A changing of the guard will occur next week at two of
Mainstreet Media Group
’s newspapers – The Morgan Hill Times and the Hollister Free
Lance.
A changing of the guard will occur next week at two of Mainstreet Media Group’s newspapers – The Morgan Hill Times and the Hollister Free Lance.
After 12 years as executive editor of The Times, Walt Glines, 56, will put his three decades of newspaper experience to work as Mainstreet’s director of circulation, sales and operations.
Marcus Hibdon, city editor at the Hollister Free Lance for the last 14 months, will replace Glines as executive editor.
Glines’ position involves handling subscriptions, printing, and delivery for The Times, Free Lance and the Gilroy Dispatch.
“Walt is continuing to be an asset to this company,” Publisher Steve Staloch said. “In accepting this new assignment, he’ll continue to be part of our senior management team. We share the same expectation, which is to build quality circulation. Reaching more readers will be Walt’s number one objective.”
“It will be tough leaving The Times,” Glines said. “It’s one of the best in California among papers its size. The community and the people who live here have been great. The new job means new challenges.”
Glines started at the Dispatch in 1968 as a sports writer while still in high school.
“That’s when they still paid by the word,” he joked. After graduating from college in 1971, Glines returned to the paper as a sports writer, eventually moving on to the positions of sports editor and city editor before taking over as head of The Times. Glines helped the publishing company earn its first award from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for his spot news reporting on gambling raids by local police.
“You never get tired of the news side,” Glines said, but he looks forward to the new position. “Managing the circulation department for all three newspapers will be a different kind of challenge. We have three first-rate newspapers that do an excellent job of telling our readers about the community where we live.”
Hibdon, 28, already has a decade of experience as a newspaper writer and editor. He started his journalism career as at Montana State University’s bi-weekly student paper before taking charge of two weekly newspapers in his home state.
“The nature of a small newspaper means that the editor and the staff always have to assume numerous duties,” Hibdon said. “At the paper in Montana I did everything from writing the stories and shooting the photos to painting the office, mopping the floors, taking out the trash.
“One of the elements I enjoyed most was delivering the paper, because you’re delivering the product and immediately getting feedback from your customers. It’s a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of the community.”
Staloch called Hibdon, who moved to Morgan Hill last week, the “natural choice” for the job.
“He’s a serious journalist first and foremost,” Staloch said. “He has a passion for and understanding of community journalism. I also believe he’ll prove to be a strong leader in the community.”
John Yewell, an opinion columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune and editor of NewWest.net, will step into Hibdon’s role as the Free Lance city editor.
Glines, Hibdon, and Yewell start their new positions Monday.
