SPJ Region 7 is taking its annual spring conference to Kansas for 2011.  This means we’ve been in all four states that comprise the region over the past few years, including Nebraska in 2010.

WHEN: April 8-9, 2010

WHERE:  Sheraton Overland Park (Kansas) at The Convention Center. $89 a night -what a bargain!

Registration Fees-Early Bird by March 15
Student Member: $60
Student Non-Members: $100
Pro Member: $105
Pro Non-Member: $185

Registration Fees-Regular by March 31
Student Member: $80
Student Non-Members: $120
Pro Member: $125
Pro Non-Member: $205

Registration Fees-On Site
Student Member: $100
Student Non-Members: $140
Pro Member: $145
Pro Non-Member: $225

We got great feedback from attendees about our panels and sessions in Omaha, so please let me know how you think we can build on that – either repeating sessions you liked or adding new ones.  Again, holly.edgell@patch.com is the best way to reach me.

Holly Edgell
Region 7 Director

Remember me?  It’s your regional director here, after a two month absence.  Sorry about that.

The breaking news is that I have a new job: I joined AOL as Regional Editor for Patch.com in St. Louis on July 26. The first part of this new gig involves finding and hiring twelve great journalists as Local Editors (LEs) who will launch twelve hyper local news websites more or less north of I-64/Hwy. 40 in Metro St. Louis.  My counterpart in the area is Kurt Greenbaum, formerly of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  He’s also building his team and has already hired two LEs.

Once our teams are in place Kurt and I will be guiding the LEs editorially and operationally and plan to begin launching our Patch.com sites this fall. One of the really neat things about doing hyper local journalism the Patch.com way is that the LEs live in or very near to the communities they cover.  As we reach nearly 100 sites around the country so far, Patchers are getting good receptions as they get their feet on the streets, covering towns and cities usually neglected by the handful of media outlets that remain in metropolitan areas.

St. Louis will be the first area of Region 7 to have Patch.com, with Kansas City coming in 2011.  If you have any questions about Patch.com job opportunities, check out this page and then feel free to drop me a line at holly.edgell@patch.com (along with your resume).  Be sure to mention whether you are an SPJ in your email. I will try to any other questions about Patch.com  or direct you people who can.

Here are a few links related to what I am doing:

Interview with AOL CEO Tim Armstrong

TIME article about hyper local news

Promising Local News Sites, by Michelle McLellan – Fellow, Reynolds Journalism Institute

Also, I’ve revamped my personal website to reflect my transition from teaching at Mizzou to Patch.com.