Thomas Named Publisher of Puget Sound Business Journal

Business Wire, Jan 27, 2006

SEATTLE -- Puget Sound Business Journal Editor Emory Thomas Jr. has been named to succeed Mike Flynn as publisher of the Business Journal.

The announcement was made by Ray Shaw, chairman of American City Business Journals, PSBJ's parent company.

Thomas, 42, joined the Business Journal in June 2004. Flynn is retiring near his 66th birthday in April after 24 years at the helm of the newspaper.

Thomas' journalism career includes tenures at The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, the Atlanta Business Chronicle and other media outlets. Under his editorial leadership, the Business Journal has won numerous awards and was named one of the nation's top business weeklies in 2005 by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

"The Business Journal occupies a unique and important place in this community, and my primary mission is to continue the tradition of excellence that Mike has created here," Thomas said. "This paper has a great deal of momentum right now, and the challenge will be to keep it going."

Flynn had a 20-year career with United Press International, first as a reporter and bureau manager for news, and later in charge of sales and marketing for the western region. He joined what was then the Seattle Business Journal as editor in 1982, changed the name, and presided over nearly a quarter century of dramatic growth and change for the newspaper.

The Business Journal is one of more than 40 business weeklies owned by American City Business Journals, which is based in Charlotte, N.C. American City, in turn, is owned by privately held Advance Publications, the diversified, New York-based publisher of such titles as Conde Nast Publications, The New Yorker and a string of daily newspapers that includes The Oregonian in Portland.

In announcing the appointment, Shaw wrote in an internal memo: "Mike and the paper command enormous respect throughout the state of Washington, and I know that will continue under Emory's leadership and with the work of an exceptional staff."

The Business Journal has not yet named a replacement as editor, but Thomas said he expects to do so in the coming weeks.

In addition to his work as Business Journal publisher, Flynn has held leadership roles in numerous public service and nonprofit organizations, including Junior Achievement of Greater Puget Sound, the Downtown Seattle Association, the Greater Seattle and Bellevue chambers of commerce, and others.

Upon his retirement from the Business Journal this spring, Flynn said, he plans to continue his involvement with some business and nonprofit activities, as well as do some consulting for both media and business interests.