Herald leadership changes hands
MOSES LAKE — She helped renovate a community newspaper that’s been around since 1941.
Next up for Caralyn Bess? Renovating a historic home in western North Carolina that’s been around even longer – since 1871.
Publisher of the Columbia Basin Herald for more than four years, Bess and her husband, David, are retiring to familiar territory.
“The home sits on 12 wooded acres and we’ll be close to family and friends,” said Bess. “We will truly miss all of the wonderful friends we have made here in Moses Lake but are excited to be close to family and longtime friends, too.”
Stepping into Bess’ big shoes is a familiar face in the community and established CBH leader: Bob Richardson, who will be the general manager.
A 1993 Moses Lake High School graduate, Richardson started in the newspaper’s circulation department in June 1997 and worked his way up over the years. Until his promotion to the top job, Richardson had been serving in three roles: CBH advertising director and publisher of both the weekly Sun Tribune and monthly Basin Business Journal.
“The day I started working at the Columbia Basin Herald, I made the decision that I would work my way up the ladder to one day run this paper,” Richardson said. “This is my hometown newspaper and I am appreciative of the opportunities that the Hagadone Corporation has given me so I could realize my dream.”
Looking back, Bess noted some of the highlights of her tenure at the CBH helm.
Among them are a complete newspaper redesign, winning 53 awards in the 2020 and 2021 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Better Newspaper Contests, initiating and co-founding Light Up Moses Lake, serving on numerous boards and committees, and winning the 2019 Citizen of the Year Award from the Moses Lake/Othello Association of Realtors and 2019-2020 President’s Award from the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.
She also glows when noting the Columbia Basin Herald made an honorable mention in Editor and Publisher’s 2021 prestigious Top Ten Who Do It Right national publication.
For Richardson, taking responsibility for all aspects of the Herald completes the goal he envisioned almost 25 years ago when he took his first job at the newspaper. He said he owes Bess for helping him reach the top.
“She was the leader/mentor that I needed to get me to the point of being able to run our newspaper successfully,” he said. “I appreciate all that she’s done for me and all that she has taught me. She’s someone that I’ll be able to call for advice for the rest of my career.”
The father of three children and a 14-year veteran girls fastpitch softball coach, Richardson acknowledged there are challenges ahead – which he’s eager to tackle because what the Herald offers is essential to an informed community.
“While the newspaper industry has changed since I first came into the business, it still is the source for local news,” he said. “There isn’t another news medium where you can read about your neighbors, your kids and your community like you can with the Columbia Basin Herald.
“My goal is to publish more local content and more local sports daily. With help from our community, we can do that.”
Richardson asked readers to share news tips and photos, as well as information about youth and adult sporting events.
The future is bright, he said, adding a note of gratitude.
“I would like to thank all of our communities in the Columbia Basin for their continued support,” Richardson said. “The strength of our paper is our communities. I look forward to continuing the excellence that our paper has established over the past few years and building on that strong foundation.”
