Gannett's U.S. Community Publishing Division Reorganized; Executives Named

Business Wire, June 27, 2008

MCLEAN, Va. -- Gannett today announced a reorganization of its U.S. Community Publishing division, several executive appointments and two retirements:

Five regional groups become four groups: East, South, Interstate and West.

* East will continue to be headed by Senior Group President W. Curtis Riddle, who also is publisher of The News Journal in Wilmington, DE.

* South will be headed by Group President Carol O. Hudler. She is president and publisher of The News-Press in Fort Myers, FL and was a group president of the Sun Coast Group.

* Interstate will continue to be headed by Senior Group President Barbara A. Henry until Aug. 1, when she retires. A successor will be named shortly.

* West will be headed by Laura L. Hollingsworth, president and publisher of The Des Moines (IA) Register. She will become a group president. Headquarters of the former Pacific Group moves from Phoenix, AZ, to Des Moines.

* The Arizona Republic, The Honolulu Advertiser and the Tucson Citizen will report directly to Robert J. Dickey, president of U.S. Community Publishing.

* Denise H. Ivey, currently a group president of the Mid-South Group and president and publisher of The Courier-Journal in Louisville, KY, will retire on Jan. 1. Until then, she becomes chairman of the Louisville operation. A successor to her as president and publisher will be named shortly.

"This reorganization both refines our structure and puts our top people in key jobs with expanded responsibilities around the country," said Dickey. "This will allow us to realign our strategic objectives and focus on top line growth as we go forward.

"In particular, I would like to welcome Laura Hollingsworth to the rank of group president. In a relatively brief time at the helm of the Des Moines paper, she has demonstrated great skill, leadership and savvy. She's a fine example of the great up and coming management talent we have at Gannett.

"However, we will be saying good-bye to two outstanding executives who have been instrumental in the accomplishments of our division for several years. Barbara Henry and Denise Ivey will be sorely missed, but we wish them well as they move into the next phase of their lives," Dickey said. "We deeply appreciate all they have done for Gannett."

Dickey also announced two executive appointments on the corporate staff of U.S. Community Publishing and a publisher/president appointment in the field.

* Evan Ray becomes senior vice president/finance and operations of U.S. Community Publishing. He was chief financial officer of Phoenix Newspapers, Inc. and group controller of the former Pacific Group.

* Michelle Krans becomes senior vice president/Strategy and Development for U.S. Community Publishing. Krans was president and publisher of The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, CA, and group vice president of the former Pacific Group.

* Richard A. Ramhoff becomes president and publisher of The Desert Sun and a group vice president of the new West Group. He was president and publisher of the Lansing (MI) State Journal and a group vice president of the Sun Coast Group.

"Michelle and Evan fill new positions on the corporate staff that will enable Community Publishing to move forward quickly on our key strategic initiatives in the coming months. I am very pleased to have them on my corporate team," Dickey said. "Rich is an innovative leader and will be a great asset for Laura as she enters her new role within the West Group."

Biographies

W. Curtis Riddle

Curtis Riddle, 57, has been the senior group president of the East Newspaper Group and president and publisher of The News Journal of Wilmington, DE, since 1994. He joined Gannett in 1972 as a reporter and editorial writer for The Courier-Journal in Louisville, KY. He was a reporter and editor for the Baltimore Sun from 1976 before joining USA TODAY in 1982 as deputy managing editor. He then served as managing editor and special assistant to the publisher at The Cincinnati Enquirer before becoming publisher of the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN, in 1988. Riddle was named a regional vice president in 1989, and became regional president in 1991 when he was named publisher of the Lansing (MI) State Journal. He graduated from Southern Illinois University with a B.A. in English.

Michelle M. Krans

Michelle Krans, 46, was named president and publisher of The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, CA in 2005 and became a group vice president in the Pacific Group the following year. Krans began her career with Gannett in 1990 as marketing and promotions manager at The Desert Sun. In 1995, she became market development director at The Salinas Californian. She returned to Palm Springs in 1998 as custom publishing manager and later was promoted to market development director. In 2002, she became advertising and marketing director. Krans has a B.S. in business from California State University, Northridge.

Carol O. Hudler

Carol Hudler, 52, who became president and publisher of The News-Press in Fort Myers, FL, in 2000, has been president of the Sun Coast Group since its inception in January 2006. She began her journalism career in 1977 as the assistant to the advertising manager of Vance Publications in Kansas City, KS in 1977. She held advertising and sales jobs at a number of publications in Kansas, Missouri and California before joining Gannett in 1988 as director of advertising at the Fort Myers newspaper. She also served as director and vice president of advertising at Gannett's Rochester, NY, newspaper and was named president and publisher of The Macon (GA) Telegraph in 1995. She received her B.S. in journalism at the University of Kansas.