News-Record.com

Every successful organization needs a go-to person, someone who can take a tough job, complete it, take another job, complete it, take another job and so on. They make good things happen.

Ed Williams, who has been here for more than 20 years, has been one of those folks for us. For the past three years, he has been our city editor in High Point, leading our reporting efforts there and developing our intensely local community coverage. To many he's best known as our wine columnist, having built a reputation as a trusted source on the grape.

Now, dang it all, he's being called upon to be our go-to guy in marketing. He was named the News & Record's Brand Marketing Manager today. That means he's moving out of news.

Managing Editor Ann Morris said: "Ed was a newsroom pioneer in taking a reader-focused approach to newsgathering and storytelling, pushing his staff to tell stories in new and fresh ways. He built a strong team that knows how to work hard and have fun. We'll miss Ed's creativity, drive and passion for excellence."

Ed came here as a reporter, has filled several news and features editing positions, and worked a stint in Human Resources as a recruiter. He has excelled everywhere. While we'll miss him in news, we desperately need him to promote and market the paper. I look forward to working with him in his new role.

And he'll continue with the wine column, thank goodness.