#MediaMonday – Brett Fera
Today’s #MediaMonday takes us East…to the East Valley, that is. Brett Fera recently assumed the position as managing editor of East Valley Tribune, the Valley’s second-largest paper and all-things Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Queen Creek as well as state-wide and national news.
He moved to Arizona for college, leaving Los Angeles in his rear-view mirror. Brett earned both his bachelor’s degree in journalism and communication and his MBA from the University of Arizona.
Now Brett, time to share.
‘What do you want to tell the blogosphere about yourself today?’
What do I want to share today? Well… “Ferris Bueller, you’re my hero.”
Anyone who’s ever seen the movie knows those were the words of loyal buddy “Cam” – in mocking tone, of course.
It’s another phrase from the iconic flick, however, from Bueller himself that got me both to and through one recent day in particular: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
On Jan. 7, I had my first day both my new position as managing editor of the East Valley Tribune and as a faculty associate at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
I admit I haven’t had a ton of time for it, but the best thing I did on either of those days, from a personal standpoint, was “stop and look around,” and appreciate the luck I’ve been afforded.
I’m grateful for a wife that supports my ridiculous and somewhat masochistic desire to take on more work; I’m grateful we own a home that didn’t have any pipes burst when hell – uh… the Valley, I mean – froze over a few nights this winter. I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend time again on a college campus working with students, and realizing that, I could actually see myself doing this if this other journalism thing doesn’t work out.
I’m grateful that, through its own metamorphosis over the past half decade, the once-Pulitzer Prize-winning Tribune still has a place in the hearts of the East Valley community it’s so committed to serving, and still has a place on local driveways.
And I’m grateful I still have a place in this newsroom. I was lucky enough to start my career way back when with the Tribune as a high school sports writer, and I’ve been afforded incredible opportunities as a news reporter and editor with local community-centric stalwarts like the Ahwatukee Foothills News and the Casa Grande Dispatch’s family of publications.
And I was certainly lucky to come back “home” a year ago as the Tribune’s web editor, before my job shift in early January.
It’s still early on, but I know that as the days roll by and the hard work the Tribune staff continues to do on behalf of the East Valley communities, I’m not going to forget to stop and look around once in a while. I definitely don’t want to miss anything.
Brett’s Immediate Family: Lindsey (wife), Mikey (the Yorkie), Mayhem (the beagle).
Brett’s Not-so-guilty Pleasures: college football, TV shows about law firms; the pizza crust at La Grande Orange; freezonies at QuikTrip; tacos; cheap, still-dark tee-times during the hot summer months
You can stay in touch with Brett on Twitter: @brettfera and LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/brettfera
