Getting to Know the People of the Riviera Maya

Meet the Miami Herald's Managing Editor - Theresa Carpinelli

So you've read our local regional newspaper The Miami Herald. In fact, you pick it up daily for stories on what's happening in the U.S., The World, and in Cancun and Quintana Roo.

Well, if you're like us, we were wondering, who is behind this fabulous edition to our community? Who is running the show? Who is managing the store? Where do they come from?

So, we drove down the Careterra Federal and popped in for a visit at their offices in between Cancun City and Playa del Carmen.

We found a wonderful staff of caring and hard working indvidiuals working in a fast paced high energy enviroment. We sat down with Theresa Ann Carpinelli, the Managing Editor of the Miami Herald Cancun Edition for a little printing press side chat. So get ready to meet the managing editor of the Miami Herald.

Q. Theresa where were you born and raised?

A. I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan – the Motor City. So I grew up with a love of Motown music and nice cars.

Q. Tell us a little about your background.

A. My grandparents on both sides were from Italy. Family gatherings were the norm on Sundays when we would all pack into the Ford station wagon and head over to my aunt’s house for spaghetti and meatballs.

I am the youngest of five siblings – an older sister, three brothers and myself. Even after forty some years, they still refer to me as their baby sister. My loving parents have been married for 56 years now and they are two wonderful people.

After attending Catholic grade school and high school, I went on to study Communications at Michigan State University in East Lansing. Those were some of the most memorable years of my life. I made some great friends there – some of whom I still see when I return to Michigan for visits.

I’ve always enjoyed sports, both playing and watching. I started playing pool in high school and it remains one of my favorite pastimes to this day. I learned to play the guitar when I was around 13 years old, and Jose Feliciano was one of my idols - believe it or not.

Q. How long have you lived in Mexico?

A. I’ve been living in Quintana Roo for 20 years now, right here in Cancun all that time. Those first years were also very memorable; Cancun was a very different place back then.

Q. How did you come to live here in Mexico?

A. When I was studying at MSU, I met several foreign students, Spanish speakers. Two of my closest friends were Venezuelan and they inspired me to study Spanish. To complement my Communications major, I decided to minor in Latin American studies which not only required Spanish, but also studies in Latin American history, politics, etc.

Though I did well in my Spanish classes, my ability to speak the language was mediocre. I then looked into the possibility of studying abroad. At that time, MSU had exchanges with schools in Mexico City and Merida, Yucatan. I saw the brochure with beaches on the Gulf of Mexico (Progreso) and opted to spend my senior winter semester in Merida studying the Spanish language and the Mayan culture.

To make a long story short, after a few years of back and forth I eventually ended up marrying a Yucatecan. We decided to come to Cancun – the land of opportunities – in 1984.

Q. When did the Miami Herald come to be in Cancun?

A. The Miami Herald got going in June of 1996, and I’ve been here since day one. This June 17 I’ll celebrate eight years with the paper.

Q. How did the Miami Herald come to be in Cancun?

A. The Miami Herald Cancun Edition got started by Miguel Quintana Pali in 1996 as a sister paper to La Cronica de Cancun, a local paper in Spanish. We shared offices on Tankah Avenue in downtown Cancun until 1998. Then we separated from the Cronica and moved out to our current installations close to the airport. We were later joined by La Voz del Caribe.

Q. What are you doing in a given day as Editor at the Miami Herald?

A. My position at the newspaper is that of Managing Editor. I’m pretty much responsible for making sure there are stories on our local pages. That sometimes involves receiving information in Spanish and translating it to English or editing stories from other writers about local events. It also entails finding interesting stories from news agencies dealing with this area. They might be tourism-related stories, items about the environment, etc.

Q. How do you find living here?

A. As for living here, I really enjoy it. People back home used to ask me a lot: “Do you still like living in Cancun?” but now after 20 years, they assume the answer is “yes” – and it is. Besides, my daughter was born here in 1991 and that event will always hold a special place in my heart.

Theresa we are very glad you like it here. You add to our community. Thank you.

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