Erik Hansen is the new editor of the Madison Park Times.
Hansen takes over for Rick Levin, Times editor since January. Levin had been with Pacific Publishing Co. Inc. - parent company of the Times - for five years.
Levin has moved to Eugene, Ore.
"I suppose I should note, at this point, that Rick's move to Eugene had nothing to do with his appointment to the editorship of the Times," Publisher Mike Dillon said.
Levin had been contemplating the move for some time, Dillon added, and said he will help out with Pacific Publishing's family of community newspapers on a freelance basis in the future.
Hansen, who is also editor of the weekly Beacon Hill News & South District Journal, joined Pacific Publishing in August 2004.
Before coming to Pacific Publishing, Hansen, 37, had worked as a reporter for the Big Timber Pioneer in Montana and as a freelance writer.
An avid outdoor enthusiast, Hansen backpacked the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail, a seven-month trek, in 1999.
While at Pacific Publishing he has been recognized for his writing, including first-place finishes in feature and editorial writing from the Society of Professional Journalists and numerous awards in feature and editorial writing from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association and the Washington Publishers Association.
"I'm looking forward to covering the greater Madison Park and Madison Valley communities," Hansen said. "The small-town environment reminds me of the close-knit Montana communities where I cut my teeth in this business."
Hansen lives in Seattle with his wife, Jennifer, and their two sons, Kyler, 3 and a half, Erik Hansen New Madison Park Times Editor and 18-month-old Bridger.
Hansen can be reached by calling 461-1311 or by writing to mptimes@nwlink.com. He encourages community feedback.
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