Wesley Pruden, editor-in-chief of The Washington Times, announced August 11, 1997, the departure of managing editor Josette Shiner who had been with The Times in a number of reporting and editing positions since it first published on May 17, 1992.
Mrs. Shiner resigned to become president and chief executive officer of Empower America, the Washington policy action organization co-directed by William Bennett, Jack Kemp, Lamar Alexander, Jeanne Kirkpatrick and Vin Weber. The organization develops issues and conducts research into public-policy initiatives.
"We're very pleased and excited about the possibilities for the future," says Mr. Bennett. "Josette has had an impressive career in journalism and we have great confidence she will succeed in this new arena as well."
Said Mr. Kemp: "Josette Shiner's move to Empower America is a significant step which signals our serious determination to fill the leadership vacuum in conservative policy. She is well respected, extremely talented and will be very effective at the helm of Empower America."
Mrs. Shiner writes a weekly political debate column, which is distributed nationwide by Scripps Howard News Service. She is a regular panelist on several radio and television public-affairs programs, including CNN's "The Capital Gang," PBS' "To the Contrary," "Fox News Sunday" and "The Diane Rhem Show."