The theme in Pat Yack’s office proves at least one thing: the man has done a lot and seen even more. The editor of The Florida Times-Union for seven years, Yack’s track record reads as if it is a directory of the country’s most popular newspapers. Aside from the T-U, he’s written for the New York Times, the Atlanta Journal and Atlanta Constitution, and the Denver Post among others. Yack said each publication allowed him to develop himself in new ways, but added there is no better time than now to be at the helm of Jacksonville’s flagship newspaper.
“Each paper has a personality but it’s fun to be here when our city is in a state of flux,” he said. “Jacksonville hasn’t congealed into a specific mold and, as it continues to develop a new identity for itself, our publication has a major role in communicating the message.”
Yack’s second-story office at the shorter of the T-U buildings on Riverside Avenue is a bit smaller than one might think. It was also recently remodeled.
“Back in 2004 we moved out of what I like to call the ‘early tiki hut’ look,” he said. “This is much nicer, but I wanted to hang on to a piece of the old wallpaper for the fun of it.”