Charlotte Hall

Birthday: Sept. 30, 1945

Hometown: Arlington, Va.

Married: To Robert L. Hall for 32 years

Children: Ben, 24, just married

Self portrait: Driven, enthusiastic, sentimental, curious, analytical, fair-minded, tenacious

Bad habit: Forgetting names

Pet peeve: Lazy reporting

Most dangerous story: Maybe not dangerous, but an adventure: the great blizzard of 1977 in Boston, when I trudged to work through three feet of snow, holed up in a disreputable hotel with no heat or electricity, and carried around burning glue in soda cans to light the newsroom (Don’t try this at home, kids!)

My newspaper’s strength: A wonderful staff with public service journalism in the genes

Worst part of the job: Resolving conflicts between people

Best part of the job: Putting great stories into the paper, especially ahead of everyone else

Vacation spot: Our log home on Osgood Pond in the Adirondacks

Books at bedside: Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel, and Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks

Best advice I could give a 20-year-old: Find work you love, find love that works

My trademark expression: We need news!

My best asset is: My husband

Behind my back, employees say: It’s probably not fit to print, and I’d just as soon not know.

My most difficult decision as a leader: Where to put my priorities as a managing editor. Because I believe in it, I’ve chosen to put a lot of energy into diversity.

Tips on leadership: It’s more important to be decisive than to be right 100 percent of the time, but you’d better be right 80 percent of the time.

What I worry about most is: People not reading anymore.

I’m happiest when: I stand on top of the mountain after a tough hike.