Veteran journalist joined paper in July as assistant editor.
Jamie Wachter has been named editor of the Lake City Reporter, according to Publisher Todd Wilson. He begins his duties in the position on Monday.
A veteran journalist, Wachter has been the Reporter’s assistant editor for the past three months, after coming to the newspaper from the Suwannee Democrat in Live Oak. Wachter, 38, has worked and lived in Suwannee County for the past four years.
Wachter replaces longtime Editor Robert Bridges, who retired earlier this month.
“I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead the Reporter’s newsroom,” Wachter said. “I can’t wait to continue the Reporter’s tradition of being a community watchdog and reporting the stories that our readers both want and need to read.”
A native of New Wells, Missouri, Wachter grew up on a dairy farm. As a child growing up, he read three different newspapers in his home and developed a love for community journalism.
He attended Southeast Missouri State University then earned a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
He began his 15-year newspaper career as a sports writer and editor. Wachter has served as a sports writer and later sports editor of the Thomasville (Ga.) Times-Enterprise. He was also sports editor of The Meridian (Miss.) Star. For two years, he was the sports editor for the Valdosta Daily Times before taking the job as Suwannee Democrat editor in Live Oak.
Wachter has been a multiple award winner in both print and digital journalism excellence in company competitions and from state press associations in Georgia, Mississippi and Florida throughout his career.
“I had applicants for this position from as far away as Hawaii, Los Angeles, Vermont and Ohio, but the best person for the job was from right here in North Florida,” Wilson said. “Jamie has great journalism skills and instincts, he understands small communities and he loves North Florida like the rest of us. I am excited to work with him as we move the Reporter into a new era of serving our community of readers.”
In his free time, Wachter is an SEC sports fan, especially the Missouri Tigers, and an avid St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan.
Wachter and his wife, Stasi, a Gainesville native and Columbia High School graduate, are the parents of two school-aged children. The family will be moving to Lake City to make Columbia County their home.
Wachter can be reached at jwachter@lakecityreporter.com or his direct office line at (386) 754-0428.