Emily Topper, who joined the editorial team of the Plant City Times & Observer as a staff writer in 2015, has been named interim managing editor.
Topper, 23, is replacing Managing Editor Amber Jurgensen.
Jurgensen is considering other opportunities inside and outside of the Observer Media Group Inc., part-owner of the Plant City Times & Observer.
After graduating from Flagler College, Jurgensen became a member of the original staff of the Plant City Observer when it launched in July 2012. In the summer of 2014, she was named managing editor. She led the newspaper’s digital and social media presence and its being recognized in the 2015 Florida Press Association’s Better Weekly Newspaper Contest for local features, news, photography and sports coverage.
A native of Winter Park, Topper is a journalism graduate from Flagler College in St. Augustine. She graduated with cum laude honors and departmental awards, and was a 2014 Society of Professional Journalists finalist for commentary writing.
Since joining the Times & Observer team in 2015, Topper has covered the newspaper’s City Commission beat as well as general assignments for news and features.
Her community involvement includes leading journalism classes at Plant City High and Tomlin Middle schools, participating in the Noon Rotary Club’s 2016 Dancing with the Locals event and speaking at various schools for the Great American Teach-In. She also helped establish six Little Libraries in Plant City.
In 2016, she received Observer Media Group’s community ambassador award.