Dean Olsen and Justin Fowler depart State Journal-Register

Dean Olsen and Justin Fowler, two longtime employees of the State Journal-Register, both start new jobs on Jan. 17.

Olsen has been hired as a senior staff writer for Illinois Times and Springfield Business Journal. He has been a reporter at the SJ-R for more than 20 years, although he left briefly in December 2019 to work as a media relations consultant with Memorial Health System. Olsen returned to the SJ-R in December 2020 as the Statehouse reporter.

Fowler, who has been a staff photographer at the SJ-R since January 2006, has been hired by Springfield Clinic as a visual creative specialist.

"We are incredibly fortunate to be adding Justin to our creative production team. He has an incredible eye and has shown an unparalleled passion for telling the stories of the people in central Illinois,” said Zach Kerker, senior director of brand and experience for Springfield Clinic.