Meet Your New Editor: Frank Johnson

Greetings, faithful Patch readers!

I'm Frank Johnson and I'll be taking over the helm here at Eureka-Wildwood Patch as your new local editor. If you ever been a visitor to the Chesterfield Patch, my byline should look familiar. I've been the editor there since September 2012 and before that freelanced for Patch. 

I'm excited to begin serving readers here in Eureka and Wildwood, who have helped this site, since it launched two and a half years go, to become one of the most active and engaged in the St. Louis area. I look forward to learning all there is to know about these communities. 

Before I get to know you, I'd like to tell you a little about me through that most useful of word processing devices, the bullet point:

• I hail from the central Illinois city that was made somewhat famous in the Matt Damon movie "The Informant."
• My first job was doing something probably unknown to most Missourians --detassling. It entailed walking through miles of cornfields at 7 a.m. and has made me appreciate every job I've had since. 
• I earned my journalism degree from the University of Missouri. I've worked as a news editor and reporter in the more rural parts of Missouri and a town in Kentucky of particular interest to any bourbon drinkers. 
• I took a brief detour from journalism career to be an English teacher for year in Busan, South Korea, and then backpacked solo through China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
• I'm an avid runner and I have participated in six half-marathons, although I have yet to try a full 26.2. 
• I'm an unrepetent nerd and a sucker for strategy board games of German origin. 

My passion for journalism stems from a love of storytelling. As editor for Eureka-Wildwood Patch, I hope to be able to provide more than just news but (with your help!) bring together all the stories, events, people and places that make this area home to so many. In pursuit of this noble endeavor, always feel free to let me know what's happening in Eureka and Wildwood, what issues are important to you and what you think I need to cover. 

I can be reached at frank.johnson@patch.com or on Twitter via @WWEurekaPatch. You can also drop me a line on our Facebook page (and don't forget to 'like' us while you are there!). I'm always up for coffee as well, so don't be shy!

You can also help tell these stories yourself by becoming a "local voice" and starting a blog or adding a comment to one of our articles. It's the ability to have such interactions with readers and the community as a whole, both online and off, that excites me about working for Patch. 

Cheers!

-Frank