Editorial duties for The Episcopal News – the longstanding official publication of the Diocese of Los Angeles – have been realigned after Canon Janet Kawamoto, on Nov. 22 concluded her 22-year tenure as editor of weekly and monthly editions, prior to her retirement next year.
Kawamoto, a parishioner and vestry member of Grace Church in Glendora, now serves The News in the role of editor emerita, completing assignments on a free-lance basis. She first joined the diocesan staff in 1981 as communications assistant, continuing through 1985 and returning to the staff full-time in 2002. She may be reached at jkawamoto@ladiocese.org.
Now serving The News as its managing editor is Mostyn Trudinger-Smith, diocesan communications coordinator, who joined the staff in September after an internship with the diocesan Interfaith Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS). A graduate of Occidental College where he served as an editor of the campus newspaper, Trudinger-Smith now has primary responsibility for production of The News Update and of the diocesan website, among other assignments. He may be reached at mtrudinger-smith@ladiocese.org.
Active with The News for the past 25 years, the Rev. Canon Pat McCaughan now serves the publication as news editor while continuing to write lead articles and features. McCaughan, who is vicar of St. George’s Church in Laguna Hills, also continues to serve as editor of the monthly Angelus diocesan clergy newsletter. She may be reached at revpatmccaughan@aol.com.
Bob Williams, diocesan canon for common life, continues to oversee the diocesan communications office and now serves The News as editor-in-chief. Williams, who first joined the diocesan staff in 1986, served as managing editor of The News from 1986 to 1992, and as editor from 1993 to 2004 before serving for four years as director of the churchwide Episcopal News Service. He is a member of St. James, Los Angeles, and president of the board of trustees of the Neighborhood Youth Association. He may be reached at bwilliams@ladiocese.org.
Published each Wednesday online, The Episcopal News Update is seeking additional email addresses of congregations to assure distribution of The News widely across the diocesan community. Congregations may forward Excel spreadsheets of names and email addresses to Williams for addition to the distribution list.
The News continues a 127-year history of diocesan publications starting in 1897 when then-Bishop Joseph H. Johnson launched the diocese’s first news magazine. More is online here.