When saying goodbye feels sad and inspirational | From the Editor
Our team is heading toward a goodbye that will ripple through our coverage and our newsroom culture. And while, of course, I feel sad about losing such a key journalist as Suzy Leonard to retirement and more than a little overwhelmed at the prospect of replacing* her, this departure makes me happy in ways others haven’t. (*replacing isn’t a realistic goal in this case)
Let me explain. The news business is a tough one. Like every other newspaper, we’ve had to deal with layoffs and worries of job security that have driven talented people out of the business. It’s not too often that we get to celebrate someone’s long and significant journalism career coming to an end at a time of their choosing.
Journalism impact: How FLORIDA TODAY's journalism impacted Brevard
Retirements are reassuring – and inspiring. Every journalist who dedicates their life to this demanding profession deserves for it to end in a newsroom retirement. Not all get to.
Saying goodbye to longtime reporter, our current Food & Dining Editor Suzy Leonard, next Friday will be sad – but also joyful. Suzy has been at FLORIDA TODAY for 25 years. Her journalism career has spanned 40 years. Go to our Style section and read her beautiful column reflecting on that journey.
I feel personally indebted to Suzy, who has been a role model to me of female leadership in an often male-dominated environment. She’s been someone with whom I can toss around ideas, who has been generous in introducing me to key people in the community and who is a strong champion of the importance of what we do. She’s also acts like a glue in our newsroom, organizing potlucks, staff retreats, pushing me to bring us together for fun occasions more than I do.
We’ll miss her tremendously, and I know our readers and the food & dining community that Suzy so expertly covers will too. We do have a plan going forward, including relying on the tremendous expertise of Lyn Dowling and others as we recruit for this key position.
I asked Suzy what she was most looking forward to in retirement, and here’s what she said:
“Hmmmmm. What am I most looking forward to about retirement? I guess the freedom. I know I don’t want to sit around all day every day, but if I want to do that sometimes, I can. I’m looking forward to seeing if pickleball is all it’s cracked up to be. I want to drive for Meals on Wheels. I hope to do some baking and perfect bread-making. I want to load my big poodles up in my car and go on a crazy road trip. And I want to keep writing.”
At FLORIDA TODAY, we can at least help with one of those as you'll see in Suzy's column.
What else should you look for today:
Business Editor Dave Berman teamed with colleagues around the state to explore the growing role solar energy is playing in Florida. Look for the deeply reported story on the Sunday cover and at floridatoday.com. It's jam-packed, too, with pocketbook guidance on a key question: what kind of savings can I expect at my house if I opt for solar panels?
105 years old? Read Michelle Spitzer's nice story about this World War II and Korean War veteran as he celebrated a remarkable birthday.
If you, like me, wonder how those peacocks often seen on Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral got here, we've got answers.
There's more from advice on Florida-friendly gardening practices to an opportunity to take bread-making lessons to an update on the prospects of a Brightline station in Brevard You'll also find inside: Environment reporter Jim Waymer explains what's behind our crazy weather and what to expect this spring.
Thanks for reading us.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: FLORIDA TODAY saying goodbye to longtime food writer | From the Editor
