Merrion leaves Crain’s Chicago, which closes DC bureau

Paul Merrion, who has been with Crain’s Chicago since it opened in 1978, is leaving the business weekly, which is closing its Washington bureau.

In a note to friends and sources, Merrion wrote:

Greetings!

Just wanted to let you know that I’m leaving Crain’s Chicago Business and Crain Communications. To reduce costs, CCB is closing its bureau in Washington, DC, and so my job has been eliminated. It’s been a great ride, more than 40 years with one company, starting in Chicago at Business Insurance and Pensions & Investments on the day after Gerald Ford signed the Employee Retirement Income Security Act into law. Then to Washington in 1976, and a front-page byline in the very first issue of Crain’s Chicago Business in 1978.

Too many stories, too many memories and too many interesting, friendly and knowledgeable people along the way to count. I apologize if you get this more than once but after being on email since it was invented you tend to gather a lot of contacts in multiple places. For all of you who regularly helped me write stories or come up with ideas, or who even took risks just to talk to a reporter like me, you know who you are and I thank you more than you can imagine. To my friends and colleagues, I want you to know that congratulations are in order, not concern. I have a long list of things I want to do, and if that really gets boring there’s always working again. Either way, it’s going to be a new adventure.

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