GENE LIEB

Gene Lieb began his newspaper career at the age of 10, in 1973, as a Modesto Bee newspaper carrier. He grew up in Oakdale, attending Oakdale High School, working in the mailroom, and taking high school football photos for the Oakdale Leader newspaper. He graduated from San Jose State University in 1986 with a BA in journalism. He was the summer photo intern at The Bee in 1985. During college, Gene worked as an editorial clerk at The Bee from 1982 through 1986. He worked for the Oroville Mercury-Register as a photojournalist from September 1986 to September 1987 before moving to the Turlock Journal in September 1987 and moving up to chief photographer, then to production manager, and eventually on to managing editor. Gene left the Journal and moved with his wife and two children to Los Banos, where he was named editor/publisher of the Los Banos Enterprise on September 24, 2001.

 

Gene spent the next 19 years overseeing the entire operation while assisting in the editorial department, covering news, sports, and community events. He also spent ten years selling print and online advertising. Gene has covered school board meetings and reported on school construction projects and school events almost weekly during his newspaper career. He is three-time past president of the Los Banos Rotary Club and is a past president and current board member of the Los Banos Chamber of Commerce. He is also on the Foundation Board of Directors for the California Press Foundation. Gene’s son, Gene Lieb Jr., graduated from Los Banos High and Fresno State and is in his ninth year as a Firebaugh High School teacher. His daughter, Jennifer, graduated from Los Banos High and UC Berkeley in three years and is the CFO of iVet360 in Portland, Oregon.