Each morning I send “Sunburn” — the morning read about what’s hot in Florida politics — to nearly 5,000 opted-in subscribers. And each morning, I receive back a dozen or so ‘I’m away from my desk’ emails.
For example, the away message from Melissa Sellers, chief of staff to Gov. Rick Scott, is always the same: “Thank you for your message. Under Chapter 119.011, sections (2) & (12), Florida Statutes, this communication is subject to Florida public records law and will be posted online at www.Sunburst.FLGov.com in the interest of transparency.”
Every now and then, I’ll notice an interesting away message. The AARP’s Jeff Johnson left this gem on February 20, 2015: “You know how much I enjoy replying to your e-mails. But I’ve got a series of events and meetings, visitors from all over the country, the White House Conference on Aging, and the beginning of Lent. I’m swamped.”
You get the idea.
Today, I read an away message that forced me to rub the sleep dust out of my eyes.
“I am no longer with the Tampa Bay Times but hope to help you connect with my former colleagues.”
Who was this email from? Joni James, previously the deputy metro editor at the Times, and before that, a longtime, strident voice on the Times‘ editorial board.
Of the dozens of journalists who have left the Times during its recent downsizing, this has to be one of the most surprising. Along with Editor of Editorials Tim Nickens and fellow editorial boar member Dan Ruth, James was the voice of the Times.
No, she did not share in the Pulitzer Prize that went to Nickens and James for their crusade to return fluoride to Pinellas’ public water, but you could almost hear her voice on so many of the other issues about which the Times feels passionately.
According to her bio page on the Times website, James joined the Times in 2003, after working as a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, the Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal. Before joining the editorial board in 2008, she worked as a political reporter, deputy Tallahassee Bureau chief, an assistant city editor and state editor.
James quietly left the editorial board, I believe, late last year. I heard that she wasn’t entirely happy at the newspaper after a mutual friend suggested she and I sit down to discuss if our little new media enterprise had a place for her.
I made the call to James, but, not surprising, I did not hear back.
On Friday, James was named the new CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership.
“(M)ore than a quarter-century as a journalist – more than half of that in Florida – has left her with a keen understanding of complex issues, the Tampa Bay region and an appreciation for how to affect change in the realm where government and private interests intersect,” Partnership Chairman Rob Kapusta wrote in an email to members. “Now she’ll be turning her analytical and communication skills (she’ll be receiving her master’s degree in mass communication from the University of Florida in May) toward helping improve her adopted hometown through the Partnership.”
James starts April 20.
That’s an interesting landing spot for someone whose previous employer oftentimes is at odds with the goals of the Partnership.
Meanwhile, veteran reporter Stephen Nohlgren is filling the open slot on the editorial board.
