20 Under 40 - 2000 Profile: Clara-Lin Tappa

PRESSTIME

By Presstime Magazine

First Published: December 2000

Sterling secretarial skills aside, Clara-Lin Tappa's theater avocation helped clinch her job as confidential secretary to the Kenosha (Wis.) News editor. Before he hired her, the late Dick Martin observed prophetically that Tappa's drama background would serve her well in the newsroom.

Eight years later, the amateur actress and secretary to Editor Craig Swanson is a seasoned performer on the 44-person news team.

Tappa handles a variety of roles at the 26,174-circulation daily, including community-news page editor, one-stop customer-service department and obituary gatekeeper. Working directly with funeral-home operators, Tappa developed standards to ensure accuracy and consistency in obits. "We are one of the few papers our size to run obits as news, not just for celebrities and politicians but for anyone who has connections to Kenosha," she notes. Once a source of reader complaints, obituaries have run virtually error-free on Tappa's three-year watch, reports Publisher Howard J. Brown.

Each Friday, Tappa produces the Spotlight section, one or two pages of local sports, Catch-of-the-Week hunting photos, society news and school events.

"We were tired of saying no to the 'chicken soup' news that isn't timely but appeals to the community—the things people clip and hang on the refrigerator."

Recently, she served on a task force charged with cutting red tape for customers with multiple requests. Under the system scheduled to roll out next year, circulation and classified-ad sales reps will handle tasks such as billing, subscriptions and forms. Next on her to-do list: creating guidelines for selling reprints of News digital photos.

Her work in the newsroom and on the stage fulfills Tappa's desire to connect with the community,. "More people [are familiar with me] from my work at the News than on the stage," says the 15-year veteran of Kenosha's Lakeside Players. "And that's fine with me."

Education: 1993, A.A., Gateway Technical College, Kenosha, Wis.; 1998, B.A., management and communications, Concordia University, Mequon, Wis.
Career: 1989, microfiche-file librarian, General Board of Pensions of United Methodist Church, Evanston, Ill.; 1992-present, Spotlight page editor and confidential secretary, Kenosha (Wis.) News.
Personal: Age, 30. Born, Kenosha, Wis. Married to Steve Mattner, one daughter.
Diversions: Acting and serving on the board of Lakeside Players Inc., Girl Scout leader.
Connections: Kenosha News, 6403 10th Ave., Kenosha, Wis. 53143. E-mail, spotlight@kenoshanews.com; phone, (262) 656-6269; fax, (262) 657-8455.