Rowland will head Globe's Washington bureau

Christopher Rowland will become The Boston Globe's Washington bureau chief, Globe editor Martin Baron said in a memo to the staff today.

Rowland, 47, joined the Globe in 2001 and for the last two years, he has served as the paper's political editor, a post in which he oversaw Globe coverage of the Massachusetts State House and Boston City Hall.

During his tenure, a Globe investigation into influence-peddling on Beacon Hill led to the indictment of former House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi. Rowland has also directed coverage that documented abuses in the state's public pension system and prompted action from the Legislature.

"This is a perfect job for Chris, and Chris is a perfect fit for the job," Baron wrote in the memo.

Rowland, whose new title will be assistant managing editor/Washington, succeeds Peter Canellos, who last week was named editor of the Globe's editorial page.

Earlier in his Globe career, Rowland led the Globe's West bureau, and he was also a business reporter covering healthcare issues. Prior to the Globe, Rowland was a state house reporter for The Providence Journal, where over four years he covered national and local politics.
(By Globe staff)