Former reporter and editor for The Gilroy Dispatch Colleen
Valles has returned to head the Lifestyles section for three local
papers owned by South Valley Newspapers.
Former reporter and editor for The Gilroy Dispatch Colleen Valles has returned to head the Lifestyles section for three local papers owned by South Valley Newspapers.
The eight-year media veteran joined staff this week to bring a new focus to the section, which publishes each Friday.
“I’ve been wanting to move out of the news and into lifestyles and feature stories,” Valles said. “I know the community and the people a little bit. It’s going to be good for me to be involved when there’s so many changes going on. It’s going to be a lot of fun to build from the ground up.”
This is the first time sister papers the Morgan Hill Times, the Gilroy Dispatch and the Hollister Free Lance and have had a common Lifestyles editor. Valles will plan, edit and write feature stories for each community, as well as design the section’s pages.
“I think the pages will be fun, creative and compelling reading,” Glines said. “And that’s what we want from her, is to have compelling stories for our readers.”
Valles said she is already thinking of ways to bring more of a community focus to each of the three newspapers.
“I’d like to get the schools involved more,” she said. “I’d like to focus more on the local agriculture and the things that are around here, like the wineries.”
“Colleen is a dynamic individual with really great newspaper experience,” Times Executive Editor Walt Glines said. “She’s going to bring some energy and vitality to the Lifestyles sections.”
Valles, 30, began her newspaper career at The Dispatch in 1998. She wore several hats during her 18-month tenure, first as the education reporter, then as sports editor and finally as the crimes reporter.
Valles left The Dispatch to report on Northern California agricultural and environmental issues for The Associated Press, until 2003. She recently returned to the Gilroy area from a seven-month stay in Europe.
