Overhaul in Crain's Detroit newsroom

Crain’s Detroit Business has made a number of editorial staff changes in a bid to improve its print and web publications.

Andy Chapelle, 57, has joined Crain’s as managing editor and will lead the reporting staff. Chapelle had been editor of the Ann Arbor Business Review and was founding editor of the Oakland Business Review. He previously spent about 20 years with The Ann Arbor News, finishing there as news editor.

Chapelle is a former board member of The Associated Press Managing Editors Association and has been active in the Ann Arbor community. He is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and has a master’s degree from Michigan State University.

Michael Lee, 35, has been promoted to Web general manager. In that position, he will lead the Web team of Dan Eizans and Ai-Ting Huang and have responsibility for overall newsroom Web-related activities.

Lee joined Crain’s in 1999 as a copy editor and most recently was deputy managing editor, leading the copy desk. The copy desk is responsible for final editing of Web and print stories, as well as designing pages and writing headlines. Lee is a graduate of MSU and worked at The Oakland Press in Pontiac for five years before joining Crain’s.

Jennette Smith, 32, has been promoted to assistant managing editor for Crain’s weekly Focus sections that target specific industries, as well as small business and topics related to entrepreneurship.

Smith joined Crain’s as a reporter in 1998 and has covered several industries for Crain’s, most notably real estate and hospitality. Previously, Smith worked for The Macomb Daily, The Times Herald of Port Huron and the Muskegon Chronicle. She is a graduate of MSU.

Brent Snavely, 37, has been named senior reporter in recognition of superior performance and leadership. Snavely joined Crain’s in 1999 and has covered several industries. He will continue in his current coverage areas of automotive suppliers, steel and restaurants.

Before joining Crain’s, Snavely had been a business reporter for The Advocate in Newark, Ohio. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and also attended graduate school at Ohio State University.

Also, reporter Sherri Begin is one of 20 journalists selected nationwide to participate in a competitive-application seminar on nonprofit reporting underwritten by the McCormick Tribune Foundation. Begin, 37, has covered nonprofits since joining Crain’s in 2003 from sister publication Rubber & Plastics News. She is a graduate of Northern Michigan University.

Lastly, Chad Halcom has joined Crain’s Detroit Business as the reporter covering Oakland and Macomb counties, services and the environment.

Halcom,35, previously was with The Macomb Daily, where he had been since 1997. Previously, he had done work for The Sentinel in Carlisle, Pa.; The Tribune Chronicle in Warren, Ohio; The Associated Press in Detroit; and The Daily News in Greenville, Mich. He has won awards from both The Associated Press and the Michigan Press Association for breaking news and investigative reporting. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.