Daily Herald publisher Kirk Parkinson – in conjunction with Robert McDougall, managing editor – announced five changes on the editorial staff, to take effect Monday.
Marion Dunn, sports editor, will become executive sports columnist. Dick Harmon, city editor, will become sports editor. Jim Hills, news editor, will become city editor. Rod Collett, associate sports editor, will become news editor. Bob Hudson, assistant city editor, will become assistant sports editor.
“This is a great opportunity to bolster our sports coverage in a sophisticated sports town,” Parkinson said. “Marion Dunn will continue to provide his incisive viewpoint and Dick Harmon, a former Daily Herald sports reporter and recognized sports authority in the valley, will lead the coverage of the events and people that make for a great sports section.
“I’m also confident that, under the direction of Jim Hills who has been responsible for national and world news and our front page, The Daily Herald will continue the great coverage of local news that makes it the number-one source for happenings in our valley,” Parkinson said.
“Rod Collett did an outstanding job as associate sports editor and I’m sure he’ll add to his track record in managing our Associated Press service and the front page.
“Bob Hudson moves back to his first love – sports. Bob has a good rapport with many of the local coaches and his insight and sensitivity will certainly add to enjoyment of Daily Herald readers,” the publisher said.
Those involved in the move are:
Marion Dunn – Marion Dunn was born in western Colorado but was raised in the muting communities of Bingham Canyon. He served in the Pacific with the U.S. Army during World War II.
After the war he graduated from the University of Utah in 1950. He has worked as a sports-writer since, working at the old Salt Lake Telegram, the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune.
He became sports editor of The Daily Herald in the spring of 1976.
He and his wife Hertha live in Murray. A son, Gary, teaches at Orem High School.
Dick Harmon – The Daily Herald city editor for the past four years, Harmon is a graduate of Provo High School and BYU where he was sports editor of the campus newspaper. He has worked as a reporter and sports writer at The Daily Herald and is an accomplished freelance writer and editor.
Harmon has produced and hosted Utah Valley’s longest running radio sports program “Sports Talk” currently aired on KFMY-AM in Provo.
Harmon has been a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Football Writers of America and Basketball Writers of America.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. Rondo S. Harmon of Provo, he is married to the former AnnaLee Jacob of Orem. They have four children and make their home in Orem.
Jim Hills – A graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, Hills has been news editor at The Daily Herald for the past four years. He joined the newspaper in 1982 and quickly moved from reporter to copy editor to news editor. He previously worked at The Seattle Times, the U.S. Ski Team in Park City and was editor of U.S. Ski News for the United States Ski Assoc. Although raised in Seattle, his parents are from Carbon and Emery counties and has strong family ties in Utah.
He and his wile Joan have a nine-month-old daughter, Kelly Lynn.
Rod Collett – Collett, 36, graduated from Brigham Young University in 1977 and spent 18 months as a staff writer for the Deseret News, before joining The Daily Herald in October 1978.
Collett has worked as a reporter, copy editor and associate sports editor prior to being named news editor.
Collett has covered a wide assortment of beats, including the Forest Service, various police and sheriff departments, federal, county and city government, plus BYU golf. football, basketball, and prep sports in his 3 1/2 years as a sports writer.
Collett has published numerous articles and photographs in local and national sports magazines. He worked for the World Golf Hall of Fame in Pinehurst, N.C., for two years and spent one year on the PGA tour in 1976, prior to resuming his newspaper career.
Bob Hudson – Hudson was born and raised in South Dakota. He is a graduate of BYU and began his journalism career as sports editor of The Post-Register in Idaho Falls.
He came to The Daily Herald as a sports reporter in 1976 and served in that capacity until 1983, when he became assistant city editor. He received a special service award from the Utah High School Activities Association in 1978 for sports writing.
While serving as assistant city editor, he has maintained an interest in high school athletics and has contacts with the high school coaches. He has worked as a sports stringer for Associated Press, United Press international, a variety of daily newspapers.
He is married to the former Becky Kaye Lange of Livingston, Mont. They have five sons ranging in age from 13 to 1.