Member News

Gavin Michaelson, who recently earned his master's degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, has joined the staff of the La Crosse Tribune as a full-time news reporter. His first day was Feb. 5.

Born and raised in Hudson, Wisconsin, Michaelson graduated in 2022 from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a double bachelor’s degree in political science and mass communication. While attending UM-Twin Cities, he wrote for the student newspaper The Minnesota Daily as a columnist.

David Sherman, who previously served on the WNA Board of Directors, has been named vice president of sales for Lee Enterprises’ Southeast Wisconsin region, which includes The Journal Times in Racine, the Kenosha News and the Lake Geneva Regional News, the company announced earlier this month.

Sherman most recently served as regional vice president of sales and marketing effectiveness at Nielsen. Prior to Nielsen, he was the director of sales at Audacy in greater Milwaukee.

Emily Conroy, who previously worked as a journalist in Wisconsin, has joined the staff of the Waupaca County Post as a reporter. In her new role, she will cover the Iola, Scandinavia and Manawa areas.

While attending UW-Fox Valley, Conroy served as the editor of the student newspaper, The Fox Journal. She also was a copy editor and reporter for the UW-Eau Claire publication, The Spectator. In 2010, Conroy moved to the Manawa area, and worked for the Manawa Messenger and Clintonville Chronicle in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

Longtime sports journalist Tim Sullivan has joined APG Wisconsin as news editor for the Watertown Daily Times and the (Fort Atkinson) Daily Jefferson County Union.

A native of Michigan with roots in southeastern Wisconsin, Sullivan is a 2008 graduate of the University of Michigan. Prior to joining APG, his work focused primarily on collegiate sports journalism, covering his alma mater for seven years and, for the past eight years, Virginia Tech football and basketball.

John Blais, who previously served as general manager for Capital Newspapers, has been named the CEO and publisher of the Colorado-based multimedia company Ballantine Communications.

In addition to his work in Madison, he previously served as executive director for the St. Jude League/Claretian Publications. During that time, one of its publications U.S. Catholic Magazine, was named Magazine of the Year by the Catholic Media Association in 2022 and 2023.

Clarice Case, who has worked as a journalist for the (Mayville) Dodge County Pionier since 2021, has been named editor of the newspaper and two other Multi Media Channels publications, the Kewaskum Statesman and the Campbellsport News.

She succeeds Mitchell B. Keller, who stepped down in December to accept a deputy editor position with a global construction magazine. During her time at the Poinier, Case has covered sports, government, schools and local events.

Laura Hughes, who worked at The Monroe Times for more than four decades, has retired.

She began her career with Monroe Publishing in August 1982 as a secretary and classified order taker. Three years later, she joined the sales team at The Times, and in 2004, she was named advertising manager. Hughes said she is looking forward to traveling with her husband and spending time with her family. Her last day at the newspaper was Wednesday, Jan. 31.

Michael Kujawski, who previously served as a wire editor and sports editor at several newspapers in Wisconsin, has joined the Antigo Journal as a reporter.

Kujawski earned a bachelor's degree in English and journalism from UW-Madison and recently returned to Wisconsin after teaching English for several years in China. In his new role, Kujawski will write news features, cover Antigo School Board and Langlade County Board and report on local high school sports.

After more than 56 years in the newspaper industry, Bob Berglund has retired, with the final publication of his column, "Over the Back Fence," the Tribune Record Gleaner has announced.

Berglund began his newspaper career straight out of high school, when he began as an apprentice at the Turtle Lake Times in 1949. In 1956, after spending time in the U.S. Army and as a postal clerk in Turtle Lake, he married his wife, Florence. The two purchased the Loyal Tribune and the Spencer Record in 1968, and the Greenwood Gleaner in 1969. They then merged the three weekly newspapers into the Tribune Record Gleaner. The couple oversaw the publication of 1,364 issues of the newspaper from October 1968 to January 1995. 

Photojournalist Justin Runberg has been named editor ofthe Amery Free Press, the newspaper has announced. His first day on the job was Dec. 4. A Balsam Lake native, Runberg attended UW-River Falls and UW-La Crosse, earning a bachlelor's degree in communication studies in 2018. He went on to work as a photojournalist at WKBT News 8 in La Crosse before moving to Colorado in 2021 to photograph wildlife.

Dana Egler also has joined the newspaper as sales coordinator in the advertising department. Egler is the owner of ELEmark, which provides business-to-business appointment setting and database development for insurance companies. She has over 20 years of experience in sales and customer service.