It gives me great pleasure to announce to you today the promotion of a generous, talented and admirable colleague and leader: Ron Nixon.Ron succeeds Mike Hudson as our global investigations editor, meaning he will oversee our investigative teams in Washington, the U.S. and overseas. Just as importantly, he will work closely with colleagues around the world to infuse our report with a strong foundation of investigative and accountability reporting.Ron came to us a little over a year ago from The New York Times Washington bureau, where he was homeland security correspondent. Before that he was a data and investigative reporter at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and the Roanoke Times, among other places. His military background has given Ron a strong sense of order and organization – a welcome trait around here. He is also approachable and collaborative, and he’s been a quick study in figuring out the ins and outs of this treasured but sometimes byzantine organization.Many of you have had a chance to work with Ron since he joined the AP. In this new role, there will be many more opportunities for all of you to collaborate with Ron on reporting projects and spot news investigations. He has a strong interest in building out our capabilities around visual investigative journalism, and as a co-founder of the Ida B. Wells Society, he has a strong track record of raising foundation dollars to support journalism.There are also many journalists across the country and abroad who count Ron as a mentor and adviser. This is one of his many admirable qualities – a willingness to share what he knows with others who can benefit from his deep experience. All of this makes him the perfect person to take on a critical AP role at a critical time.Please join me in congratulating Ron on this promotion.