Rubber & Plastics News makes staff changes

AKRON—Rubber & Plastics News has promoted Chris Sweeney to the role of news editor and hired Michael McCrady to the newly created position of art director.

Sweeney, a reporter with RPN since June 2013, now will help plan the publication's news coverage and aid in overseeing the production of the issue, assisting with page design and editing. He also will continue to do some reporting.

Prior to joining RPN, Sweeney assisted the sports desk of The Elyria Chronicle-Telegram as a copy editor for two years. His duties included designing pages, editing copy and writing sports stories for the Elyria, Ohio-based daily newspaper. He also previously served as a freelance writer for Cleveland Magazine, Inside Business, Crain's Cleveland Business and Patch.com.

Sweeney was moved into his new position after Managing Editor Don Detore was named editor of Tire Business, a sister publication of RPN.

McCrady comes to RPN after spending more than two decades at the Akron Beacon Journal. He will be responsible for the page design of RPN's print edition. He will hold the same position with Tire Business.

At the Beacon Journal, he most recently served as supervisor for the Advertising Creative Service Department. Prior to that, he was advertising graphic artist coordinator, and graphic artist.