Star Tribune
Star Tribune Editor Nancy Barnes will become editor of the Houston Chronicle, the Star Tribune announced Wednesday.
She has edited the Minneapolis paper for six years.
This note went out to staff:
Dear colleagues,
I’m sorry I cannot be there this morning to tell you all, personally, about my impending departure from the Star Tribune. It has been an honor and privilege to be the editor these last six and half years, a long run which has taken us from some of our most difficult times in recent history to some of our best moments. Other journalists tell me, often, that they think we are now one of the strongest regional papers in the country. I’m grateful to everyone in the newsroom for all that we have accomplished together, and to those in other departments of the company who work every day to support our efforts. I’m most proud of the journalism we have produced that has made a difference in the life of our community and state, in ways small and large.
Sometimes, individuals leave an organization because they are unhappy or they fear for the future. That is emphatically not the case. Quite the contrary, this company is in the best of hands. No editor could ask for a better support system than I have had in ways many of you don’t always see: A board and chairman that understands the irreplaceable value that the Star Tribune has in the community, Mike Klingensmith, who fiercely protects the journalism from outside influences, Randy Lebedoff, who fights daily for access to public information we need to tell our stories, Rene Sanchez who in every way has been my partner in leading the newsroom, a top-notch management team, and of course, a room full of exceptionally talented and dedicated journalists with some of the toughest skin in the business. You have all made it very hard to leave.
But in the end, I decided it was time for me to take on some big new challenges, while continuing to serve journalism. I came here on the five-year plan and have stayed for nearly 11. I believe strongly that change can be invigorating for individuals and organizations, allowing for new ideas and leadership to emerge and flourish. I know I’ve told many of you that when we’ve asked you to take on new assignments, and so I’m following my own advice.
This is not goodbye. I will be back in the newsroom Thursday and will be here for several more weeks. On Monday, I will host my last Editor’s Awards ceremony, and Mike Klingensmith and I will both be available to answer questions. This is merely the beginning of my effort to say thanks to all of you.
Nancy
