Longtime Spotlight staff member Katherine McCarthy, now serving as editor in chief, is leaving the newspapers to become senior regional director of communications in the American Heart Association’s Albany office.
Two Spotlight team members, Tim Mulligan and Bill DeVoe, will be moving into the positions of executive editor and managing editor.
McCarthy’s last day in the Delmar office is Thursday, Jan. 24. She has been with Spotlight Newspapers for a little more than 12 years.
John McIntyre, vice president and COO, said he will miss McCarthy both professionally and personally.
She’s been my right hand, go-to person for years, said McIntyre. `She was the only Spotlight person to have a sit down, one-on-one with the governor (George Pataki); a great teacher and mentor.`
McCarthy came to the news field on a circuitous route. She earned her degree in German and spent two years in Germany as a graduate student. With dreams of being a diplomat, McCarthy said her career path is a great tribute to a liberal arts degree.
`After studying languages, I worked in New York City doing publicity for Simon and Schuster,` said McCarthy. `I also worked for the Gannett Center for Media Studies, and then my husband, Chris, and I moved upstate to Delmar.`
With her two sons, Christopher and Cormac, still preschoolers, a conversation about supermarkets led to a Spotlight story OK from longtime editor Sue Graves.
`My first story was about the grocery stores in Bethlehem and New Scotland, which were Grand Union, Price Chopper, and Nichols,` said McCarthy. `It was my first time going up to people and talking to them as a reporter.`
As McCarthy and her family settled in to the community, she said she found reporting a great way to get to know a new area.
After Eagle Media bought The Spotlight, McCarthy launched her well-received column, `Mom’s the Word,` in which she shared her musings on motherhood, from the humorous to the frustrating, pushing the envelope and challenging other parents to think about pressing topics.
`My first column was about Bill Clinton shaking his finger at all of us, saying ‘he did not have sex with that woman,’ and how we would explain that to our kids,` said McCarthy. `My second was about apple picking, and Sue asked me why it was so pretty and lyrical.`
McCarthy’s next gig was as part-time copy editor, which she combined with reporting. She returned to copy editing when Graves had some health setbacks, and in September 2005, she was named senior managing editor. When Graves retired in January 2006, McCarthy was named editor-in-chief of all 12 Spotlight editions.
`Growing the papers to 12 was something I was very proud to be a part of,` said McCarthy. `I’ve loved learning about all the communities, and I’m so impressed with the commitment of the leaders and residents. People look for a mix of hard news and features from the papers, and you never know what will strike a chord and inspire them to take action, whether that leads them to contribute their time, make donations, or volunteer.`
McCarthy said she has worked to impress readers with the fact that Spotlight reporters are responsible for delivering fair, balanced stories.
`The reporters are very professional,` said McCarthy. `More than anything, they look at both sides of an issue and stick to the truth. Hopefully people recognize that commitment when they open our pages.`
`I loved writing the columns, the features and the editorials, and I will truly miss that connection with people,` said McCarthy. `I hope I’ve inspired them to take action by pointing out opportunities in their towns.`
Tim Mulligan, who has served as managing editor since October 2005, has been appointed executive editor.
McIntyre said Mulligan’s years with Spotlight Newspapers have provided a good platform for his new leadership role.
`Tim took us to a new level with our online edition, and as a managing editor, worked very well with Kathy (McCarthy),` said McIntyre. `It’s a natural move for him from one role to another, and he’s up to the challenge. He also has daily newspaper experience to bring to the table, and the ability to work in a fast-paced, quickly changing environment.`
Mulligan earned his degree from Plattsburgh State University, where he majored in speech communications. His journalism career began as a reporter for the Malone Telegram. Mulligan then joined The Plattsburgh Press Republican as a copy editor and page designer. He then moved to Utica for a staff position at The Utica Observer Dispatch, where he was a news editor, and following that, moved into features copy editing and page design at the newspaper’s presentation desk.
Mulligan then made the move to the Capital District, where he was named managing editor for Spotlight Newspapers. He now resides in Troy and has one son, Jonathan, 15.
`My goals are to continue the award-winning community journalism part of Spotlight Newspapers,` said Mulligan. `With my past experience, I’m ready and looking forward to the challenge.`
During his tenure as managing editor at Spotlight Newspapers, Mulligan has worked to upgrade the newspaper’s Web content and accessibility.
`Getting Spotlightnews.com to where it is today is what I consider one of my greatest accomplishments as managing editor,` said Mulligan.
An energetic and encouraging person by nature, Mulligan said his future goals include fostering a team environment among reporters.
`Our reporters work so closely in their own community beats, and that’s important to stay on top of what’s going on, but at the same time, we work as a connected unit here,` said Mulligan. `We want to stay a closely knit staff.`
Mulligan said he is pleased to announce the creation of a new lifestyle section, an expansion of the family entertainment story in every weekly edition.
`This will be a regular feature covering topics including cooking, travel, trends and technology, and gardening,` said Mulligan. `The stories will be written in a straightforward, down-to-earth, informative format that answers the kinds of questions our readers have.`
Mulligan said he hopes to become more familiar with the people that shape the character of each individual town.
`My biggest challenge will be meeting and getting to know all the people in the more than 12 communities we serve,` said Mulligan.
William DeVoe, who has been the Spotlight reporter covering the city of Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County for 18 months, will take over as managing editor.
McIntyre is also looking forward to seeing Devoe bring his background and talents to his position of managing editor.
`Bill brings a news perspective; he’s a news man in his soul,` said McIntyre. `He’ll always look at things from this news angle. It doesn’t matter if you’re a reporter or an editor, if you’ve got the instincts to follow news, you’ll develop that in other writers.`
DeVoe received his bachelor’s degree in English from the University at Albany. He served in the U.S. Army for three years as a tank gunner. DeVoe completed an internship at The Legislative Gazette, then worked for The Greenville Press as a news reporter for a year before joining Spotlight newspapers. In 2006 and 2007, Devoe won a total of three awards from the New York Press Association for his news stories. The winning entries included coverage of a Greene County sheriff charged with DWI, and an accident in which a man pinned beneath a tractor was successfully rescued.
DeVoe lives in Troy with his wife, Jessica, and their two sons Kevin, 5, and Nathan, 4 months. He said his goals include spreading the word about the comprehensive coverage of all the weekly editions.
`We are a chain of newspapers, but there’s a misconception out there that since the papers are done in a similar format, they’re not specific to each community, and that’s not the case,` said DeVoe. `We have reporters out there in each individual community, covering school boards, government and elections, zoning and planning, health, and features people need to know about. We’re far from a ‘one edition fits all’ mentality.`
DeVoe said while established editions in Delmar, Colonie and Schenectady County have long been regarded as mainstays for local news, the newer Saratoga County editions are quickly gaining momentum.
`We have a strong readership in Burnt Hills, Ballston Spa, Malta and Milton, where growth and change is explosive and stands to affect the entire Capital District,` said DeVoe.
The ability to work with a staff of seven reporters, plus freelance writers, some of whom are new to the field, was one of the reasons DeVoe sought the promotion.
`This is a great opportunity for me, and I enjoy nurturing new talent and seeing people get bit by the news bug,` said Devoe. `That’s something that happened to me long ago, and I’m enthusiastic about what’s ahead for the newspapers.`
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