‘Super sudden’: Executive Editor Ron Judd fired from Cascadia Daily News
Ron Judd, a 40-year career journalist who is known locally for his recent role as the executive editor and columnist for Cascadia Daily News, was fired from the local publication Tuesday, Managing Editor of News Audra Anderson told The Bellingham Herald.
Anderson told The Herald the firing was related to “differing business decisions” related to the publication’s new quarterly magazine called Cascadia Daily Life that launched earlier this month.
Publisher Cynthia Pope said Judd “did not see the magazine as a significant editorial product,” while she and owner David Syre see it as a path to financial stability for the business, CDN first reported Wednesday.
In a social media post on Facebook on Wednesday, Judd said the separation was due to “irreconcilable differences.”
“If you’re trying to reach me at Cascadia Daily News and cannot, here’s why: Due to irreconcilable differences with ownership, I’m no longer Executive Editor there as of today,” Judd wrote in the announcement.
Judd helped found the news outlet by getting it off the ground when it launched in 2021. In addition to acting as executive editor of the publication for the last five years, he also authored a monthly satire column called The Hammer.
Judd did not immediately return a request for comment from The Herald.
Prior to coming to Cascadia Daily News, Judd worked as a staff reporter and columnist at The Seattle Times for more than three decades. He also worked as an adjunct instructor at Western Washington University, teaching journalism classes for almost 17 years.
In his announcement Wednesday, he said launching CDN was “the highlight of my four-decade career in journalism.“
“I have worked with thousands of journalists. This team is special. They support one another, learn together, grow together. When news happens, they show up. Watching that process play out on a daily basis has sometimes prompted me to leave the room because I swell up with pride and get misty. They are the real deal and I hope our community continues to support their work,” Judd said in the announcement.
Anderson told The Herald that Judd was “an incredible mentor” to many of the CDN staffers. She called his departure “super sudden” and said it had left the newsroom “reeling.”
“We really were such a good team and Ron was the keystone behind a lot of that. I have so much respect for what he’s built over the last several years. We are so appreciative of all the work he has done,” Anderson told The Herald.
Anderson said the company is dedicated to hiring a replacement for Judd’s role. In the meantime, she and managing editor of visuals and design Jaya Flanary will fill in the gaps, she said.
“Our promise to the community remains the same. We expect to continue delivering the same high quality consistent news for our area. Our staff is deeply empathetic and deeply passionate. I think that shows in our work and will continue to show in our work,” Anderson told The Herald.
In a ‘Letter from the Owner’ published on CDN’s website on Wednesday, owner Syre said the publication “would not be the community institution it has become without Ron’s efforts.”
“Now Ron is leaving the company, and I know all of you will join me in thanking him and wishing him well in all his endeavors,” Syre wrote.
Syre is a Bellingham real estate developer and artist. Syre is credited with developing Bellis Fair mall and Resort Semiahmoo. As the owner of Trillium Corp., Syre has also been involved in logging across Galbraith Mountain.
He started CDN in 2021 “to fill a news vacuum” in Whatcom County, he said in an Oct. 21, 2025, essay at the news organization’s website.
