Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Garcia named News-Bulletin's assistant editor

Belen native and longtime reporter Clara Garcia has been named assistant editor of the Valencia County News-Bulletin.

Garcia has covered the police, fire, courts and Bosque Farms government beats for the News-Bulletin for almost 10 years.

While continuing her reporting assignments, Garcia will help in laying out pages, mentoring reporters and stepping in when the editor is away.

She is in training to become the News-Bulletin's next editor. "Her local experience makes her uniquely qualified to be our next editor," said Dave Puddu, vice president and chief operating officer of Number 9 Media, publisher of the News-Bulletin.

Working as a reporter has been almost a lifelong ambition for the 1989 graduate of Belen High School. She began thinking about her career "when I was in the third grade. I always enjoyed writing. I was interested in everything that was happening."

Before graduating from the University of New Mexico in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in communications and journalism and political science, Garcia was an intern for Channel 13 news and in the mayor's office in Albuquerque.

But seeing what working in television news was like first-hand caused Garcia to switch her ambitions from broadcast to print journalism. "I knew it wasn't a good fit. I was more interested in writing than in being an on-air personality," she said.

That's when she was hired by the News-Bulletin. She loves her work. "I love covering fires — just the excitement of the event," she said. "Everyone from the police to the fire departments to the courts have always been very gracious to me and has taught me a lot about what I cover. They've always made time to explain to me about the ins and outs of the beat."

Garcia said working on a newspaper has helped her "just to get to know the community better. Even though I've been living here all my life, being a reporter for my hometown newspaper has given me an insight into my community that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise."

During her decade with the News-Bulletin, she's won numerous awards for her work, including recognition from the National Newspaper Association for investigative reporting, breaking news coverage and columns.

Year after year, she's also won many awards from the New Mexico Press Association, including for investigative reporting, obituary writing, breaking and general news and photography. She has also been named to the New Mexico Girl Scout Hall of Fame.

What are her plans for the future? "Just to gain a better knowledge of the community and newspaper and continue informing people about what's happening in the community," she said.

She loves "getting to meet different people every single day. I've met some wonderful and interesting people in our county."

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband, Matthew Garcia; her daughter, Caitlin Cano; and her stepsons, Jonathan and Terrence Garcia.

She is the daughter of Avelino and Angie Cano of Belen.

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