John Smithers, a native of Missoula and longtime Missoulian writer and editor, is now the newspaper's city editor.
Gwen Florio, chief of the Great Falls Tribune's Capitol Bureau in Helena, is the new assistant city editor.
Smithers, 34, started work at the Missoulian in 1991 as a part-timer with the sports department.
After graduating with honors from the University of Montana with a degree in journalism, Smithers was hired as a full-time sportswriter and copy editor.
In 2001, he transferred to the news department copy desk. He was hired as the assistant city editor in 2006.
Smithers and his wife Wendy have two daughters, Rachael and Eliana.
“John brings a wealth of knowledge about, and affection for, Missoula to the city desk,” Devlin said. “He's a strong leader, and will be an excellent city editor.”
Florio has been head of the Tribune's bureau in Helena since 2005, covering Montana state government and politics.
A reporter since 1976, Florio has worked for the Associated Press, Philadelphia Bulletin, Philadelphia Inquirer, the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News.
Over the years, her assignments have run the gamut from covering the Freemen standoff in Montana to the shootings at Columbine High School to foreign assignments in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia.
“We are honored to have a journalist with such depth and breadth of experience joining our newsroom,” Devlin said. “Gwen is respected all across the country for her dedication to journalism and her skill as a journalist.”
Smithers began his work as city editor on July 1. He can be reached at (406) 523-5257 or toll-free at 1-800-366-7186, or by e-mail at jsmithers@missoulian.com
Florio will join the newsroom on July 30.
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