I can't let this horrible week in Kansas City journalism end without making note of some news about The Kansas City Star that might have been overshadowed by the paper's Black Monday layoffs.
Yesterday, news broke that Chris Lester, the paper's assistant managing editor for business, was leaving to take a job as senior vice president for business growth at the Chamber of Commerce. He wasn't among those who'd been laid off, but I can't blame the guy for evacuating. Still, it's sad to see good journalists abandoning the craft.
I learned a lot about the economy from reading Lester's columns. He's been a calm voice during these high-anxiety days, and he had a talent for humanizing economics, making the science understandable. Like when he wrote about his corn-farming father in Iowa to illustrate the impact of ethanol subsidies. Or when he did his last-minute Christmas shopping online. The Star will charge you for those archival columns, which is why I'm not bothering to link to them. Here, I'll give you a more recent one: "Is America in the mood for class warfare?" Despite its provocative headline, you'll see what I mean about the calm and educational tone.
Lester's explanations for why he's leaving the paper, and how he feels about it, also make total sense.
"First of all," he tells me, "I love this paper, and I've given it absolutely everything I had for 24 years. I still love the Star,
and I love my colleagues -- you have no idea how much -- and I am
incredibly proud of the work we have done. This week, the Society of
American Business Writers and Editors gave a national award to Jason Gertzen and David Hayes for the Sprint Connection blog. That's just one example of the content we've done for years and years, and I'm really proud of it."
Lester says he wasn't looking for a job. "I haven't chased a job since I tried to get on with the Star in
1985. I never did. I never shopped." But when the opportunity came up,
he talked to the Chamber, thought about it for a long time, and took
it.
"What it really boils down to, I think, is that I'm 47. If
I'm going to have a second act in life it's time to do it," he says. "I
am very committed to this community by now. I have told people for
years that I would change careers before I'd leave Kansas City. I've
spent half my life here. I'm invested emotionally, financially and in
every way. When it comes down to it, I think I can help."
He keeps talking, and it's obvious how much the guy cares.
"The goal isn't really about the big job and the big money," he goes
on. "It's really how much I care about this town. And it really has to
do with the place that my kids are going to grow up in. In one way I'm
very selfish -- I have two kids, 11 and 8, and I'm selfish enough to
project 20 years from now and hope they can grow up and get a good job
here and have a life in Kansas City so I'll have grandkids that I can
see."
And when he says he thinks he can help, it's obvious he knows the real truth about how this town operates.
"I'm really convinced,
and have been for 20 years, that it's the business community that can
really make change, really turn and face all the issues we face in this
town."
And
then he adds a statistic in that wonky-comforting way he has: "If the
economy here grows 1 percent faster than the national average,
it would create enough jobs and enough wealth we could deal with
virtually all of our problems."
I'll miss him. But at this point, all I can say is he better kick ass at that new job.
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I am sorry to see Chris leave the Star. I had the great fortune in my career to compete against him when he was the City Hall beat reporter and I did the same for KMBZ. We competed against each other fiercely and I respected him more than most newspaper reporters that I encountered in my 33 year career.
A few years later, after going to work for Bill Johnson at Business Radio 1190 KPHN, I got to work with Chris when the Star and KPHN partnered to air business news in Kansas City. It's a relationship I'll always remember because I didn't just get to work with Chris, but I also became close to Jennifer Mann, Diane Stafford and Jerry Heaster.
I'm no longer in the journalism business and soon, Chris will no longer be in the business as well. I know he will miss the Star but I know he will be energized using the skill and experience he crafted so well over the years. Good luck my friend and say hello to Pete Levy and Pam Whiting.
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