The July edition of Town&Gown marks the last for editor Mark Brackenbury. Mark is retiring after five years with the company, including more than four as editor of T&G. Mark has been great to work with on both story content and in fulfilling the mission of Town&Gown.
I enjoy talking to Mark about photo and story selections and I have always seized the opportunity to bounce new ideas off him. As a long-time newspaperman, I have a great appreciation and respect for his experience and understanding of the print media world. Over his tenure, the quality of the stories in Town&Gown has been excellent.
Mark had 33 years of newspaper experience before joining the company in 2016. This experience was just what was needed, as we found ourselves publishing more and more stories about a variety of tough and sometimes controversial topics. His leadership helped guide Town&Gown through the COVID-19 crisis without missing an issue.
I will certainly miss his fairness-based decision-making and presence at our staff meetings. His professionalism and willingness to listen to my thoughts on the world were always appreciated. On behalf of the entire staff, I wish Mark and his wife, Paula, the very best on their new adventure.
Upon Mark’s retirement, Eric Ebeling will join Town&Gown as editor. Mark and Eric have been working together these past few weeks to enable a seamless transition. Eric most recently was the executive editor and general manager of The Indiana Gazette in Indiana, Pennsylvania. In that role, he oversaw the editorial operation in print and online and acted as the newsroom’s liaison to the community.
Prior to coming to Indiana, Eric served as a managing editor at The Daily Times, a Gannett-owned newspaper in Salisbury, Maryland, overseeing nine companion non-daily papers serving the Eastern Shore of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. He also helped create the Worcester County Times, that county’s first comprehensive newspaper, and he served as its general manager and also for The Ocean Pines Independent and The Maryland Beachcomber.
During his three decades in journalism, he was named managing editor of The Brattleboro Reformer in Vermont in 1997, then spent several years as a development editor and writer for a book series published by Stackpole Books, based in Mechanicsburg. Eric began his newspaper career at the weekly Hershey Chronicle. He then worked as a reporter, columnist, and editorial page editor at The Daily News in Lebanon. He has won a number of press awards for his work.
A native of Camp Hill, Eric is a graduate of Penn State. He has two sons, Alec and Nate.
I am pleased to welcome Eric back to Centre County.
Bernard A. Oravec
Publisher
