Leader's new faces

Walking into the Lake County Leader office, one might not recognize where they are.

We didn't paint or redecorate. We haven't shifted furniture around and the front door still slams when it shuts. We still produce a paper on Thursdays.

The new faces may be the thing that throws people off as we have two new faces, as well as a new editor.

Katie is our new office manager and is in charge of keeping the rest of us in line and on time. Justine Leon joined our staff as a multimedia representative and already has gotten her feet wet. I am our new editor and after learning the ropes in sports, this is a welcomed challenge.

The changes don't scare us and shouldn't scare you either. Please feel free to stop by to get to know us.

Katie Nieuwsma

If you call our office and don't recognize the voice that answers, don't fret. That's just Katie, our new office manager.

She is in charge of so many different tasks crucial to making our office run smoothly and helping our customers. She moved to Polson from Kalispell, where she was working as a bank teller for the last two years.

She isn't alone in her new city, as her boyfriend Mike Tryon, Salish Kootenai College's fitness manager, lives in the county. Another companion she lives with is her husky Titan.

She grew up in Eureka and enjoys being outdoors.

Justine Leon

Justine is our new multimedia representative and her new job is one of many new changes in her life. She has recently had three of the most stressful life events happen to her. She moved in the beginning of March, married Emmanuel Leon on March 6 and started her new job at the Leader days later.

But, that hasn't fazed her.

As a 2009 graduate of Polson high school, Justine knows her way around Polson and the surrounding areas. Her parents, Harold and Waynet Green, live locally as well. She is an outdoorsy person stuck at a desk some days as she likes to go boating, ride horses or just sit outside.

A self-described people person, Justine is looking forward to getting to know many of the businesses in the area and is willing to help anyone who may need advertising of any kind.

Heidi Hanse

Even though I started as editor on Monday, I feel like I just moved here, except I don't get lost as often as I did eight months ago.

While I was in the sports department, I was fortunate enough to get to know many student-athletes and coaches. Spending less time at those athletic events is something I will miss.

Now, I get to start the learning process all over again. I attended my first city council meeting on Monday and was quickly caught up to speed on many of the issues in Polson.

With large shoes to fill, I'm eager to hear feedback from the community. Comments, concerns and suggestions are all welcome as my door is always open. Don't hesitate to say hello on the street, at the grocery store or at an event. I look forward to meeting as many new faces as possible. A simple phone call to the office is always an option as well.