Hello there. I am no good at talking about myself, so forgive me if I ramble.

I am the new editor of The Courier, and I want us to have a good relationship. I know people always say that in the beginning and make promises they can’t keep. I know you’ve probably been burned before and aren’t eager to trust so easily. I’m willing to work for your trust.

My goal is to give you what you want, whether that’s hard-hitting investigative pieces or more thorough city government coverage. I want to know what’s great about your community. I want to walk around town and have you know my face. Maybe you stop me to tell me about an unresolved stop sign issue. Maybe we get some coffee and talk about it. Maybe, like me, you can be kind of shy and you want to shoot me an email instead. I want you to know the proverbial door is always open.

I want you to feel comfortable coming to me with story ideas. I might not always agree to their relevance or have the time to get to them right away. I will, however, always make time to talk to you.

Now that we’re done with the mushy stuff, a little about myself. I studied journalism at Auburn University and aside from a two-year stint in Atlanta, have lived exclusively in small-town Alabama. I love the little things that make each town unique and while I’m still learning about your community, it’s already the best one I’ve served.

I have a six-month old daughter, Adelaide. She is perfect and yes, I know, I talk about her too much. I apologize in advance for all the photos you will be cornered in to seeing. You’ll probably see her with me on the weekends, wandering around town and being adorable.

Bottom line here, I want this to be an amazing experience for both of us. I’m sure we won’t always see eye-to-eye on everything, and perhaps we’ll argue from time to time (because you are watching too much Big Bang Theory). But I promise to give you the best coverage of your community possible.

War Eagle, y’all.

Crystal Cole is editor of The Courier and can be reached at crystal@gulfcoastmedia.com.