by Dennis Dalman
The Newsleader newspapers have a new editor – Erin McIndoo, who grew up in Buffalo, Minnesota.
McIndoo began her new job April 19 and will replace former editor, Leanne Loy, who resigned to pursue her career in English, teaching college courses at St. Cloud State University this fall and serving as teaching assistant for a creative-writing class. Loy was the editor of the Newsleaders for the past year, both the Sartell-St. Stephen one and the St. Joseph one.
The two papers, founded by publisher Janelle Von Pinnon in 1989, have a combined readership of 24,000.
“I am thrilled to bring Erin onboard as my replacement,” Loy said. “Erin is enthusiastic about learning the ropes, and her background in journalism is sure to take her far. She has a kind, genuine personality, which I think our readers will love and connect with. I wish her all the best in her new role as editor.”
After graduating from Buffalo High School, McIndoo earned degrees last December in communications and English from Upper Iowa University in Fayette, a city in northeast Iowa.
She wrote stories for the university newspaper and also conducted interviews and wrote articles for the college’s alumni magazine. She also worked at the university writing center in Fayette.
Currently, McIndoo, who lives in St. Cloud, is employed part-time at the Sherwin-Williams paint store in Waite Park.
She loves the outdoors, the natural world, hiking, biking, reading, writing and respects and cherishes animals. She is a vegan, which is someone who abstains from consuming animal products in one’s diet.
“Right now I’m trying to get some experience, to get my feet wet in the (newspaper) business,” McIndoo said.