Urban Lehner worked for The Wall Street Journal for 33 years, 20 of them overseas, including tours as Washington economics reporter, Tokyo bureau chief, managing editor of The Wall Street Journal Europe in Brussels and editor and publisher of The Asian Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong. He worked for DTN/The Progressive Farmer in Omaha for nine years as editor-in-chief and vice president/editorial, retiring in 2012. He blogs for DTN under the rubric "An Urban's Rural View." 

Urban has been a birder and conservationist for 50 years and fascinated by economics almost as long. He is a member of the board of directors of NatureServe and served ten years as a director of the International Crane Foundation, including three as chair. Previous board responsibilities include service as president of the Nebraska Ornithologists Union, president of the North American Agricultural Journalists and a director of Nation Multimedia Group in Bangkok. 

Urban has a bachelors’ degree in history from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Georgetown University. He lives with his wife Nancy Leonard in Washington, D.C., and Newport, OR.