Meet some new members.

Editorial board member, Fort Worth Star-Telegram in Texas 817/390-7903; [e-mail]

Career history: At the paper seven months, six on the editorial board. I also serve as publisher of La Estrella, a semi-weekly Spanish language newspaper published by the Star-Telegram. Before that I was managing editor at a paper in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Personal changes: Shift to job on the business side. It was abrupt, unplanned, and unprepared for. Challenging, but foreign in many ways.

Hobbies, interests: Opera, baseball, travel -- Opera in Houston, Philly, and New York; baseball in Philly, Baltimore, and Detroit.

Last book read: Shelter by Jayne Anne Phillips 

Best about job: As I am not a full-time editorial writer, I get to pick and choose what I want to write -- no need to knock out an obituary or congratulatory editorial on demand.

First impression, NCEW: Promising. I attended the Minority Writers in Nashville and the conference in Denver.

Linda Brazill

Editorial writer, The Capital Times in Madison, Wis. 608/252-6424; [e-mail]

Career history: Editorial writer since January 1999. During the previous nine years with The Cap Times, I worked as a graphic designer and Home/Garden columnist and was a member of the editorial board. I'm still on the board and I'm still the garden columnist -- just a more opinionated one.

Outside professional work: Garden club lecture circuit

Hobbies, interests: Spent a perfect summer week with a friend at "art camp" in Door County, Wis. -- drawing all day, reading all night

Last books read: Back to the Front by Stephen O'Shea and Creating a Perennial Garden in the Midwest by Joan Severa

Best about job: Being involved in every aspect from letters to layout to writing edits

Worst about job: Watching the top of my desk disappear from the work

First impression, NCEW: Friendly, helpful

Chris Cobler

Editor, Greeley Tribune in Colorado 970/352-0211; [e-mail]

Career history: Four years in job

Recent awards: Greeley Tribune just won "Best of the States" competition sponsored by National Newspaper Association

First impression, NCEW: Too focused on metros

William A. Mills

Editorial page editor, Cape Cod Times in Hyannis, Mass. 508/862-1251; [e-mail]

Career history: One year in this position after 20 years in various reporting and editing positions

Changes in shop: New redesign

Recent awards: Second place, editorial writing, New England Associated Press News Executive's Association

Community involvement: Homelessness prevention, St. Vincent dePaul Society; religious education teacher

Recent travels: New York City, Disney World, North Carolina 

Family news: My wife is an accomplished printmaker and is pursuing a master's in fine arts.

Last book read: Bitter Fruit: The American Coup in Guatemala

Carolyn Nielsen

Editorial page editor, The Bellingham Herald in Washington 360/715-2294; [e-mail]

Career history: Came to The Bellingham Herald in 1997 from the Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California, where I worked as a crime reporter. In Bellingham, covered government, American Indian tribes, and courts until March, when I somehow managed to become editorial page editor, department of one

Changes in shop: Lots. In 1997, we went am.; in 1998, we got a new computer system; in 1999, we put news content on the Internet and our press web width shrunk. I was successful at bumping Doonesbury off my page and back into comics, where he belongs, leaving me freedom to redesign page (in progress). Still no decent office furniture in sight

Recent awards: 1998 Pacific Northwest SPJ first place health reporting, second place investigative reporting

Outside professional work: Adjunct professor of journalism at Western Washington University, where I teach newswriting and "that, like, totally oppressive AP style that, like, totally quashes any creativity and makes people into a bunch of Microsoft Word clones, dude."

Recent travels: Husband and I learned to sail in the British Virgin Islands. Only hit two other boats, one dock and lost the rudder one time. Still married

Hobbies: Kickboxing (leaving the gloves on the table in my office creates a nice ambiance for when those angry letter writers come to visit), hiking, kayaking, running, complaining about people who complain about "the media"

Last book read: Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha

Best thing about job: Getting to research a broad variety of topics, providing leadership on issues, and having the ability to call a spade a spade 

Worst thing about job: Finding just the right tone to call a spade a spade while remaining constructive. Trying to work on projects while balancing an all-consuming workload of 13 local editorials a week

First impression, NCEW: A great resource for me as lone wolf on the opinion page. The job can be a bit isolating and it's amazingly comforting to read that others are dealing with the same nutty letter writers, etc., that lam. I particularly appreciate that people know their stuff, but don't take themselves too seriously all the time.