Wade Tatangelo has been named executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, where he will lead newsroom operations for the USA TODAY Network publication with a focus on providing essential coverage of the community where he has lived and worked for nearly 25 years.
A Hershey, Pennsylvania, native who grew up in Tampa and graduated from the University of South Florida, Tatangelo has more than two decades of professional journalism experience. His career includes writing for newspapers such as the New York Daily News and Tampa Bay Times while also holding editor positions at the Bradenton Herald and Village Voice Media’s OC Weekly in Orange County, California.
Tatangelo first contributed to the Herald-Tribune in 2003, became its entertainment editor overseeing the Ticket publication in 2016, and took on the role of dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network’s Florida-Georgia region in 2022. In 2025, he was promoted to Sarasota Audience Director.
As audience director, Tatangelo served as second-in-command of the Sarasota newsroom, playing an integral role in selecting, assigning and editing stories while helping set the organization’s digital priorities.
Tatangelo met with the Herald-Tribune newsroom on Tuesday, March 10, when he was announced as the new executive editor, effective immediately, by Wendy Fullerton Powell, vice president and Florida Region editor for the USA TODAY Network and executive editor of the Naples Daily News, one of the Herald-Tribune’s sister publications across the state.
“Wade has deep roots in the community and a strong understanding of the kind of local journalism our readers value,” Powell said in a statement. “His experience across reporting, editing and digital strategy makes him well suited to lead the Sarasota newsroom.”
Tatangelo said he plans to continue the newsroom’s focus on hyperlocal journalism, emphasizing coverage that informs residents about the community where he lives with his wife, Kristin, and their two dogs, Tucker and Frankie.
“As someone who has lived in Sarasota-Manatee for the better part of the past 25 years, it’s an honor and privilege to oversee the region’s most important media outlet,” Tatangelo said in a statement. “Thousands of people turn to the Herald-Tribune and heraldtribune.com for everything from breaking news and investigative journalism to local sports coverage and our staff picks for the best things to do and places to eat, with growth and development coverage being a key component of what we provide the community.”
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota Herald-Tribune names Wade Tatangelo executive editor
Reporting by Staff Report / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
