Bloomington resident Jill Bond has been named news director for The Herald-Times in Bloomington, Indiana. She starts her new job as the H-T’s top editor on Monday, April 26.
“We searched the country looking for the right editor to lead The Herald-Times, and we found her already living in Bloomington,” said Cindi Andrews, the regional editor for Gannett’s southern Indiana publications.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Jill, who brings a track record of leading ambitious issues-based coverage and a local resident’s perspective on what’s important to the Bloomington area,” Andrews said.
Bond’s favorite activities as a child were reading, writing and research. In college, she was delighted to learn journalists are paid to do these things every day.
She received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon and worked in southern Oregon before accepting a position at the Kokomo Tribune in 2013.
Bond moved to Bloomington in 2016 to earn a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University. She worked as a partnership specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau before joining The Herald-Times. She and her husband, Cassady, have a rescued feline named Max.
“My husband and I moved to Bloomington for IU, but like so many others, did not want to leave when I finished my degree,” Bond said. “Here, we found a community of shared values that is engaged in examining its shortcomings and working to find solutions.”
She looks forward to her new position back in the news industry. “I am privileged to be given the opportunity to lead The Herald-Times, an esteemed publication with a history of excellence, and ensure it continues to play a role in community conversations,” Bond said.
The Herald-Times joined Gannett’s network of news outlets across Indiana and the nation in late 2019, and Bond’s hire signals the company’s determination to strengthen local news coverage in the city, said Katrice Hardy, Midwest regional editor for Gannett.
“We couldn’t be happier that Bloomington will get to know and work with a leader who is not only passionate about local news but has been living in the community and understands what’s special and unique but also what issues exist there.”
Bond replaces Managing Editor Stephen Crane, who remains at the helm of the Reporter-Times and Mooresville-Decatur Times in Morgan County.
