Mary Jo Hotzler, deputy editor of The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, has been named the editor of the Grand Forks Herald, effective in March.

By Ryan Bakken
Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald reporter

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Mary Jo Hotzler has been named editor of the Grand Forks Herald by Mike Jacobs, the current publisher and editor.
“Mary Jo is enthusiastic, energetic and talented,” Jacobs said.
Hotzler is the deputy editor of The Forum in Fargo and the editor of its SheSays daily section. She has worked at The Forum for 10 years, starting as a reporter.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be joining the Herald’s newsroom as editor,” Hotzler said. “I know there’s a lot of great journalism happening there and a lot of talent and tradition in that room.”
Jacobs remains the publisher, the newspaper’s top position, but he is dropping the editor’s job because he will lead the effort to form Forum Communications’ news service.
“The newsroom belongs to the editor and she will create her own organization,” Jacobs said. “There will be a new editor, but not a new newspaper.
“I’ve worked with her on several projects and I admire her enthusiasm for the business, her professionalism and her people skills. She’s highly regarded in (the company) and I know she’s the right person to build on the reputation and traditions of the Herald and to help it continue to be a strong community newspaper.”
Hotzler will start her new job on March 5, allowing time to find a home in Grand Forks. “My plan is to take a little time to get to know the people and community and then go from there,” she said. “I’m not going to assume that the Herald and The Forum are the same paper.”
Hotzler is a native of Watertown, S.D., and a graduate of the University of South Dakota. She worked in book publishing at Simon and Schuster in New York before joining The Forum 10 years ago. She covered city government, served as news editor and became deputy editor in 2007. She is married to Forum sportswriter Heath Hotzler and has 2-year-old twin boys.
In a note to staff, Forum Editor Matt Von Pinnon said he was “both pleased and a little sad” about her new job. “While it’s a loss for us, Mary Jo’s new assignment will be a huge gain for Grand Forks, the staff there and Forum Communications.”
Jacobs has been the Herald editor since June 1984, when he succeeded Bev Kees.
The Grand Forks Herald is owned by Forum Communications Co., a multimedia company headquartered in Fargo, N.D. The company publishes nine daily newspapers and 24 other newspapers in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and South Dakota.FCC also has television, interactive and printing divisions.