New York Times and Philadelphia Inquirer Journalists to Participate at Forum

Georgi Ana Smith · November 10, 2008

Maura J. Casey, deputy editor for The New York Times, and Brian Toolan, business editor for the Philadelphia Inquirer, will be featured in a panel discussion at Friday’s 11 a.m. forum in the Stoddard Activities Center at Southern Virginia University.

Investigative reporter and Southern Virginia Distinguished Professor of English Jeff Benedict will moderate the panel.

Casey, who specializes in editorial writing on New England issues, joined The New York Times editorial board in 2006. She previously worked for the Lawrence, Mass., Eagle-Tribune. During that time she contributed to stories for which the staff won the Pulitzer Prize. She also won the Scripps-Howard's Walker Stone Award for her editorials on the Massachusetts Corrections Department.

Casey also worked at The Day of New London, Conn., and won the Horace Greeley Award for public service journalism for her editorials on weaknesses in Connecticut laws affecting children.

After graduating from Buffalo State College, she attended The American University and received her master’s degree in journalism and public affairs. Casey has been married for 25 years to Peter Panzarella and has two children.

Brian Toolan was the national editor for the Associated Press in New York City for two years before taking his current position with the Philadelphia Inquirer. From 1998 to 2006, he worked as editor and senior vice president for the Hartford Courant. While there, the Courant won a Pulitzer Prize and was a finalist three other times. It also was voted one of the world’s five best-designed newspapers.

Between 1982 and 1997, he worked for the Philadelphia Daily News as a sports editor before being promoted to be the paper’s managing editor. He previously worked for the Baltimore News-American, the Dayton Journal Herald and the Scranton Tribune.

A native of Carbondale, Pa., he graduated from St. Bonaventure University. He currently lives in New Hope, Pa., with his family.

Local community members and Southern Virginia faculty, staff and students are invited to join the university family each Friday morning at 11 a.m. in the Stoddard Activities Center to hear from devotional and forum speakers.