Hello Lacombe.
It is a privilege and honour to introduce myself. My name is Todd Vaughan and I am the new editor of the Lacombe Express.
My name may seem familiar to frequent readers, as I have had the luxury to be able to cover Lacombe sports — mostly the Generals and the Rams — since May 2017, as well as also covering many municipal events including the 2017 municipal election.
It is my mission to fully commit to this community and have the Lacombe Express become the source for local news, sports, entertainment and discussion.
Lacombe is a vibrant, up-and-coming city that I am only beginning to become acquainted with and I look forward to meeting as many of its community members as possible.
While I hope to meet many of you in person soon, I feel it is important you know something about me.
I grew up in Red Deer and it was there I attended Red Deer College where I began a Bachelor of Arts in History.
After transferring to the University of Calgary, I began to become enamoured with news and decided to switch my focus to journalism.
After switching to Mount Royal University, I received my Bachelor of Communication with a major in Journalism in 2014.
During my time at Mount Royal I covered campus sports for The Reflector — which is Mount Royal’s independent student paper. This led me to my first editorial position as Publishing Editor with the same paper.
Following graduation, I eventually moved back to Central Alberta to work as a reporter for the Sylvan Lake News. It was here that I grew my skills as a community reporter — skills I intend to vigorously apply to my new position in Lacombe.
After transferring to the Red Deer Express, I had the opportunity to cover typically larger city news like crime, the justice system, City Hall and the Western Hockey League.
All this has led me to Lacombe and the position of editor. I look forward to being a part of this community and applying everything I have ever learned about the craft of journalism.
It is my belief that a good publication supports, defends and champions the stories of a community.
Not every story will be happy and I don’t expect everyone to agree with what is in my editorial column, but it is my hope that a discussion built on mutual respect can be built within the City of Lacombe.
Don’t be afraid to say hello; don’t be afraid to praise; and don’t be afraid to be critical.
Thank you for reading.