Star-Ledger, and Kevin Whitmer, the paper’s managing editor, will succeed him, it was announced today.

Willse was The Star-Ledger editor for the past 15 years, during which time the newspaper won a host of national journalism awards, including two Pulitzer Prizes. It is considered one of the best regional papers in the country.

“It’s been a terrific run,” Willse told the staff at a noontime meeting. “It has been a great privilege to edit this paper and work with this staff. It’s also been an incredible amount of fun.”

Willse came to The Star-Ledger in 1995 after working on Internet projects for Advance Newspapers, the parent company. He succeeded Mort Pye, who had been editor since 1957.

"Jim inherited a great newspaper from Mort Pye and was a worthy successor," said Donald Newhouse, president of Advance Publications. "With a sure touch he served our readers, New Jersey, his staff and the profession brilliantly and with dedication. And he gave me two of the most thrilling days of the 40-plus years I spent at the Star-Ledger - when the newspaper was awarded its two Pulitzer Prizes.

Whitmer joined The Star-Ledger in 1996 and, before becoming managing editor, served as sports editor and supervised financial coverage and the Sunday paper. He and Willse were colleagues at The New York Daily News, where Willse was editor and Whitmer the sports editor.

Whitmer, 42, grew up in Phillipsburg and attended Rutgers University. He got his start in journalism as a part-time clerk answering phones in the Sports department at The Courier-News. He also worked at the New York Post. He and his wife, Regina, live in Scotch Plains with their three children."

The full story:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/star-ledger_editor_jim_willse.html

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