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TagsFormer sports editor Kevin Whitmer to lead newsroom
Jim Willse, the Editor of The Star-Ledger, announced in a noon staff meeting that he would be leaving New Jersey's largest newspaper in October. He guided the paper since 1995.
Managing Editor Kevin Whitmer, 42 and a native of Phillipsburg, will be taking over as editor. He originally arrived at The Star-Ledger to serve as sports editor after having the same position at the New York Daily News.
"Jim inherited a great newspaper from Mort Pye and was a worthy successor," Donald Newhouse, president of Advance Publications, said in a story on nj.com. "With a sure touch he served our readers, New Jersey, his staff and the profession brilliantly and with dedication. And he gave me two of the most thrilling days of the 40-plus years I spent at the Star-Ledger — when the newspaper was awarded its two Pulitzer Prizes.
"As might be expected from such a consummate professional, he has nurtured a successor who mirrors his ethics, energy and values," Newhouse added in the story. "But no one can quite fill the void that Jim leaves. He is my friend and associate and I will greatly miss not having him at the helm."Willse, who helped bring two Pulitzer Prizes to the paper, said he plans to travel, and then return to New Jersey to teach a course at Princeton. He also requested to not have a big send off.
"It's been a terrific run," Willse told the staff at a meeting, the nj.com story said. "It has been a great privilege to edit this paper and work with this staff. It's also been an incredible amount of fun."
— GARRETT MORRISON, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM