After 24 years of his leadership, the Post-Bulletin Co. and the city of Rochester are going to miss Bill Boyne.
While serving as publisher for more than 21 years, Bill also was the Post-Bulletin's lead editorial writer. He spent countless hours researching and writing many provocative editorials about local, state, national and world issues.
He's taken a keen interest in issues related to Rochester and its future.
In recent months, he has written extensively about Rochester Public Utilities' plans to increase output from the Silver Lake Power Plant, which is not required to meet the standards of the federal Clean Air Act of 1970.
Bill's used the editorial page as a forum to advocate for causes that will improve life in Rochester and southeastern Minnesota including downtown development, affordable housing, many school bond issues and improving race relations.
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Even while working beyond the traditional retirement age, he's been winning awards for his work. This summer, the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists awarded him first place for an editorial headlined "Mr. President, please slow the rush to war." In January 2003, the Minnesota Newspaper Association awarded the Post-Bulletin second place for editorial portfolio based on work submitted by Bill.
In 2002, he took a first place in the state Society of Professional Journalists contest for an editorial titled "Deadly spiral in Israel." In 2001, MNA gave him a first-place award in editorial writing.
Bill has taken an activist's role in community events. Since coming to the Post-Bulletin in 1979, he has served on the boards of the 21st Century Partnership, FutureScan 2000, the Rochester Area Foundation, the Rochester Area Economic Development Inc., the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, and Building Equality Together.
As publisher, Bill also has directed the Post-Bulletin to some prestigious state and national awards. In 1997, the Post-Bulletin captured the National Newspaper Association's top prize in its Best of the Best contest for non-metro newspapers.
Under Bill's leadership, the Post-Bulletin also has earned the association's Vance Trophy, given to the state's best non-metro newspaper, in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2002.
Bill was instrumental in the Post-Bulletin's decision to add a Weekend edition in the early 1980s, which in essence offered readers a Sunday paper on Saturday afternoons.
With a strong push from Bill in the mid-'80s, the Post-Bulletin became one of the few newspapers in the nation that doesn't "jump" stories from one page to another. He recognized that with the busy lives most readers live, being forced to move from one page to another in mid-story was not an efficient way for readers to quickly get through the paper.
But perhaps Bill's greatest contribution to the Post-Bulletin Co. cannot be measured in awards, accomplishments or plaudits from readers.
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Over the last 21⁄2; decades he has served as counselor, mentor, sounding board and father figure for dozens of journalists and other P-B employees. Bill's guidance and wisdom have made us all better at what we do.
Thanks in large part to his leadership, Bill leaves the P-B at a time when we're on solid ground with growing circulation and a strong business future.
The Post-Bulletin Co. invites everyone to offer a personal thank you to Bill Boyne for his community leadership from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Radisson Hotel.
We're going to miss you, Bill. Your leadership will be tough to replace.
