Lewiston Tribune Managing Editor Paul Emerson is retiring on May 28 after a career that spans close to four decades at the newspaper.
Emerson, 60, is making the move so he can pursue activities such as fishing, motorcycling, reading, travel, volunteering and spending time with his family while he's young enough to enjoy it. "I do this with mixed feelings," Emerson said. "I feel like I have the best job in journalism, but 38 years is long enough."
Emerson came to the Tribune in 1972 at the age of 22, fresh from Idaho State University. He did a stint as a sports writer and advanced through the ranks, becoming sports editor and later managing editor in 1981.
Emerson oversees about 30 newsroom employees and is responsible for every story that appears in the daily newspaper, with about 24,000 home subscriptions in north central Idaho and southeastern Washington.
"Paul has provided 28 years of excellent leadership (as managing editor) in the Tribune newsroom for which I'm personally most grateful along with Tribune readers," said A.L. (Butch) Alford Jr., president and chairman of the board of TPC Holdings, the umbrella company for the Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
Alford promoted Emerson to his present position. "His successor will be fortunate to assume a newsroom operation that Paul has elevated to a plateau of vitality and strength."
The search for Emerson's replacement is already under way and a new managing editor is expected to be hired in late April, said Nathan Alford, editor and publisher of the Lewiston Tribune and the Daily News. "It's simple. We're looking for the best candidate to continue to knock the socks off the readers at the Tribune."
The position was advertised nationally starting in March, netting a field of 44 candidates that has since been narrowed to eight, who are going through an initial interview, Alford said. Two women and two in-house candidates are among the eight remaining.
The Tribune's management expects to select three from that group, all of whom will be brought to Lewiston for a final round of interviews, Alford said.
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Williams may be contacted at
ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.
