This really is your newspaper. 

I moved here a month ago, and applied for this job, and now I’m on the team responsible for what appears on The Leader’s pages. 

It’s no small task, and I’m ready for a challenge. Thanks for being here and for reading.

My name is Mitzi Jo Gordon. Feel free to call me MJ. Starting with this week’s edition, I’m here to serve as The Leader’s new managing editor. I bring fresh eyes, but still have much to learn about the region. 

I moved here from the bustle of Brooklyn, New York, just before the 2023 holidays, seeking escape from a too-hectic city pace. Port Townsend’s natural beauty and relaxed attitude were just the balm I needed, and I look forward to continue developing as a writer here.

There’s another side to my creative practice, in socially engaged art — a genre of work that is experiential, collaborative, and participatory. While living in Florida, I ran an independent bookmobile and co-founded a mobile public art studio. I believe in the power of social engagement to build relationships and strengthen communities, and I’m approaching my new role from that perspective.

I served as editor of the weekly South Tampa News before transitioning into nonprofit projects, and I believe community news, at its core, is all about people. So I’m asking the same question of every person I meet, from baristas and farmers, to grocery clerks and artists, boat captains, small business owners, and others:

What would you like to see more (or less) of in your local paper?

In your responses, I’m already hearing requests for human interest stories and local events, business news and humor. You’ve asked for a newspaper that celebrates the joys of life in Jefferson County, and serves the community as a resource of information and mutual support.

Let’s keep talking. In time, you’ll see changes on these pages as I digest your comments and gain my footing.

I’m truly excited to be living in Port Townsend, and I have a budding vision for The Leader, a touchstone to return to while navigating this role: to produce a paper that’s straightforward, consistent, and compassionate in its approach, with locally relevant and accurate content.

Your input is key to our success, and I hope you’ll continue reaching out. Share your thoughts with me at editor@ptleader.com.