Three take on new responsibilities for Independent, Delaware State News

Pictured left to right, Toni Ayers, Wanda Ford-Waring and
Heather Cregar

Three Dover executives have accepted expanded responsibilities at Independent Newspapers and its flagship daily newspaper, the Delaware State News.

Accounting Manager Toni L. Ayers will add Corporate Treasurer to her duties, Credit Director Wanda Ford-Waring who also serves as Corporate Secretary will also become Trustee of the company’s 401k Plan, and Heather Cregar will become interim Advertising Director at the Delaware State News.

All three appointments are effective Oct. 21, according to President & Publisher Ed Dulin, who made the announcement. The three positions are currently filled by Chris Engel, who is leaving to pursue other interests.

“We are grateful that Chris Engel has served this company well for more than 31 years in a wide variety of roles, and we wish him all the best”, Mr. Dulin said. “We are so fortunate to have top-notch executives like Toni Ayers, Wanda Ford-Waring and Heather Cregar ready to step up to added responsibilities.”

Independent's downstate Delaware weekly newspapers

Front, left to right, Milford Chronicle News Editor Gwen Guerke, Milford Chronicle and The Journal Sports Editor Jamie-Leigh Bissett, and Managing News Editor Kitt Parker. Back, The Journal News Editor Logan Anderson, Ad Manager Donna Rice, Graphic Designer Olivia Littleton, Leader & State Register and Sussex Post News Editor Glenn Rolfe, Publisher Tammy Brittingham, Ad Manager Laura Owens, Ad Manager Jenny Keim, Leader & State Register and Sussex Post Sports Editor Bill Mitchell, and Ad Manager Lynne Maloy.

By Gwen Guerke
News editor, Milford Chronicle

MILFORD - Camaraderie and cost-effectiveness create a win-win scenario.

At least that’s the take on Independent Newspapers Inc. to combine Downstate weekly newspaper offices into one central location in downtown Milford.

A small space in the North Walnut Street business district is now command central for the Milford Chronicle, The (Harrington) Journal, Sussex Post and The Leader & State Register.

Most of the editorial staff work from home except on production days; advertising managers are in and out, while office manager/ graphics designer Olivia Littleton holds down the fort during business hours.

Publisher Tammy Brittingham explains.

“A major change in the way the Delaware weeklies operate took place in May when we merged our teams and our production under one roof. Not only did we reduce expenses (one electric bill instead of two, one rent payment instead of two etc.), the payoff is bigger: in that we’re truly doing more and better work with fewer people.”

Leader and Post sports editor Bill Mitchell said the concept made perfect sense to him.

Jamie Leigh Bissett, sports editor for The Journal and Milford Chronicle, agreed.” Consolidating the Milford and Sussex offices has been positive for multiple reasons, not least of which is the accessibility we all now have to each other. Sure technology makes communication that much easier, but it will never replace face-to-face interaction,” she said.

That’s what appeals to Kitt Parker, managing editor for the four weeklies.

“A bonus to having the entire editorial staff working out of one location is that at least once a week we are together in the office as one team working together to help each other build better papers. As one team, we can bounce ideas off each other in one relaxed setting instead of always via e-mail,” Kitt said.

Jamie elaborates on the process, and on the teamwork.

“For most of the editors, our days are spent running around our coverage areas, conducting interviews, taking pictures and conversing with our readers. We’re not always near a phone or laptop to be able to check messages and e-mails. However, we all know each one of us will be in the office first thing Tuesday morning to build the papers. This allows us to discuss the upcoming week’s worth of events and, if necessary, decide if help is needed in a particular area,” she said.

“For instance, from a sports standpoint, being able to discuss upcoming games with Bill Mitchell on a Tuesday has been an advantage for both of us. If Indian River is traveling to Milford for a game, but Lake Forest is heading down south to compete against Sussex Central, obviously Bill and I can’t be two places at once. But because we’re both in the office on Tuesday, we can decide that I will cover the game at Milford and Bill can cover the game at Sussex Central, thereby killing two birds with one stone. This alleviates any chances of miscommunication as well as allowing our team to take advantage of all of our resources,” she added.

Tammy also said team-building measures also helped reduced costs in a very tight economy.

“The idea of merging the Seaford and Milford offices into one downstate production operation made a lot of sense when we started looking at it last spring as a way to reduce expenses. It’s no secret that every business is looking for ways to improve efficiency and cut costs, especially during this economic downturn. INI’s technology and investment in state-of-the-art systems made for an easy transition. The move literally took only a matter of a few weeks. During that time we packed up the Seaford location, spruced up the Milford office with paint and “new” furniture (found in storage in Dover), upgraded the network and phone connections in Milford and met every deadline we set,” Tammy said.

She praised the staff, all of whom had a part in the transition.

“Sheila Clendaniel and Kitt Parker were the awesome ‘captains’ of this project, managing all the logistics for the team. But everyone pitched in to help with the move, packing up office equipment and supplies, unpacking in Milford and getting set up in time so as not to miss a single production deadline,” she said.

In addition to Olivia, Kitt, Jamie Leigh and Bill, other staff members include Gwen Guerke and Logan Anderson, community editors for the Chronicle and Journal, respectively, and Glenn Rolfe, Sussex Post and Leader editor, while Laura Owens, Jenny Keim, Donna Rice and Lynne Malloy are ad managers.

“This move to one office in Milford doesn’t mean we pulled people out of our western and central Sussex coverage areas. To the contrary! Our folks who cover western and central Sussex for us are still based in those areas. Laptops, cell phones and smart work habits mean they can stay right there and service advertising accounts and readers without missing a beat,” Tammy said.
She echoes the sentiments shared by Jamie Leigh and Kitt.

“But besides cost-savings, this merger has paid off in other ways. While still focused on their ‘home’ newspapers, our news editor are now also coordinating coverage and enterprise stories to benefit ALL the Delaware weeklies,” she said.

“The same collaboration is blossoming on the sales side. Our advertising managers are teaming up to bring in new business and we’re turning out great special sections that get rave reviews from the community and are profitable. Can’t beat that win-win scenario! Our planning and brainstorming sessions are focused much more on FUTURE projects rather than the next deadline and production cycle which will translate to continuous improvement in both sales and content. I’m very excited about the future of our weekly newspapers in downstate Delaware,” said Tammy.

That’s something Kitt agrees with.

“The Seaford and Milord teams are no longer just names on e-mails, but team members all working for the same goal, better newspapers."

Top, left to right, Tammy Brittingham, Lynne Maloy, Logan Anderson... Second row, left to right, Laura Owens, Olivia Littleton, Donna Rice, Jenny Keim, and, bottom center,
Gwen Guerke.

INI’s People Are Pulling Us Through

It’s no secret that these are rough times for the economy generally --- and especially for newspaper publishers.

Thanks to the incredible dedication, hard work, resiliency and sacrifices of our people, however, we will be among the survivors even while many much larger companies are failing. What’s more, we are poised to thrive when the economy starts improving.

This hasn’t been easy for any of us, and we certainly can’t declare victory yet. Still, we have proven that we are tough and smart operators who will do whatever it takes to be successful.

There is no way to sugar-coat what we have all been going through. Our entire industry has been battered, especially the largest newspapers that have traditionally been so dependent on automotive, financial, real estate and recruitment advertising. The recession has also impacted many of our smaller advertisers, so they have had to reduce all of their expenses --- including advertising --- until consumers once again start spending.

Yet we are weathering this storm. We still enjoy solid readership because of our heavy emphasis on local content that can’t be found elsewhere. We have gained market share in many of our communities by improving product quality while competitors were retrenching. Our future is bright, thanks to the whatever-it-takes spirit of our people.

Our online sales at newszap.com aren’t yet a significant percentage of our overall revenues, but they are growing dramatically and will increasingly contribute to our overall profitability.

More importantly in the short term, however, our strategy has been to create interactive community websites at newszap.com that complement our newspapers --- and this strategy is paying off in terms of our overall efficiency. An impressive portion of the content of our community newspapers is now generated online by the community. This has allowed us to reduce our expenses and focus our journalists on more meaningful enterprise coverage. Thus, we have steadily reduced our operating expenses while also improving the quality of our content.

There is no doubt that we made a bold (some might say risky) move when we invested in “new generation” printing equipment just as the nation slipped into a deep recession. However, those presses --- with their superior reproduction and dramatically increased full color capacity --- are now giving our newspapers and other publications a substantial competitive advantage in each of our markets.

In addition, our printing operations in both Arizona and Delaware are growing sales and profits from the commercial printing that we perform for other clients; competitors simply can’t match the quality or efficiency of our presses.

Yet no corporate strategy can work without terrific people making it all happen. Independent’s people have been nothing short of heroic during our industry’s most difficult challenges ever.

We’re going to make it, folks, and it’s all because of you.

I can only express my heartfelt admiration and thanks.

It is such an honor to be able work with such incredible people.

(Joe Smyth is the CEO of Independent Newspapers and newszap.com. He can be reached at joesmyth@newszap.com.)

Katrina Elsken

ANNIVERSARY PROFILE

25 YEARS

Katrina Elsken

Name: Katrina Elsken

Newspaper: Okeechobee News/INI Florida

Position: Executive Editor, INI Florida; editor, Okeechobee News

Number of years in the newspaper or printing business: 28

Job description: As editor of the Okeechobee News, I am in charge of the news content and editorial production for the thrice-weekly publication. This includes everything from making story assignments to gathering news to editing copy to helping with pagination. I also write an on-line blog and represent the newspaper at community events. As executive editor for INI Florida, I coach and assist the editors of the weekly newspapers and coordinate projects that involve more than one newspaper.

What I like best (about my job): Every day brings new stories and new challenges.

Most memorable moment with INI: The 204 Hurricane Season. During 2004, South Florida was hit by four hurricanes and every one of those storms affected at least one of our newspapers. After Hurricane Charley, when I could not reach our lone Frostproof staffer, I loaded up supplies in my pickup truck and drove through the storm damage to find her -- she was trapped in her home by a huge tree that had fallen across her driveway. We drove around town and took storm photos and gathered news for that week's Frostproof News. At the time, I thought that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But I was wrong. Just a few weeks later, Okeechobee was hit by Hurricane Frances. I rode out the storm at the Sheriff's Office and with the help of the pagination center and the Delaware State News copy desk, got the Okeechobee News to press by sending stories and photos via email. And the excitement wasn't over. We barely had the electricity back on before Hurricane Ivan was headed our way. This time we dodged the bullet, but since the rest of the editorial staff had evacuated, I updated the newspaper (which we had worked on in advance) by myself. Next came Hurricane Jeanne -- for Okeechobee it was the worst of the bunch. This time I rode out the storm at the Emergency Operations Center and borrowed a phone line to feed stories and copy to the pagination center. The day after the storm, after discovering our Clewiston office still had electricity (Okeechobee did not) I relocated temporarily to a hotel room in Clewiston and handled editing of the Okeechobee News from there -- with staffers in Okeechobee communicating via phone and email. Despite everything that happened, the Florida group did not miss a single edition of any of the INI Florida papers during that memorable hurricane season.

Hobbies/Interests: My hobbies include cooking, horseback riding, SCUBA diving, researching family history and helping with whatever club or activity my children are involved in. I am a 4-H volunteer and teach Sunday school at my church.

Fun fact (about myself): My family's menagerie includes three horses, three cats, a dog, a miniature donkey and a wolf -- and they all get along well together. Most of them were "rescued" animals.

‘Today’s news wraps tomorrow’s fish. And that’s fine."

Chris Godwin

By Andrew West
Delaware State News

DOVER – On Sept. 12, the Delaware State News lost one of its own to cancer.

Chris Godwin, a copy editor with more than a decade of service to the newspaper, was 49.

All of us lost a friend, a guardian of the written word.

Not many readers would have been familiar with his name. Copy editors generally do not seek credit lines in the paper.

As he once told colleague Craig Horleman, “If you don’t know we exist, we’ve done our job.”

Over the past five months, Chris kept a blog about his personal battle with metastatic cancer, his reflections on family and friends and life, and more. For the purpose of this column, we will focus on his passion for the print.

In July, he fired off some thoughts on journalism in the wake of Walter Cronkite’s death.

“Just to fix this in time a bit,” Chris wrote, “Walter Cronkite died yesterday at 92. You had to be there to know what the guy meant. Back then, he seemed permanent. You could count on your fixtures remaining fixed for a good while.

“I was gratified to read, in one of the obituaries, that Walter himself believed that no television news broadcast could ever be a substitute for the printed version, in terms of fullness and depth of coverage. That’s still true, though nobody knows it (well, print people do, but who listens?) or believes it anymore. People would rather be shouted at by someone they already agree with.”

***

Chris’ newspaper career started when he was just 14 years old, using his stellar spelling and grammar skills to win a job as a copy boy in the Anchorage, Alaska, bureau of the Associated Press.

He was instantly hooked, just like four generations of his family had been on newspaper work.

His parents, Connie and Stuart, both had newspaper jobs on their resumes.

Chris’ time in the news business pre-dated today’s quiet, computer-oriented newsroom. He could wield a pica pole and photo sizing wheel with the same intensity that he turned pages of a dictionary and Associated Press stylebook.

The news business has evolved rapidly over the last two decades, thanks to the internet and all of the electronic products that make it easy to grab news in bits and bytes. Chris studied online news and tried it. He liked it and loathed it.

“Forty years ago,” he wrote the day after Cronkite’s death, “who could foresee how the technology would change? That’s still sorting itself out. And when the last newspaper hits the last doorstep, something valuable will be lost.

“I’ve been at it a long time, and I can tell you that most people in a newsroom work very hard to make sure that the story you read in the paper is as truthful and accurate as we can possibly make it. Do we have opinions and biases and points of view? Of course. We’re human beings. But that doesn’t mean we don’t feel a duty to check the facts, make sure stories don’t hit print with gaping holes and unanswered questions, make sure you’re getting the best information we can possibly give you while each day running smack into the constraints of time and manpower — constraints that are more severe than ever these days.

“A newspaper is what they call ephemera — short-lived printed matter,” Chris wrote. “Today’s news wraps tomorrow’s fish. And that’s fine. Some of us like that. One of the things that has always attracted me to the job is just that — every day starts fresh, not a lot of work to take home, you bang out one day’s paper and that’s it. Tomorrow you do a whole new one. Good for teeny little attention spans like mine. But the way we go about it, from one day to the next, that doesn’t change. We really do put in some diligence. That’s the part that’s unseen and, I think, unknown and unappreciated.

“And it’s really the heart of the matter. So when that last newspaper hits that last doorstep, that’s what you’ll be losing. I think it’s hard to overestimate how valuable and important that is.”
***

Chris picked copy apart.

Writers, new or experienced, were given the same treatment. There’s no doubt he caught millions of mistakes and improved countless sentences over the years. Like a treasure hunter, he could find a gem of a quote or bit of detail buried in a story and move it to the top.

He would fire off a note or directly scold writers when they made simple errors. It would set him in a fit to see a real clunker, like the time one reporter said a judge ordered someone to “pay retribution to his employer.”

Chris also loved a snappy, witty headline. One of his best from the month of April, during his final days on job, was “Ion the prize” – a kicker on a story about Delaware State University’s hydrogen program.

He had quite a sense of humor, too. His irreverence once led him to slip a line into a story about a truck crash on Del. 1 a few years back. Chris’ second line in the news report read, “The good news for kids everywhere: The truck’s cargo of lima beans was a total loss.”

***

The week before the Cronkite piece, Chris was bemoaning the size of some of his favorite news magazines and marveling about how accessible they have become with computers and little electronic gizmos.

“Some of us older folks, say 40-plus, know what we’re losing (those of us who work for them especially); nobody under 30 does,” Chris wrote. “I like my gadgets, yes, and it’s nice to be able to read stuff when I’m lying in a hospital bed that, not that long ago, I’d have had to go to a newsstand or a library to get my hands on — and now it comes to me.

“But there’s still something to be said for holding the thing itself in your hand, a reassurance in quarter-folding the page and knocking out the crossword puzzle, in lingering over a well-turned phrase. Somehow not the same on a very groovy iPod or any other device; it just doesn’t lend itself to that. And what are you going to line your birdcages and gerbil cages with when all the papers and magazines are gone, huh?

“First time I ever set foot in a newspaper office, man, I just knew. And I’ve been pretty fortunate to be able to do the thing I’ve always loved best for most of the time since then. I still think it matters.”

***

To read Chris’ blog – “Like the Future, Only Shorter” – visit possible1081.wordpress.com.

***

Andrew West is managing editor of the Delaware State News. E-mail comments to awest@newszap.com.

Charlene Bisson

ANNIVERSARY PROFILE
10 YEARS

Name: Charlene Bisson

Newspaper: Sun City, Sun City West, Peoria and Surprise Independents.

Position: Publisher

Number of years in the newspaper or printing business: 14 years

Job description: My position is always evolving, which makes for an inventive work day. I do enjoying editing the pages on Fridays because the editorial team can always make me laugh sharing what’s going on in their communities.

What I like best (about my job): My favorite part is meeting people, including potential sponsorships, and attending/ sponsoring community events. It is very rewarding when outside the office because we have so many raving fans. I also appreciate how I am so lucky to work with great people in the West Valley.

Most memorable moment with INI: Wow, after 10 years, there have been many. Our companywide Halloween party at Rawhide may have been most memorable.

Hobbies/Interests: My family. My son is 7 and we have the most amazing conversations. My daughter will be 3 and my 1-year-old is such as cuddle-bug. Work is my hobby while family is my life. My husband is very supportive for having a publisher for a wife.

Fun fact (about myself): I volunteer at my son’s school to teach children how to read. I also teach fifth-graders on Monday nights. I like to surround myself with children.

Marc Tropio

ANNIVERSARY PROFILE
10 YEARS

Nathan T. Gray Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the FBI's
Phoenix Division and Marc Tropio at Graduation Day

Name: Marc Tropio

Newspaper: Valley Newspapers

Position: Technical Services Coordinator

Number of years in the newspaper or printing business: 19 years

Job description: Help clients with technical questions and issues. Help the printing divisions with problems they may need support with. Take care of related computers, servers and systems that pertain to Valley Newspapers and most recently working to help bring in additional clients as a sales representative.

What I like best (about my job): Working with so many different people and that my job can vary so much through out the day.

Most memorable moment with INI: When I powered down the Panther Pro film-setter knowing I would never have to use it again!

Hobbies/Interests: Spending time with my wife and kids, shooting sports, camping and continuing my education and obtaining additional certifications as a first responder.

Fun fact (about myself): I volunteer for different federal and state organizations as a member of the FBI Infragard, Department of Homeland Security CyberCop, FBICAA and CERT First Responder programs.

FCNP Visits New Printer at Delaware Printing Company

“Do you smell that?” Benton exclaimed. “That smell is the
reason why print newspapers will never die.”

THE FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS CREW met with their counterparts at the Delaware Printing Company (top) in Dover, Del. on Aug. 1. The printing staff took the News-Press on a tour of their facility, including their state-of-the-art press (bottom left) and the creation of the printing plates used to layout the content on the paper.

by Dean Edwards
Falls Church News-Press

Seven staff members of the mighty Falls Church News-Press went on a road trip earlier this month to Dover, Del. to tour the sleek, modern state-of-the-art press which took over the printing operation of the News-Press earlier this year.

The Delaware Printing Company (DPC), is based on the outskirts of Dover, and prints numerous weekly publications, including several for the D.C. Metro area. Members of the DPC staff greeted their News-Press counterparts with a welcoming marquee before their general manager, Tom Bugbee, led a tour throughout the impressive warehouse of offices and machinery.

As the tour wound past the frenetic machines and busy operators at their stations, large vats of ink and reams of paper, News-Press owner Nicholas Benton remarked about the lingering scent of ink and paper of the printing press.

“Do you smell that?” Benton exclaimed. “That smell is the reason why print newspapers will never die.”

Bugbee, who has worked in printing for 35 years, replied, “I knew I liked that guy.”

The tour’s main attraction had a warehouse all to itself: the technologically cutting-edge, three story Colora Press, produced by German press manufacturer, Koenig and Bauer AG.

With a maximum production rate of 75,000 copies an hour, and a computer that monitors, with precision, ink levels and all operations big and small, the Colora Press is a revolution in printing.

For the DPC’s needs, the printer puts out more than 30,000 copies of finished product an hour.

“After years of dealing with printers, everything has changed with this technology,” Bugbee told the News-Press crew.

Most of the human labor happens away from the actual press, in the confines of the adjoining “quiet room.” There, the press operators sit in front of large computer modules, monitoring the press and its internal computers to ensure the press is functioning properly.

“The few years we’ve had this machine, there’s not been a single major problem,” said Bugbee. “Until last week, that is, when there was an issue with the cooling water, but we fixed that problem in a day.”

Upstairs is where thin aluminum plates are imprinted with the newspaper’s layout to place on the press. The diligent CTP, or “computer- to-plate,” team handles the process, and the expansive Kodak printers churn out the nightly product.

The CTP operation involves just as much automation as the German-made press, with computerized cameras following the metal sheets through the printers and cutting blocks.

“I remember when we had the old machines, we would have the fans running all night long,” said CTP teammate Burkey Emmons about the heat generated by the earlier models.

Emmons crafts the layout for the metal prints from files the News-Press sends electronically every Wednesday night. Toni Hewes, a veteran member of the CTP team, also showed the News-Press around the CTP room.

In the printing business for nearly 40 years, Hewes said with a laugh, “A whole lot has changed these days.”

Intern farewell

Lydia Woolever, a student from the University of Delaware, completed an eight-week internship with the Delaware State News on Friday, Aug. 7.

Lydia, of Chestertown, Md., was a wonderful contributor, producing nearly 40 stories for the daily. She also edited and wrote portions of the 2010 Sussex County and Kent County Profiles.

Reporting for the Delaware State News, she was able to track legislation in the final days of the General Assembly, write features from the Delaware State Fair and other events, and handle some interesting business news.

Lydia was selected by the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association’s intern committee for the Delaware State News.

Sonny Zed Postles

ANNIVERSARY PROFILE
35 years

Sonny Zed Postles

Name: Sonny Zed Postles

Newspaper: Delaware State News

Position: Circulation Sales & Marketing

Number of years in the newspaper or printing business: 35 years

Job description: Marketing the Delaware State News to our retail stores, setting up new locations for vending machines and solving problems.

What I like best (about my job): freedom, meeting people.

Most memorable moment with INI: When I went to Okeechobee Fl. For five years and fished on the big lake Okeechobee .

Hobbies/Interests: Ham Radio and doing emergency work during Hurricane handling emergency traffic up and down the east coast.

Fun fact (about myself): Ham Radio, Hunting, Fishing and camping on the Chesapeake Bay in Mathews County Virginia. The Land of pleasant living.

INIers have risen to the occasion

As everybody knows, the economy still stinks.

Like most others in publishing, our advertising revenues have suffered double-digit declines because consumers and businesses aren’t spending. Independent’s people have all had to scramble to adjust. It hasn’t been easy, but we have adjusted and been able to post some modest profit improvements despite the economy. Unlike many others in our industry, we continue to service our debt on schedule and are within all bank covenants.

When the economy finally recovers --- as we know it will --- we believe we are well positioned to thrive in the decades ahead, thanks to the spirit and tenacity of INIers in all four states in which we operate.

Even in this economy, we continue to gain market share in both publishing and printing. The increased color capacity, quality and efficiency of our new printing presses in Arizona and Delaware have given us a solid competitive edge in competing for commercial printing jobs. (One of our key competitors in Arizona just recently closed shop.) We have converted all of our broadsheet publications to a modern and colorful compact format, to the applause of advertisers and readers.

We also continue to develop our newszap.com community websites as complementary web products that cross-promote our print products. We made the right “contrarian” decision by not posting all of our print content online free….and instead developing unique user-driven web content online. The Public Forums and Post Your News features continue to thrive and have allowed us to engage in some very efficient “reverse publishing” of “refrigerator news” (as described by Charlene Patti Bisson here) thus freeing up our journalists for more meaningful issues-oriented coverage.

We are now adding Community & Journalist blogs. We have added online Yellow Pages on Delmarva and print/online Special Sections company-wide. E-editions of our print products have allowed us to expand our reach while reducing some printing and delivery costs.

We have converted to paid obits and celebrations. We’re experiencing success with an online Classifieds approach and are about ready to roll out an improved version that will allow users to more easily post photos and videos. We are building a dedicated sales team for online-only and online/print (bundled) advertising. We will soon launch new “content channels” for specific topics like autos, entertainment, real estate and sports.

Once again, INI’s people have risen to the occasion, made sacrifices and proven that they --- and we --- are survivors. Thanks everybody, for all you do!

(Joe Smyth is the board chair and CEO of Independent Newspapers, Inc. He can be reached by email at JoeSmyth@newszap.com.)

Okeechobee News

Introduction to Okeechobee Office profile

By Tom Byrd
Florida VP

The office profile of the Okeechobee News for this issue of Presslines tells the story of the kind of dramatic actions and bold steps that have been required across INI as we strive to successfully deal with the extraordinary economic challenges. Some of these steps have clearly been painful. Yet, as the summaries told by Katrina Elsken and Judy Kasten attest, we have also made the kind of changes that put us in position to better serve our mission: providing useful news and advertising to our communities over the long haul.

While we necessarily have taken some short term belt tightening type actions, we have also made sea-change moves in Okeechobee such as converting to three days, going all local, and of course, as has the rest of INI, moving to the reader preferred compact format. I believe that the search for a more sustainable economic model for our Florida operations is entirely consistent with the longer term values of INI. Not only do we want to be around to continue to fulfill our mission, we can also embrace another INI value—continuous improvement in serving our readers and clients.

Okeechobee News Office Profile

Compact, thrice-weekly
is packed with local news

By Katrina Elsken
Editor

Pete Gawda, Eric Kopp and Katrina Elsken (not pictured is Charles Murphy)

In the past year the Okeechobee News has decreased staff size, decreased frequency of population and anticipated reducing our office space.

But good things come in small packages -- and so does dynamite.

The leaner Okeechobee News is more local, more readable, more attractive and more than ever determined to do what it takes to survive.

After nearly 16 years as a seven-day paper, in September the Okeechobee News dropped to three days a week. We also dropped our Associated Press membership.

It was not an easy decision for any of us. Like newspapers all over the country, the daily Okeechobee News has felt the economic downturn. We saw not only a reduction in ads, but some days of the week, the only display ads in the newspaper were house ads. There was just no support for all seven days a week.

We promise to give the community the best newspaper it will support. It was obvious the community could not at this time support a daily newspaper.

We had been proud to be able to give our small community the daily news. But if the paper were to survive the economic downturn at all, we had to make sacrifices. After much marketing research, discussion and reflection, we concluded that a local daily paper could not survive, but a thrice-weekly paper could.

There were big changes involved. The most immediate change was to drop the Associated Press Membership. Our strength has always been local news. We pledged to fill the paper with just that -- all local, all the time. We do not apologize for the fact that we don't run national and international news -- we are proud to be a local newspaper. Our readers get their fill of national and international news on television and the Internet. There is no way we can compete with that. But we are often the only media covering local Okeechobee events. We may be their only source of news for many issues that are important to their daily lives.

While we sometimes still miss the comforting backup of an AP feed, cutting AP was the least painful of the changes.

Another big change was staffing. Much of it was done through attrition, but some employees did see their positions terminated and this was hard on everyone.

The editorial department lost two full time reporting positions, one full time production position and one part-time production position. We also converted two full time news clerk positions to part-time.

Advertising lost one full time sales position and one full time production/graphics position.

Front desk lost one full time position.

Many of the remaining staffers were asked to take on extra duties to compensate.

In the months following the switch to three days a week, we received a few complaints -- primarily about losing the comics which were not cost-effective or practical for the thrice-weekly format. One heartbreaking call came from a woman whose husband has Alzheimer's. The disruption in his schedule left him lost, since he counted his days by the arrival of the newspapers. But even she understood that the change was forced by the economic conditions.

There were plenty of positive comments and those kept our spirits up. Most readers loved the all-local coverage. They didn't miss the AP content and non-local features.

The news team redoubled their efforts to continually increase story counts and to go after stories that would grab the readers.

Eight months after we switched to thrice-daily, the paper made another big change, going from broadsheet to compact format.

The compact format helps the advertisers -- a small ad makes a bigger impact on a smaller page. And readers reaction has been positive. Readers tell us they actually read more of the paper now because the new modular design and smaller pages make it easier to consume the paper is small bits. The modular layout draws the reader in. The smaller pages make it much easier to "package" a page with just one story with photos or a group of related short stories and photos.

Credit for the success goes to the hard work of the staffers -- who literally do more with less. Stories have to be tightly written and edited. I often edit right on the page to make everything fit and to pack as much into each page and into each edition of the newspaper as we can.

Readers often ask me, if the economy improves, will we add more days of publication back? And I tell them that if the market produces sufficient advertising to support it, of course we will. We pledge to give the community the best newspaper it will support.

But of course, there are also fundamental shifts going on the news and information business as newspapers everywhere search for more sustainable journalistic models, so it may be that Okeechobee will never again support a daily newspaper of its own.

To keep our "daily" news production going, the Okeechobee News recently entered the "blogosphere" with staff-written blogs on newszap.com. Even though we no longer print a newspaper seven days a week, we can still get the news out to those community members who join us online.

This summer, the Okeechobee News also plans to reduce our office size. The newspaper office was originally four office units. We are giving of those units up, and as it happens, the unit we are giving up is more than 50 percent of the news department's office space. (The unit next door to it is already vacant and the new tennant will occupy both.) It's going to get a little tight and we have to be brutal about what we keep and what we sell or throw out, but we are determined to make it work.

The editorial news team includes myself, Eric Kopp, Pete Gawda and Charles Murphy.

Three days of the week, I am usually in the office editing stories, supervising and helping with production. On the luxurious non-production days I gather news, help research stories, take photos, meet with community members and help reporters come up with story ideas. And if someone is out sick or we have a large paper, or unexpected breaking news, I also do whatever has to be done to get the paper to press on deadline.

I also serve as Executive Editor for the INI Florida Group and recently joined the blogosphere with the new newszap.com blogs with "Life in Okeechobee."

Eric Kopp covers cops and courts as well as investigative reporting. He tackles the tough stories with relish. Eric writes the Okeechobee -- Cops and Courts blog.

Pete Gawda has the government and the environmental beats, writes features, and does a weekly column with news from local churches. Pete writes the Okeechobee - Local government blog.

Charles Murphy is our sports reporter who is rarely seen in the office. Under a special agreement, Charles also works for the local radio station. In the mornings, he is on the air with his local news show. In the evenings, he covers high school, middle school and recreation department sports for the Okeechobee News. Charles works from home and emails his stories and photos in.

Charles also writes "The Murphy Report" blog -- which includes sports as well as a potporri of news he gathers from around the community in his daily travels.

With the loss of the positions previously held by our school and business reporters, we juggle the business and school news stories.

News production is shared by Dee Hamilton, Teresa Mataushek and Diane Timmons.

Dee, the only full time staffer in the group, handles a lot of different duties. In addition to processing community submissions and helping to build pages for the Okeechobee News, she also handles the community submitted editorial copy and photos for the Immokalee Bulletin and the Caloosa Belle. Most weeks, Dee gathers the entire editorial content of the Bulletin -- thanks to a small army of volunteers she has worked hard to recruit and maintain. Teresa, who started nursing school in January, was previously a fulltime staffer, now only works three afternoons a week. Diane Timmons, also a part-timer, works four afternoons a week. Diane stays busy proofing copy and building pages. A computer whiz, she's also often found helping out other editorial staffers who aren't quite sure what they did wrong but the computer isn't doing what they meant it to do.

Okeechobee News Advertising

By Judy Kasten
Advertising Director, Okeechobee News

Ad sales team -- Kay Sheedy, Diana Whitehall, Linda Bridges and Judy Kasten

Adverting graphics seated Kristina Schwartz, standing Ann Hines (not pictured is Ginny Guy)

Front desk/advertising support: standing Angie Bridges and Selena Eubanks; seated Jean McNeeley

The Okeechobee News advertising department includes the sales team: Kay Sheedy, Linda Bridges and Diana Whitehall. Angie Bridges is office manager and does order entry. Kay has been with the Okeechobee News for 12 ½ years and handles coastal automotive accounts, financial accounts and real estate accounts. She also sells and coordinates the production of our monthly real estate magazine.

Linda Bridges joined our staff a year ago, having been in retail ad sales for another local publication. Linda handles a mix of medical and retail accounts.

Diana Whitehall joined the Okeechobee sales team in 2005 and has been in advertising sales for 17 years, a transplant from Illinois. Angie Bridges joined the Okeechobee News circulation department 10 ½ ago and has worked with the circ team and also as customer service representative in our front office before moving to the ad team.

The advertising graphics team includes Kristina Schwartz, who has been with us 2 1/2 years and Ann Hines, who has been with INI for 15 ½ years. The graphics team is overseen by Ginny Guy who also builds ads and steps in wherever needed in addition to her pre-press and tech support roles.

Jean McNeeley, who has been with us for 4 ½ years and Selena Eubanks, who joined us last year, are our front office customer service ladies. Selena also handles retail advertising for the south lake package and our other FL papers, backs up Angie Bridges for order entry and handles classified ad sales for the Okeechobee News.

Tough economic times have created difficult sales conditions for the ad team but this team of veteran advertising sales professionals is up to the challenge. The conversion to compact format has offered a new look and size and added impact for each of our accounts and the paper itself has a fresh new look with all local content.

With the unprecedented challenges due to the severe economic downturn, there is the need to look even more aggressively for new advertising venues and opportunities to help our clients grow their businesses. A recent one, Meet Your Local Merchants, was quite successful in bringing 16 pages of new revenue into our paper. We have managed to hold the lion’s share of the real estate advertising for our area as well, but this is obviously an especially tough category in Florida as is the Automotive sector. One current project is a community awareness page for July 4th followed by an Okeechobee County school information guide, but we are actively seeking to provide advertising solutions to as many clients as possible throughout our market.

Circulation

Circulation director Janet Madray and circulation assistant Doug Powell.

The Okeechobee News circulation effort is staffed by veteran circulation manager Janet Madray and circulation assistant Doug Powell. The entire Florida circulation operation is handled in centralized fashion by Janet and Doug with support from the reader service and distribution team in Delaware, as well as the front office teams in our weekly offices. All other distribution is performed by independent contractors. Over the last couple of years, Janet has contracted out as much of our distribution work as possible for maximum efficiency and lowest cost. While the distribution department is considerably smaller then it once was, it remains the critical link to our all-important print readers and providing topnotch service to readers remains job one.

Established in 1915, the Okeechobee News is the longest continuing business in Okeechobee County. With innovation, techology and a lot of hard work we plan to keep that status for many years to come.

COVERING IMMOKALEE: High Touch Coverage Done Remotely

“It's quite amazing that a weekly could remain so timely in its reporting of needed information” Diane Christianson iTECH (Immokalee Technical Center)

“We all LOVE the Immokalee Bulletin at The Shelter for Abused Women & Children, Immokalee Outreach Office. Not only does it provide our community with information about events that happened or future events, we get to read about local heroes. Neither the Naples Daily News nor the News-Press can provide that 'hometown' news that the Bulletin does. Thank you so much.” Mary Ann Green/Collier County Shelter for Abused Women & Children

“I am exceptionally pleased with our Collier County Health Department’s relationship with you and the Immokalee Bulletin. We feel the Bulletin is the primary source of media information for residents and visitors to Immokalee. Our public health messages are usually very important messages dealing with the health and safety of our community; knowing the Bulletin is always willing to help us share our messages is invaluable to us in public health! Thank you for your ongoing service to our community!” Deb Millsap, Director of Nutrition/Health Education Collier County Health Department

The above quotes give testament to the vibrant and active role the Immokalee Bulletin plays in the life of this rural southwest Florida community. Our paper is a 3,500 circulation free weekly serving this unique agricultural community on the edge of the Everglades and 35 miles inland from the affluent city of Naples. Due to its remote location and limited economic base, we have learned that our old models of full time staff in the community are not possible in Immokalee. In fact, it has been quite some time since we have had any employees actually stationed in Immokalee. Yet, as seen in the comments above, we are producing a news product that is vital and useful to the community. How do we do it?

The piece below by Dee Hamilton (along with editor Katrina Elsken) tells how, and offers some lessons for covering communities remotely. Dee works in Okeechobee, over 100 miles from Immokalee, but keeps in close touch with community sources and contacts via email and phones. My perception is that it works very well. In my visits to Immokalee, I find that some folks in the community actually assume Dee actually is in the community since she is so dialed into what’s going on.

Working with Caloosa Belle news editor Patty Brant who is stationed 30 miles from Immokalee, Dee proves that that you don’t always have to be physically present in a community to be ‘high touch’. In a time when we are actively searching for more sustainable journalistic models, there are some things emerging from our Immokalee experience that we can hopefully all take away. Read on.

Tom Byrd
Florida VP

How to Influence Contacts and Embrace a Community

Getting new contacts – and keeping them

By Dee Hamilton
INI FL News Department

Immokalee Bulletin editorial desk

The Immokalee Bulletin looks like many other weekly newspapers. The front page usually features a photo of a local event -- photos that include lots of faces are popular page one items. The inside pages are packed with local news and photos.

What's unusual about the Immokalee Bulletin is that many weeks the entire paper is filled by community submissions. The newspaper has no editorial staff on site. Yet, despite the fact the Immokalee Bulletin does not have a local office and does not have any onsite staffers, the people of Immokalee embrace it as "their" newspaper.

Getting people to respond to requests for submitted materials is a tricky task. People are busy with work, school and other responsibilities and everyone counts on "the other guy" to do it.

Nearly every agency, organization and club has some need to "get the word out" at one time or another. The best way to do that is to show people (readers) what they missed. Some organization funding counts heavily on attendance to events or functions and letting their local news publication know about it can help.

Well written articles speak to a local audience when describing what an organization can do for a small community, but photos speak loudly.

The question is, "How to get them to send them in?" The most obvious answer is to just, ASK. Once isn't enough. Ask often.

Key people in any community can really help get the ball rolling. Local club and business members are for the most part, involved in their local community. They stay active in volunteer organizations, school events, civic committees and even local festivals, fairs, etc. There is always someone at every event and club meeting with a camera and/or taking notes.

Email is the choice of communication these days and just like the days of using the phone to make contacts, people are waiting for a return phone call. Return emails just the same.

The copy desk in Okeechobee first started working on the Immokalee Bulletin in May 2006.

After nearly 15,000 emails, sent out since May 12, 2006 to anyone submitting photos, stories, news of events, etc., we've focused on communication, consistent follow up, appreciation and respect.

COMMUNICATION: If you want people to send in local news, you have to ask. Local members of the key organizations including: Rotary, Kiwanis, School Board, Churches, etc. within the local area can be great contacts. Town and county Web sites can be a great help. We searched the internet for web site for or about Immokalee and compiled a list of email addresses. We called all known community contacts, those who had previously submitted news to the paper and asked for their email information, and for that of any other community organizations they might know. Then we "shot-gunned" emails to every address we could find, asking for submissions to the Immokalee Bulletin.

CONSISTENT FOLLOW UP: Every email from a community contributor must be answered. Sometimes we respond with follow-up questions. Sometimes it's simply a "thanks!"Every response also includes a request for more submissions.

APPRECIATION: People who take the trouble to submit news want to know that you appreciate it and that you will use it.

When emails are received, answer every single one and invite them to submit more for future editions. Be sure to let readers know that the time that they took to submit something is appreciated. And...if you say that something will be used, be prepared to use it in a timely manner. Trust of a contact can be either lost or strengthened. People just want to know if you received whatever it was that they took the time to submit. Sometimes just a simple "Thank you" is enough, however, depending on what is sent in, a simple request for more will bring on lots of great input for current and future editions.

If for some reason you can't use what they send, let them know why. For example, "Thank you for the photos. However, the resolution is too low to reproduce well in the newspaper. Can you please resend at a resolution of at least 180 dpi?" Developing good, dependable local contacts takes consistent follow up. Without annoying your contacts, a simple "All Call" for local stories, photos, etc. by way of email, invites the community to make the paper their own. Let anyone submitting material know that their story or photo are always welcome, especially when replying to an email.

Many emails that we get have contact information at the bottom of them, especially if they are from a local government office, school or organization officer. Record this information from the emails along with a note on what they send in (ie. photos, events, etc.) to develop a resources file. Although editorial is technically not a position of "sales," we do have to help in encouraging community members including local business owners, to believe in what we deliver. That’s where only quality input comes in.

Small communities such as we service, seem to be more than happy to hand in photos and stories that they write. We just need to "ask" for them.

Communication with sources is also an opportunity to promote our website. Each time you reply to an email, remind them they can post their news online.

With the new compact format, a recent concern is having room for everything. It would be easy to fill up a page with one long item. The editor's job is to provide a balance of news. Submitted items must often be edited down to the essential information so that a greater variety of items can be in the paper. When you have to shorten an item for the paper, remind the sender that Post Your News on newszap.com does not have the same space limitations. You can post as much as you want on Post Your News.

RESPECT: Our community contributors help us because they care about their community. It is important that we respect them enough to care too, and to give the paper the same care and consideration that we give papers in larger communities.

Executive Editor, Katrina Elsken also contributed to this article

Delaware State News wins chamber’s ‘Outstanding Partnership’ recognition

Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce/Gina Aurora

Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce Past Chairman Alan Kovitz (center) presents Delaware State News managing editor Andrew West (left) and Delaware State News President/Publisher Ed Dulin (right) with the Annual Chairman’s Outstanding Partnership Award.

The Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce awarded the “Chairman’s Outstanding Partnership Award” to the Delaware State News.

Outgoing chairman Alan Kovitz surprised INI President Ed Dulin and Delaware State News Managing Editor Andy West with the honor at the annual Chairman’s Dinner June 18 at the Sheraton.

Mr. Kovitz praised the Delaware State News for printing the chamber’s weekly column, for the newspaper’s work on the Diamond State BBQ/Big Boys Toys Show program and $100 coupon advertising program for chamber members.

The blue glass trophy will be placed on display in the awards case on the second floor landing of the Delaware State News office.

Readers keep contributing

By Charlene Patti Bisson
Publisher
West Valley Independents

There is no doubt that we – along with the entire newspaper industry – do not have the staffing we had five years ago.

Fortunately, Independent Newspapers, unlike many of our competitors, believes in letting our community dictate our inside pages, which in our tough economic times has been a blessing.

Our company philosophy has always been let “our inside pages be overflowing with ‘refrigerator’ news items and photos submitted by readers”.

Some competitors may scoff, but this grassroots approach has built a devoted readership and strong niche over the years. Our biggest proof of success has been our voluntary pay program as well as circulation starts – our phones are always ringing.

We are in a deep recession – and our readers know it. Some have written to us: “Hang in there!” They continue to support their hometown newspapers even though their monthly income has taken a tremendous hit.

Our fall and winter voluntary pay programs have received tens of thousands of dollars. Our June campaign is approaching these figures now.

Our readers appreciate knowing what is going on in their own backyard. Their local events thrive on the coverage we give them.

Here is what the community is saying:

“Great newspaper for our own local news and like the letters to the editor and the short unsigned letters are interesting,” Blanche Alpert of Sun City.

Joan Smith wrote she appreciated how we keep up to date on the local happenings in Sun City West.

“You report an unbiased opinion, which is most refreshing,” Clarrisa J. Cline of Sun City.

“Fine paper. Love the articles by Rusty Bradshaw and Jeremy Carr,” Paul Zaleski.

We also have our critics, but they want to see quality journalism at its best and still donate in hopes we can meet their needs.

Refrigerator journalism allows our news editors to focus on investigating larger issues that are important to the community, because our editors know the community’s contributions have our inside pages covered.

Delaware State News Teams Up to Win Big

The Delaware State News Advertising and Graphics teams had great success with the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association 2008 Advertising Contest. Pictured left-to-right is Heather Cregar with graphic artists Cyndy Paquette, Olivia Littleton, Angi Hicks, and Jeff Carney.

Delmarva Classified Advertising team with assistance from the Retail Advertising team and the Dover Graphics team was recognized in the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association 2008 Advertising Contest for the “Santa’s Gift Bag” themed feature page.

Pictured left-to-right, front row, Heather Carver, Vicki Rosado, back row, Janet Levy, Dianna Sellers, Karla Akmentins, and Jen Wright.

By Heather Cregar

The Delaware State News Advertising and Graphics teams had great success with the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association 2008 Advertising Contest and celebrated their winnings in true Delaware style under a tent with balloons, banners, subs, sodas, cookies, and of course, laughs and good fun.

The annual MDDC Advertising Contest offers newspapers from throughout the region the opportunity to compete head-to-head with other newspapers from the same circulation division. The awards recognize creativity and originality in advertising design and features categories such as retail, real estate, recruitment, house ads, niche publications, special sections, house promotions and others.

One team award that stood out for the Delaware State News was a first place for the “Santa’s Gift Bag” themed feature page. This page was championed by the Classified Advertising team with assistance from the Retail Advertising team and the Dover Graphics team. The judges comments on this page were, “Nice layout and spacing. Good variety of advertisers.” Graphic Artist Jeff Carney deserves an added “pat on the back” for his design work on the header, page layout and sales flyers for this promotion. In addition to the first place award for this page, the Delaware State News also took home a “best in show” award. This award pits the first place winners of all circulation categories against each other for the coveted “best in show” standing. The State News beat out the Washington Times, The Catholic Review and the Milford Beacon to bring it home to Delaware.

The Sussex County Profile magazine was again recognized as a high quality publication with a 3^rd place award for Niche Publications produced by daily publications under 35,000 circulation. This award was shared by the Delaware State News and Sussex teams of News & Layout, Retail & Classified Advertising and Graphics. Independent Newspapers has published this glossy, full color magazine since 1997. The success grows each year and 2010 will see the addition of a Kent County Profile magazine.

The Classified Advertising team shared a second place award with the Graphics Team for their popular Community Service advertising “Adopt-A-Pet.” This monthly page features photos of dogs, cats and sometimes pigs and horses for adoption at the local SPCA. Local businesses sponsor each pet’s block, and a clever saying completes the design of each advertisement making this page a readers’ favorite every month. A special “pat on the back” goes to Graphic Artist Angi Hicks who designed the page and regularly does the layout.

Another team award was for the “Super Bowl XLII” page put together by the Retail & Classified Advertising teams, the Graphics Team and Sports & Layout. This fun-filled page was framed by ads from local businesses and featured local “celebrities” and dignitaries picking their favorite team to win the Super Bowl Trophy. For this themed page, the teams shared a 3^rd place win --- garnering two prizes in the Themed Feature Page category.

Graphic Artist Cyndy Paquette and Advertising & Promotions Coordinator Heather Cregar also teamed up to win a 3^rd place award in the Print Promotion of Newspaper category for the “Feel The Roar” rack cards promoting the Delaware State News race contest.

A surprise award was presented to Barbara Drummer from Kohl’s Department Stores in recognition of the Delaware State News’ error-free preprint distribution for the 2008 calendar year. This is the third year that the Delaware State News and the Delaware Printing Company have received this award – every year that Kohl’s has been doing business with our company.

Other MDDC Advertising Awards were also presented to the following individuals:

• Olivia Littleton, Graphic Artist
• 1^st Place – Local Retail Color, Less than ½ page – Delaware State News – Forney’s Too – “The Bunny Trail”
• 1^st Place – Ad Campaign or Series – Delaware State News – For Dreamers Gallery
• 2^nd Place – Promotion Ads – Delaware State News – “Create it Yourself”
• Angi Hicks, Graphic Artist
• 2^nd Place – Ad Campaign or Series – Delaware State News – Sharon Hills/Odd Fellows Cemeteries – “Prearranging Your Funeral”
• 3^rd Place – Local Retail Color, Less than ½ page – Crisfield Times - Racks Sports Bar – “Halloween After Party”
• Cyndy Paquette, Graphics Artist
• 3^rd Place – Local Automotive, B&W or Color – Delaware State News – Townsend Bros. Chevrolet – “No Matter the Season…”

Angi Hicks

ANNIVERSARY PROFILE
10 YEARS

Name: Angela “Angi” Hicks

Newspaper: Delaware State News

Position: Graphic Specialist

Number of years in the newspaper or printing business: 10 years

Job description: Providing ad layout and graphic support for the Delmarva Papers. Also designing ads for newszap.com

What I like best (about my job): It’s never the same day twice. Everyday brings new and exciting challenges and the potential to learn something new.

Most memorable moment with INI: It was of course with Newshound! One year at the Sandcastle Contest I helped dress the Newshound in a group of bushes in the middle of a parking lot while people were walking all around us. A few adults noticed but said nothing as they hurried their children along.

Hobbies/Interests: I love art of any kind. I usually take field trips to the National Gallery in DC a few times a year. I am also a huge music junkie – I will listen to anything I can get my hands on. Most people can tell you I never leave the house without my ipod.

Fun fact (about myself): I helped put myself through college by being a nanny for a family with four boys; ages ranging from newborn to 11. While with the family I learned Hebrew with the older boys and how cute the two babies could be when charming the Nuns of the college I was attending.

Jaclyn Fuller

ANNIVERSARY PROFILE
5 YEARS

Name: Jaclyn Fuller

Division: Delaware Printing Company

Position: Sales Manager

Number of years in the newspaper or printing business: Technically since birth. My mother was in the newspaper industry for more than 20 years so I have had a number of newspaper positions throughout my lifetime. I have done everything from delivering newspapers, freelance photography, building a multi-tiered customer retention program for circulation, marketing, and sales for both newspapers/commercial printing.

Job description: New Business Development for our commercial printing operation in the North East.

What I like best (about my job): I love finding and selling potential clients as well as interacting with our current customers. It’s rewarding to hear the success stories of our clients as a result of our press technology and the services we provide.

Most memorable moment with INI: The first sales I made at DSN and DPC are by far the most memorable moments.

Hobbies/Interests: Traveling, gardening, golfing, watching football, sleeping, I love going to the Beach, and spending time with my husband Ryan and daughter Elyse.

Fun fact (about myself): I am expecting my second child at the end of July!

Tim Spong

ANNIVERSARY PROFILE
15 YEARS

Name: Timothy A. “Tim” Spong

Newspaper: Delaware State News

Position: Editorial assistant for DSN opinion pages and online public-issues forums

Number of years in the newspaper or printing business: 15

Job description: Prepare guest commentaries and letters to the editor for print and online publication. Glean online public-issues-forum postings and adapt for use as “Hot Topics” in DSN. Also prepare religion calendar and briefs from submission in all forms, and other briefs from paper submissions. For time being, also prepare police and fire briefs.

What I like best (about my job): Keeping current with significant public issues.

Hobbies/Interests: Music in many forms, including playing keyboard instruments and singing (tenor) in church choir; dabbling in surfing (though rarely get up), sailing and bicycling.

Fun fact (about myself): (I used this before 5 or 10 years ago, but haven’t thought of anything more appropriate) Nicknames by which I have been known at various points in my life include “Doc,” “Professor,” “Sponge,” “Tiger” and “Timmy Turtle.”