Staffs combine to carry on isles’ journalism tradition

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin and The Honolulu Advertiser both have proud histories of winning local and national journalism awards. We aim to continue that kind of journalism with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

And while the new name might take some getting used to, seeing familiar names and features will make it easier for readers of either paper. More than two dozen experienced

Advertiser journalists – editors, reporters, columnists, copy editors and page designers – are being blended with the experienced crew at the Star-Bulletin. We also have taken numerous comics, puzzles (and, yes, the daily "Word Jumble," for all who have asked about that) and other bits and pieces from the Advertiser and combined them with Star-Bulletin offerings to produce a new lively, easy-to-read newspaper.

Along with the debut of the Star-Advertiser in print, staradvertiser.com is now available online. The site has been redesigned for a fresher, cleaner look that is easier to navigate.

Dennis Francis, publisher, leads the senior management team for the Star-Advertiser, which also includes Dave Kennedy, senior vice president/advertising, Glenn Zuehls, senior vice president/advertising, Roger Forness, vice president/technology, and myself as vice president/editor.

In the newsroom, leadership includes Ed Lynch, managing editor/news, Mike Rovner, managing editor/design, and Betty Shimabukuro, managing editor/production. Also, Lucy Young-Oda continues to oversee Views & Voices, our editorial pages, and takes on the new title of editor of the editorial page.

In addition, we are pleased to have many experienced editors from the Advertiser who will play key roles. Marsha McFadden is our new city editor, David Butts is business editor and Christie Wilson is Today editor. In addition, Stephen Downes joins the paper as deputy editor of our editorial pages, continuing in the position he held at the Advertiser.

I have been at the Star-Bulletin for 25 years, starting as business editor, then assistant managing editor, managing editor, and editor since 2003. I came to the Star-Bulletin from The New York Times, where I was an assistant financial editor. Before that I worked at The Wall Street Journal, finishing as night news editor, and the Jacksonville (Ill.) Journal-Courier, toiling as a reporter and photographer.

I graduated from Illinois College with a B.A. in sociology and, after a few years at the Journal-Courier, decided I liked newspapers enough to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia, where I received an M.A. in journalism. From there I headed to New York and, eventually, here.

Ed Lynch joined the Star-Bulletin in 1994 and served nearly seven years as business editor and more than nine years as city editor. Before joining the Star-Bulletin, he worked at Pacific Business News as a reporter and editor and at The Journal of Commerce business newspaper in New York. He received a journalism degree from the University of Arizona.

While at the Star-Bulletin, Lynch has served as editor for many award-winning projects. Most recently he oversaw the paper’s coverage of the three-part series "Hawaii’s Homeless: In Plain Sight."

Michael Rovner joined the Star-Bulletin in 1987 as a page designer. His first job was in the sports department at the Pacific Daily News on Guam, followed by four years at the Lansing (Mich.) State Journal as a page designer and later as assistant graphics editor.

His career at the Star-Bulletin has included stints as page designer, features editor, graphics editor and assistant editor for design. Rovner has a journalism degree from Michigan State University.

Betty Shimabukuro has more than 30 years of daily newspaper experience, beginning as a business reporter at the Pacific Daily News on Guam after earning a journalism degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her career has taken her to Florida Today, the San Bernardino (Calif.) Sun and the Orange County (Calif.) Register, in positions from entertainment writer to special projects editor. Joining the Star-Bulletin in 1988, she has served as features editor, city editor, graphics editor and food writer, and continues to produce the weekly recipe column, "By Request," while serving as editor in charge of herding cats.

Look on the cover of each section for more about the editors in charge of them.

We know that we cannot be everything to everyone and cannot please all of you all the time. We ask that you give us a chance and keep in mind that we will be tweaking the paper for a while to make improvements to our content and design.

We welcome any feedback. Please e-mail us at newpaper@staradvertiser.com.