CNA welcomes new reporter

From covering climate marches to aviation policies, Wisconsin native Erin Henze spent her college years discovering her passion for writing and reporting.

Now, she’ll be covering Union County news as the CNA’s new reporter.

Though she originally applied for a position with Shaw Media, CNA’s parent company, in Illinois, she had no qualms about taking a position in rural Iowa.

“I’m always happy to see wherever life takes me,” Henze said. “You can’t really plan for anything, so you just take opportunities as they come and see what happens.”

In December, Henze graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point with a double major in media studies and Spanish.

“Starting my freshman year of college, I joined the school newspaper. I’ve always been a big fan of writing in general so I wanted to see what it was all about,” she said. “I started writing and enjoyed it.”

It was her internship at the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, that cemented her desire to become a journalist.

“I was impressed with Erin’s college experience which included her contributing to an aviation-related magazine,” CNA Managing Editor John Van Nostrand said. “That work alone made me feel like she’d be a great hire.”

When not behind a computer, Henze loves to travel, read and bake. After a solo trip to the west coast just before COVID, she spent time studying abroad in Europe.

“As Erin learns our procedures and programs, you will see her out and about covering various parts of Creston,” Van Nostrand said. “We’re hoping she’ll have a column soon as well.”