Mary Jo Shafer, a resident of Salisbury and editor of The Newburyport Current in Newburyport, has been named adviser to Northern Essex Community College's student newspaper, the Observer.
In addition, the Lawrence native has joined the NECC journalism program under the Communication Arts Department as an adjunct journalism professor.
A 1996 graduate of Lawrence High School, Shafer holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and Creative Writing from Hampshire College and a Master of Arts in Journalism from the University of Alabama where she was a Knight Fellow in Community Journalism.
Since January, Shafer has served as editor of The Newburyport Current, where she writes, edits and manages production of the weekly newspaper that reports on activities on the Seacoast area of Newburyport and Salisbury. She is also employed as a part-time copy editor at The New Hampshire Union Leader in Manchester, N.H.
Before returning to the East Coast, Shafer worked for two years at The Anniston Star in Anniston, Ala., as assistant metro editor and business editor. She has also served as city editor for The Gardner News in Gardner, the Sunday editor of The Sentinel and Enterprise in Fitchburg and managing editor of St. John Valley Times in Madawaska, Maine.
She has received numerous writing awards from professional organizations including the Alabama Press Association, The Medical Association of Alabama, the Alabama Associated Press and the Maine Press Association.
She will replace NECC associate professor of journalism Amy Callahan, who served as adviser to the Observer for 10 years. Callahan is now chairwoman of the NECC Communication Arts Department and program coordinator of journalism/communications.
The Observer is an award-winning newspaper published by NECC journalism students. It is the independent voice of the students and is published twice monthly during the academic year.
Northern Essex offers an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts: Journalism/Communications Option.
