By Julie A. Miller
Catholic Herald

Herald editor resigns; interim editor hired

SUPERIOR -- After 14 years as editor of the Superior Catholic Herald, Sam Lucero is leaving to become associate managing and online editor at the Milwaukee Catholic Herald. The last issue he will complete from the Superior office will be the Dec. 13 edition, although he will continue to oversee the paper from Milwaukee until a new editor is selected.

Lucero originally intended to leave his position in Superior on Oct. 1 and begin his new job in Milwaukee Oct. 15, but agreed to stay longer to allow more time for the paper to find a replacement.

Lucero became editor of the Superior paper on Sept. 1, 1987. He was the fifth editor and the first layperson to hold that position since Bishop Albert G. Meyer established the paper in 1953. Before coming to Superior he served as writer and associate editor of the Intermountain Catholic in the Diocese of Salt Lake City, Utah, and as assistant editor of the Southern Cross, newspaper for the Diocese of San Diego, Calif.

At the Catholic Herald, Lucero implemented many improvements and some design changes, including the switch from the broadsheet to the smaller tabloid format in 1991.

Since he took over as editor, the paper has won numerous Catholic Press Association Journalism Awards, including four first place awards for "Best Front Page" and two first place awards for "General Excellence." Lucero, who in addition to writing and editing is an accomplished photographer, has also won many CPA awards for photographs he took for the paper.

Within the next few weeks, veteran journalist Bill Kurtz will join the Superior Catholic Herald staff on a temporary basis to help write and edit the paper. Kurtz said he has not applied for a permanent assignment as editor because relocating would require his wife, Marge, to leave her job with Milwaukee County.

Kurtz has a bachelor's degree in political science from UW-Madison and a master's degree in journalism from Ohio State University. Kurtz was on the staff of the Milwaukee Catholic Herald from 1996 to 2000 and is currently working part time on that paper. He has also worked for the Shepherd Express in Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Journal.

Kurtz said he is looking forward to the assignment and sees it as a challenge to help keep up the standard set by Lucero. "He's admired and greatly respected for the work he has done," Kurtz said.

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