Tyler Ptaszkowski and Ashley Vanderhoff Elected as Co-Editor-in-Chief for the 2026 Academic Year

Editor-in-Chief Elects Tyler Ptaszkowski and Ashley Vanderhoff stand with Editor-in-Chief Ian Murphy outside of Old Main on Tuesday, May 28. (Gerardo Trujillo)

In an uncommon but unanimous decision, Leader News Editors Tyler Ptaszkowski and Ashley Vanderhoff were elected jointly as Editor-in-Chief of The Leader on Tuesday, April 28. The duo ran on a platform of aggressive recruitment and hard-hitting, student-centric reporting and increased editorial efficiency due to the ability to apply both of their skill sets in the role.

Ptaszkowski, a third-year EU student and two-year news section editor, looks to take a particular focus on copy editing.

“I want to make sure our style guides are up to date and following AP conventions, with our necessary exceptions, of course,” said Ptaszkowski.

A computer science major with a minor in journalism, Ptaszkowski also has paid careful attention to The Leader’s website, elmhurstleader.com. Since the beginning of this year, he has assisted with article corrections as well as content and media updates online.

Ptaszkowski claims, “web is an underutilized platform right now, and I think if we really take some time to focus our efforts, we can produce more timely and personal coverage than print is physically capable of.”

In addition to copy editing and web duties, Ptaszkowski will also run internal editorial board meetings, working closely with Vanderhoff on other internal matters.

A third-year EU transfer and multimedia journalism major, Vanderhoff hopes to act as a slightly more public-facing figure for The Leader. Vanderhoff has been assisting with graphic design and layout, along with significant contributions to the news section. She boasts multiple ICPA writing awards from her first semester with The Leader.

“It’s really exciting to be able to make such an impact on student life. We’ve both shown what we can do and now we have the opportunity to enable others to succeed as well,” said Vanderhoff.

Current Editor-in-Chief Ian Murphy is excited about the news, stating, “The work I’ve personally seen Ashley and Tyler achieve is nothing short of spectacular.”

“I’m confident in Ashley’s work as an in-depth reporter and someone who is very good at hearing out all sides of a story,” said Murphy. “Tyler’s careful attention to detail, similarly, makes him the right choice for any precision work and will poise him well for any difficult decisions that might come down the road.”

There is limited precedent for a dual Editor-in-Chief position within The Leader, with no recent history. Both Ptaszkowski and Vanderhoff chose to run together because as the organization works toward higher content volume and even more in-depth reporting, working together will provide them a broader reach to ensure accurate and timely coverage.

“I want to make sure students know we are here for them and that we will cover the news they care about the most,” said Vanderhoff. “We want to be your voice.”

Ptaszkowski and Vanderhoff will officially assume the role of Editor-in-Chief at The Leader’s annual end-of-year party, happening later this month.