Claudia Elliott new editor of Porterville Recorder

Former editor and publisher of the Southern Sierra Messenger will join the Porterville Recorder as editor on Monday.

The Messenger ceased publication on Dec. 4.

Elliott brings decades of experience as a journalist and editor to the job.

Publisher Mark Fazzone is pleased to have Elliott on board.

“We are pleased at the Recorder to welcome Claudia into our Recorder family,” Fazzone said. “She brings over a decade of local community experience into our coffers and has already developed strong relationships among our community leaders that will serve her well in her new role. Claudia was selected from a field of top candidates for the role and we are excited that we were able to find someone local with local ties and a commitment to providing honest, unbiased, and timely community content to our readers.”

Elliott has covered news in Tulare County since 1999, writing for the Fresno Bee, Valley Voice, Tulare Voice and occasionally contributing to news reports at K-TIP Radio.

Now, she looks to the future.

“I expect for us to put out the best newspaper Porterville has ever seen,” Elliott said.

Her prior journalism experience also includes working as editor of the Tehachapi News in Kern County and editor and publisher of The Cambrian in San Luis Obispo County, as well as a reporter for the Hanford Sentinel in Kings County.

She studied journalism at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Elliott, her husband Chuck, and son Chuck Jr., have lived in Porterville for more than 15 years. Chuck is retired from the California Department of Corrections and looks forward to a “second retirement” from his work helping with the Southern Sierra Messenger. Chuck Jr. graduated from Granite Hills High School, is a student at Porterville College and works part-time for Finance and Thrift Company. He is also an occasional freelance sportswriter for the Porterville Recorder.

The Elliotts also have two married daughters, Jennifer Soares and Christina Aguilar, who live in Hanford and Bakersfield, respectively, and nine grandchildren.

Claudia Elliott’s mother, Bess (Brown) Galloway, was born in Porterville and currently lives in Visalia.

-- Contact The Recorder at 784-5000, Ext. 1043.