Former reporter joins conference staff

A former daily newspaper editor and reporter has joined the Southwest Texas Conference staff as a communications specialist.
Rachel L. Toal-son, a worship leader at Riverside UM Fellowship, Bulverde, replaced Claudia M. Williams in the Communications and Public Witness Office Aug. 14.
Williams, who joined the conference staff in January 2005, moved July 31 to the public relations and marketing department at Methodist Healthcare System of San Antonio.
Toalson assumed responsibilities for writing United Methodist Witness news stories, preparing Web site content and working as part of a creative team that develops communications products and campaigns.
Toalson came to the conference staff after a five-month stint as lifestyle editor of the Taylor Daily Press. She wrote stories, took pictures and managed production of the lifestyle section for the 4,600-circulation Monday-through-Friday publication.
Before that she worked for two years as a reporter at the San Antonio Express-News.
She covered religion, social issues, neighborhood news and the state government in Austin. She won six reporting awards from Hearst Newspapers, owner of the Express-News.
Toalson earned a bachelor of arts degree in print journalism in May 2003 at Texas State University, San Marcos.
While in college she had summer internships at the Express-News and Houston Chronicle.
During her senior year she was editor-in-chief of the Daily University Star.