Hood takes over Observer sports desk

RIO RANCHO — Taylor Hood has joined the Rio Rancho Observer staff after the May retirement of longtime sports editor Gary Herron.

Hood will take over sports reporting duties for the Observer and will also assist in general news and features coverage.

Hood comes to the paper with extensive journalism experience, including at the sports and business desks at the Albuquerque Journal. He has also served as the editor of the Taos News and editor-in-chief of Albuquerque The Magazine. He has a B.A. in media arts and history from the University of New Mexico.

He has received awards for his work from the New Mexico Press Association and Top of the Rockies.

“I am excited to bring Taylor on board,” Observer editor Tracy Goldizen said. “I believe his experience and background will serve us and the community well. Gary’s shoes are hard to fill, but I fully believe Taylor is up to the task.

“In the interim, our correspondent, Daniel Zuniga, has done a great job of helping out with sports coverage. We also look forward to continuing to utilize his talent as we move forward,” she added.

“The opportunity to work at the Rio Rancho Observer, covering the state’s most successful athletics programs and sporting events, is a dream come true. As a born-and-raised New Mexican, a sports reporter and a sports fan, I can’t wait to tell the stories of this community,” Hood said.

He began his duties with the Observer Monday.