Herald/Review welcomes Steve Byerly as its new managing editor
|
A longtime Oklahoman with thoughtful news judgment, a strong work ethic and a flair for page design has joined the Herald/Review this week as its managing editor.
Steve Byerly takes over the newsroom leadership role from Keith Allen, who left the company in May. For the past 17 years, Byerly has held copy editor, graphics editor, assistant news editor and news editor positions at The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City.
Two pivotal news events tested Byerly’s mettle while he was there.
In April 1995, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was heavily damaged in a bombing that resulted in 168 deaths. With the newsroom reeling, Byerly organized and led the graphics newsgathering task that was essential to serving readers. Four years later, as a major tornado approached the city, his quick action helped earn him a promotion to news editor.
“We are pleased to have Steve come to the Herald/Review and join not only our newsroom, but our community,” Publisher Phil Vega said. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and he understands the role we have in serving our readers and connecting with the community. His coolness under deadline pressure and his editing experience can only help to improve our news reporting.
“He also brings with him the knowledge of how to tell stories in an online environment. I look forward to seeing him lead us in that direction, helping us find ways to better serve our online readers and create a synergy between our print and online presence,” Vega said.
Byerly graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism with distinction from the University of Oklahoma in 1987. His career has taken him to Tokyo as an intern copy editor with Pacific Stars and Stripes, to the Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal and the Odessa (Texas) American as a copy editor, then to the Muskogee (Okla.) Phoenix as news editor and finally to The Oklahoman.
In 2008, he was named that newspaper’s employee of the year for his role in leading a major redesign under one of the world’s most famous newspaper designers, Mario Garcia. Byerly's newspaper design work has garnered first-place honors by the Society of Professional Journalists in Oklahoma three times since 2002.
Byerly said he was ready to leave the much larger newspaper operation in Oklahoma because the smaller operation here would let him enjoy making personal connections and seeing firsthand the difference the newspaper can make in a community.
“The Herald/Review is such an important part of this vibrant community,” Byerly said. “I am excited to be a part of it. Community journalism is my first love, and I feel like I've come home.”
At a smaller operation, he also will be able to run “outside the lanes,” meaning if he sees news happening, he can stop to report it, photograph it or pursue it himself. That’s more difficult at larger operations.
When he and his wife, Dana, visited Sierra Vista during the interview process, both were impressed by the location and the level of comfort they experienced while here.
“The minute we arrived for our first visit, we knew this was where we wanted to be,” Byerly said. “The people of Sierra Vista have been very welcoming.”
While they will miss Oklahoma, the Byerlys said they are looking forward to making Sierra Vista their home and enjoying the good weather.
“We won’t be missing the tornadoes,” he said.