Birthday: Dec. 24, 1951

Hometown: Chicago

Marital status: Divorced

Children: son, Thomas Gradel, 12

Self-portrait: Persistent, outgoing, committed, funny, driven and warm.

Inspiration: Nellie Bly

Greatest feat: Helping to merge the Milwaukee Journal and the Milwaukee Sentinel into the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Bad habits: Worrying too much, procrastinating, being a workaholic.

Pet peeve: Squabbling that gets in the way of putting out the paper

Luxury defined: Driving along Route 1 in California to a Monterey golf course, playing 18 holes and relaxing afterwards with a nice glass of Saivingnon Blanc.

Most dangerous story: Uncovering the emergence of labor leasing within the trucking industry, and its abuse by members of organized labor and organized crime stories that led to indictments and convictions under the RICO statute.

Best story: Overseeing the coverage of D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, and his arrest, trial and conviction on drug charges.

My newspaper's strengths: Its local news coverage, its commitment to the community and the strength of its readership.

Most admired editors: Gene Roberts, Gil Spencer, Ben Bradlee

Most admired writers: John McPhee and M.F.K. Fisher

Favorite publications: Vanity Fair, New Yorker, Gourmet

Favorite comic strip: "Cathy"

Favorite columnists: In addition to the columnists in my own paper ... William Raspberry, Maureen Dowd, Donna Britt, Leonard Pitts, Pete Dexter.

Best part of the job: Just the sheer joy of being the editor of a good newspaper with a great staff; helping it take shape every day and pushing it to get better the next.

Worst part of the job: Being on the other side of the interview.

Favorite vacation spot: Virtually anywhere in California or the Caribbean.

Favorite TV programs: "ER" and "Mad About You"

Books at bedside: "The Deep End of the Ocean" by Jacquelyn Mitchard and "Final Rounds" by James Dodson.