Staff changes have been made at the Burlington Standard Press that should help fortify the newspaper’s distinctly local flavor.
Longtime Burlington resident Jennifer Eisenbart – who has been a staff writer the past three years and sports editor the past eight years – has been promoted to the position of news editor.
In addition, Burlington native Mike Ramczyk, who most recently worked as sports editor for the Lake Geneva Regional News, has been hired to oversee the sports content for the Standard Press and several other publications produced by Southern Lakes Newspapers – the parent company of the Standard Press.
The changes are effective with this edition of the newspaper, according to Editor in Chief Ed Nadolski.
“Both Jennifer and Mike have done award-winning work during their careers and will provide a solid reporting and editing team for the Standard Press,” said Nadolski, who has served as editor of the Standard Press in addition to his ongoing duties overseeing the news operation for all of SLN’s publications, which include 20 weekly newspapers and several specialty publications.
Smooth transition
Eisenbart, who has a degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, began her career as a sports editor for the Dunn County News in Menomonie from 1996 until a move to Vermont in 1997 to the Bennington Banner. She returned to Wisconsin in 1998, wanting to be closer to home, and worked at the Marshfield News-Herald as a sports reporter from 1998 through 2004.
She took a sports editor position at the Daily Globe in Worthington, Minn., from the summer of 2004 until winter of 2005, when she returned home to work for Southern Lakes Newspapers as a sports editor. In addition to her sports duties for the Standard Press, Waterford Post and Westine Report, Eisenbart has been the primary news reporter for the Standard Press the last three years.
Her sports writing and editing has won several awards in the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
While excited about the promotion, Eisenbart doesn’t foresee any big changes for the Standard Press, though further forays into social media will be explored.
“What I want to do is continue the excellence in local coverage that has always been a trademark of the paper,” Eisenbart said. “Certainly, I’m stepping into a role that has been well-handled. I just want to keep that success going.”
Readers may contact Eisenbart at (262) 763-3330, extension 148, or by email at [email protected].
A homecoming
Ramczyk said his hiring brings his career full circle, putting him on the staff of the newspaper he first began reading as a boy growing up in Burlington.
After graduating with a degree in print journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Ramczyk took a part-time position with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sports department, working primarily as an agate clerk and writing occasional stories.
Less than a year later he took a full-time assistant editor position with Burlington-based Sebranek Inc., a publisher of textbooks. He also did freelance sports reporting for several newspapers in Southeastern Wisconsin.
In 2008, Ramczyk took a news reporting position with the Lake Geneva Regional News. Eager to get back into sports writing, however, he was prepared to seek other jobs a year later when the sports editor’s post opened up at the Regional News.
He was offered the position on an interim basis and never relinquished it as he built a loyal following the past four years.
Last spring, Ramczyk won a state award for page design and a national award for a sports column.
“I couldn’t pass up returning home and driving three minutes to work,” he said. “I’m thrilled to be home, and with social media, online and video visions, I plan to take Southern Lakes Newspapers to the next level.”
Readers may contact Ramczyk at (262) 763-3330, extension 141, or [email protected].
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