Kathleen Williams

Executive Editor

Hattiesburg American
Hattiesburg, Miss.

Williams

Career summary: I've spent 30-plus years in the business, and have worked from the East Coast (Asbury Park Press in Neptune, N.J.) to the West (Contra Costa, Calif., Times), north (The Plain Dealer, Cleveland) to south, where I am now at the Hattiesburg American. My experience has ranged from copy desk to features and business editor to assistant managing editor, and now executive editor of the Hattiesburg American.

Recent accomplishments: I am vice president of the Mississippi-Louisiana APME. I am on the advisory board of the Department of Mass Communications, University of Southern Mississippi.

APME activities: Active in Mississippi-Louisiana APME and helped organize our May conference. Was on credibility committee of national APME this year. Have attended the last two conferences and I look forward to additional involvement.

APME should: Help editors figure out how to stretch declining resources; work with colleges/universities to educate them about needs of today's newspapers; work with newspapers around the country on enterprise projects that that will have some impact. The state AP and many Mississippi papers teamed up on a substantial First Amendment project that resulted in legislation.

In my spare time: I read (not as much as I would like and now I can blame Google), see movies, garden a little; work out (have become a big spin fan), belong to a choir.