LPA recognizes Paul Kedinger

LAKE CHARLES - Paul Kedinger, who retired in April after 20 years as managing editor of The Rayne Acadian-Tribune, was recognized for five decades in the field of journalism during the 136th annual Louisiana Press Association Convention here on Saturday.
Kedinger, who was joined by his family for the presentation at L’Auberge Lake Charles, was introduced by incoming LPA President Garland Forman, who worked side-by-side with Kedinger in Oakdale at the start of the “Louisiana leg” of Kedinger’s career.
Forman was joined by outgoing LPA President Tom Shearman III in presenting Kedinger with a keepsake marking 50 years “on the job.”
Born on Oct. 29, 1945, Paul Loren Kedinger spent his early years on a dairy farm near Lomira, Wisconsin. When his father died, his mother sold the farm and moved Paul, his sister and two brothers to the larger, nearby city of Fond du Lac, where she returned to her career as a Registered Nurse.
Paul attended elementary school there, but decided to enter high school at St. Lawrence Seminary in Mt. Calvary with the goal of becoming a Catholic priest. He completed high school and one year of college at Mt. Calvary, then transferred to St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, where he was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
At that point, Kedinger decided not to continue his studies for ordination to the priesthood and headed to Madison to enter graduate school at the University of Wisconsin School of Journalism and Mass Communications, planning to work in the field of religious journalism.
In the first survey course required for all journalism graduate students, he took a seat next to a girl from Louisiana, who later became his wife.
For the next few years, Kedinger attended classes part-time while working full-time, first in a public relations job as Information Coordinator at UW’s International Center for Studies in Vocational and Technical Education.
From there he moved to WKOW-TV in Madison as a news reporter. While in journalism school, he founded The Scriblirious Club, a networking group for faculty and graduate students and also served as a panelist on Wisconsin Public Broadcasting’s “Meet the Press” program.
After completing a course in Community Journalism, Kedinger decided that was the area of journalism where he felt he could contribute the most. He accepted his first community newspaper job as editor of the Lake Geneva Regional News then moved on to become editor and advertising manager of the New Holstein Reporter.
During that time, he also served a year as president of the Northeast Division of the Wisconsin Press Association.
After four and a half years in New Holstein, Kedinger’s father-in-law, Harold Hudgins, persuaded him to move to Oakdale to work with him. When Hudgins retired, Kedinger took over as editor and publisher of the Oakdale Beacon for the next eight years, converting the paper from a free-circulation to a second class newspaper.
He sold the newspaper in 1984 and operated Images, Etc., an advertising and public relations firm for the next year before moving on to become the editor of the Ville Platte Gazette for the next 11 years.
He left the Ville Platte job to work with Louisiana State Newspapers on special projects, and also traveled the state hiring and training editors as the company continued to purchase more newspapers.
As LSN’s acquisitions slowed, his employer, B.I. Moody III, asked him to move to Rayne to serve as managing editor of The Rayne Acadian-Tribune, the position he held for 20 years until his retirement on April 29 of this year.
Throughout his career, Paul has hired, trained and mentored many young men and women who have gone on to become well-respected journalists and editors all over the state.
He also finally got a taste of the field of religious journalism that he had originally planned to enter when, at the request of the Bishop, he has served for the past five years on the Lafayette Diocesan Board of Communications.
But just because he’s retired doesn’t mean Kedinger plans to stop working. With a new computer, his father-in-law’s old roll top desk, and his awards on the wall, he’s already planning for the free-lance features he’ll be writing for publications throughout the area. He will continue to enjoy writing as well a little more free time to visit with his three sons and his six grandchildren.