I guess I’m a couple days late on this, but here’s the latest:

Naedine Hazell, who has brilliantly handled the Courant’s Features and Business News departments, has been named to head Courant.com; and Gina Seay will rise to handle Features.

Here’s Bobbie Roessner’s memo:

To the staff:
    I’m truly excited to announce that Naedine Hazell is the new editor of courant.com, and Gina Seay is our new features editor.
    These two moves, coming at the start of 2009, will provide great positive momentum to the entire news department.
    Naedine’s official title will be assistant managing editor/online, and she will report jointly to me and Tom Davidson, Tribune Interactive’s vice president for content in the “T4″ market (Hartford, Baltimore, Hampton Roads, Lehigh Valley). She will bring her experience, her talent and her drive to the tall task of leading our website — and all of its tentacles — into the challenging and largely unknown future. This is a job that will take brains, guts and a thirst for adventure. Naedine is the right person at the right time.
    Gina, already a mainstay of the features department, brings both organizational expertise and a strong creative streak to her new leadership role. She’s got a wealth of ideas, and the nuts-and-bolts skills to pull them off.  Gina is a keen observer of the culture at large, be it the latest political developments in Washington or the newest initiatives at media outlets across the country. She’s a thinker and a doer, and she’ll be a key participant in our department heads group.
    Naedine and Gina begin their new jobs immediately, and will work together to ensure the features department continues to operate smoothly minus one position. Gina will report to Cliff and me, as will Business Editor Dan Haar, who previously reported to Naedine.
Congratulations to all of us. We’re on the move…
    Bobbie

Here’s my two cents’ worth:

You will note that Naedine has to report to two bosses. Stereophonics is good in audio systems, not in management. At least Naedine has the temperament and smarts to handle it. I don’t know about Tom’s management style, but trying to balance the demands of The Borg (that’s what Gary Duchane called Tribune Interactive, and he was right) with those of delivering a good product locally has always tested the fiber of the Courant.com leadership. Plus — no offense here Bobbie — the limiting characteristics of the available technology are hard to explain to editors who have unrealistic expectations from them. The good part is that everyone has faith in Naedine.

And speaking of the Tribune’s technology, I trust that Naedine will not have to get bogged down in the debilitating wrangling and negotiating with Chicago required just to keep the site running smoothy. Clearly, in my opinion, she has demonstrated a clarity of vision in what she wants her sections to be. The challenge for her will be in rising above the technology and limited support from Chicago. (Fortunately, she has a number of able staffers to help her with that.)

Good luck to her and Gina, too.

P.S. I stole her picture off her Facebook page.