Farewell From Editor Jessica Mullins

Friday is my last day as editor of San Rafael Patch and San Anselmo – Fairfax Patch. 

I’m leaving Patch for a new gig. Soon, I’ll be the weekend-morning online editor for the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFGate.com. I’m thrilled about the position and could go on and on about it, but instead I’d like to formally say goodbye to y’all — members of the wonderful communities I’ve been covering — and reflect on my time with Patch.

Working at Patch has been exhilarating and a blur. As the manager of two local news sites, it’s been my job to try to stay on top of everything happening in our communities while producing daily content, managing social media and doing countless tasks in between. I’ve met with lots of local officials, regularly worked from coffee shops in these towns and, most importantly, formed a connection with my readers at community events or on social media.

Much of what I’ve done at Patch has been immensely rewarding, such as writing about San Rafael High School Sophomore Ulysses “Uly” Lopez’s stolen racing bike and the unbelievable outpouring of support that came from our local cycling community.

At Patch I’ve closely covered the various stages of George Lucas donating a downtown San Anselmo building to the town’s chamber of commerce. I was the first to break the story about the building donation and — almost exactly one year later — was sitting on the pavement in the park, not far from the podium, while George Lucas told the large crowd that Indiana Jones and Star Wars were both created in San Anselmo before he unveiled bronze statues of Yoda and Indiana Jones.

Other unforgettable moments including tagging along with the San Rafael Police Street Crimes Unit during a prostitution sting, watching “Video” Bob Albritton’s Dance Dance Revolution moves before San Rafael’s Starbase Arcade shuttered, tasting gourmet doughnuts at San Rafael’s new doughnut shop and filming hundreds of seniors dancing in a San Rafael flash mob.

Patch has also provided precious opportunities to continue to learn and grow, whether I was covering controversial meetings about affordable housing, learning about the differences between mountain lions and bobcats, writing about the admirable resilience of a Fairfax teen fighting Leukemia or quickly learning how to moderate some testy commenters during my first month on the job.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with some very talented people at Patch and I’ll never forget many of the kind and interesting people I’ve met while working in downtown San Anselmo, Fairfax or San Rafael.

I want to thank those who regularly read the content on the sites, commented on articles and posted events or blog posts. Y’all kept me motivated and kept me in check. I can’t tell you how much it actually meant every time I would get an e-mail or comment from someone thanking me for something I wrote. And, yes, I’m also grateful for the criticism I’ve received.

The sites are being left in good hands. Gideon Rubin, who regularly works as a guest editor for Patch, will be formally filling my shoes on Oct. 28. Look for an introduction from him when he begins.

While I’m calling this a “farewell” as the editor, I’ll still be around.  I’m not planning on moving out of my San Rafael apartment anytime soon, I’ll still regularly visit Roco Dance in Fairfax and I’ll probably continue to frequent my favorite hangouts — Marin Coffee Roasters, M.H. Bread and Butter, Royal Ground Coffee and Good Earth. I won’t have my “Patch” laptop anymore, but if you recognize me, please don’t hesitate to say hello.

I also might start posting "Where is This" photos from my personal Instragram account and i'll start getting more active again on my personal Twitter account, @Mullin_Around, if you want to stay in touch that way.