By Scott Carlson
Welcome new Bugle board members!
It’s the start of a new year for the Park Bugle.
Oh, you won’t see any one breaking out the champagne bubbly or staging any New Year’s parades for us.
But July 1 marked the start of the Bugle’s 2023-24 fiscal year. With that passage of the calendar, we have had a turnover in the Bugle’s board of directors.
Transitioning off the board was Josh Becerra, who brought energy and creative ideas to the Bugle during his six years.Among Josh’s contributions was updating our planning process and instituting something called the “traction organizer.” We expect this tool will help the Bugle survive and thrive in the changing media landscape and the years to come.
Several people are continuing their terms on the Bugle board. Our new chair person is Helen Warren. Other board members continuing are Rosann Cahill, Kristin Wiersma, Steve Plagens, Beth Breidel, Michelle Christianson and Jane Turk.
Meanwhile, the Bugle is welcoming three new board members. Here is a brief rundown on our newbies and their backgrounds:
Jennine Duda is a resident of the Como neighborhood and a longtime administration and finance manager for the Minnesota State Fair Foundation.
“My interest in local newspapers goes back to my high school days,” Jennine says. “I got my start in the working world with a job as the local sports reporter for the community newspaper in Mound, Minnesota (“The Laker”). During college and after graduation, I spendt a dozen years in national magazine publishing, both consumer and business-to-business.”
On joining the Bugle board, Jennine says, “The Park Bugle’s mission statement of ‘transforming readers into neighbors’ resonates with me because a sense of local connection is more important than ever. I’d like to think I can provide strong fundraising support and fiscal oversight to help the paper continue the mission of bringing people together through our collective stories.”“
Connor Nelson has been a renter in St. Anthony Park since 2020. Connor has a degree in media production and political science. He has worked in commercial freelance film and television for 10 years and works on Election Day as an election judge.
Connor says he enjoys biking to work and loves reading the hyperlocal journalism of the Park Bugle while sipping on a chai tea at the Finnish Bistro.
Seth Richardson is a lecturer at the University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, teaching introductory and intermediate reporting. Previously, he worked as the lead politics reporter at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, the Reno Gazette-Journal and The State Journal-Register, primarily covering state and national politics throughout his decade in newspapers.
Seth and his wife moved last year to St. Anthony Park.
“I really love this community and everything it has to offer,” Seth says. “That’s the main reason I wanted to join the Park Bugle’s board. I figured my experience in journalism would be an asset to the Bugle. It’s such a solidly run hyperlocal publication, and I want to see it grow and thrive.”
Welcome to one and all. We look forward to a great 2023-24.
Scott Carlson is managing editor of the Park Bugle.
