Tim Neff elected to Executive Board

Tim Neff is the Guild’s newest officer after winning election Wednesday at a membership meeting in the Colonie Public Library.

But just as one seat on the board was filled, another opened up as third vice president Brendan Lyons resigned for personal reasons. The board thanked him for his service, and it is working to schedule a meeting in May to fill that seat.

Neff joined the Times Union as a copy editor in 1998 and became an online producer in February 2009. At the Editorial Awards last week, Editor Rex Smith called Neff “Web producer extraordinaire.”

“As timesunion.com’s web producer for news, Tim Neff makes sure our online audience can take full advantage of our great journalism,” Smith said. “Along with creating the homepage centerpieces and breaking news display, he adds value to our content by seeking deeper links to all that the Times Union produces, as well as other sources. He has been integral in setting up ways for the newsroom to embrace digital, working with Jim White and others to develop systems that make it easier for us to get our work before the public. He also takes the lead online role in many of our news projects, working closely with the newsroom to enhance the readers’ online experience. Tim has become the go-to guy for the Go Team and entire newsroom.”

His colleagues on the Executive Board are thrilled to have Tim join them as the second vice president. He replaces Mark Ramirez, another excellent employee, who has moved to a new job in New Jersey.

Lyons, too, is a highly regarded employee and also won kudos at the awards ceremony for his investigative work. He joined the board in September and thanked the board for its hard work and efforts in a very trying period for the Guild.

“The union has always prided itself on the quality of our work,” Guild President Tim O’Brien said. “You can’t be an effective Guild leader and an ineffective employee. That’s why we’re so pleased to have a recognized leader in the newsroom and on the Web team join the board. We know Tim will make a great contribution on behalf of his colleagues, and we are thankful to Brendan for his service and his willingness to continue to support the Guild even after he leaves the board.”