Michael C. Bird will become publisher of the Times Observer (Warren, Pennsylvania). Bird has been a publisher of community newspapers for Ogden Newspapers for more than 20 years and has been the publisher of The Post-Journal (Jamestown, New York) for the last 14 years.

Cox Enterprises has named Steve Rowley as the new president of Cox Automotive, effective Aug. 3. Cox Automotive includes the brands Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, Dealertrack, vAuto and Manheim. He takes over for President and CEO Sandy Schwartz, who moves to a role as CEO of the Cox Family Office. Keith Holmes, Cox Communications' senior vice president of residential sales, will become EVP, Cox Business.

Bill Parsons, publisher of the Porterville Recorder (California), has announced his retirement, effective this month. Josie Chapman, director of operations for the past year and a half, will assume the duties of general manager.

On Saturday, July 25, 2020, our family and community lost a precious gem when Mrs. Delores Nesmith, fondly known as Deeda, of Tampa FL, left this earth to be with her heavenly Father.  Mrs. Nesmith was born in Washington, DC and was a loving wife, a dedicated mother, a trusted friend and a pillar of the communities where she lived.  Through her volunteerism, she enhanced the lives of many working with the community and several Organizations in the Newspaper Industry.

Deloresis survived by her devoted husband Mr. Alvin Nesmith.  They have three children who were her pride and joy, Telana, Marcell (Celina) and Kenneth (Thareen); six grandchildren whom she greatly adored.

Her rich legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of everyone she interacted with, as well as those she reached and never met. Support the organizations Delores loved by sharing the kindness, loyalty, compassion and generosity she demonstrated for so many years by making a donation in her honor to the Pinellas County Chapter of the National Urban League www.pcul.org. 

The family will be receiving guests to pay their respects and express condolences on August 6, 2020 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at Blount and Curry Funeral Home, 6802 Silvermill Drive, Tampa, Florida (813-814-4444). Share your memories of Deeda at www.blountcurrywest.com. Funeral Services will be held on August 7, 2020 at 11:00am at Bible Based Fellowship Church, 4811 Ehrlich Road, Tampa, FL (813-264-4050) under Pastor Anthony C. White.   As a result of the COVID-19 environment, guests will be limited, and the Church will live-stream the service at https://biblebasedmedia.thechurchonline.com.Those who will be attending any of the services will be required to wear a mask and engage in social distancing.  Also, out of respect for everyone, if you are showing any signs of sickness, please do not join us, as the family will be having a Memorial Service in the future when it is safe to have a large gathering in celebration of Delores’ (Deeda) abundant life. Thank you.

Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division has announced the promotion and expanded role of Rich Rindo to vice president, U.S. sales, commercial print strategy and business development.

The New York Times announced that Meredith Kopit Levien, the paper's chief operating officer, will become its next president and chief executive officer. Levien will succeed Mark Thompson, who has served as CEO since 2012, on Sept. 8. Levien joined The Times in 2013 as head of advertising and was promoted to executive vice president and chief revenue officer in 2015. In 2017, she was named COO

Shannon J. Allen has been named publisher of The Sand Mountain Reporter (Albertville, Alabama).

Leona Allen, a longtime editor at The Dallas Morning News, has been promoted to deputy publisher responsible for diversity and inclusion across the company.

Robert Patchen Jr., publisher of the Times Observer of Warren (Pennsylvania) since 2010, will be taking a new position in the Ogden Newspapers, publisher of The Minot Daily News (North Dakota).

Fujifilm Canada has announced the promotion of Stephane Blais to the newly created position of vice president, Graphic Systems and Technical Services Divisions.

Marshall News Messenger (Texas) publisher Jerry Pye has announced his retirement at the end of the summer. Pye has served as publisher of the News Messenger for more than six years.

Savannah Morning news executive Michael Traynor has left the organization as part of a Gannett management restructuring. Traynor had led the publication and the SavannahNow.com website since 2008, first as publisher and then as market leader.

Barrett C. Shelton, longtime Decatur Daily (Alabama) publisher, has died. 

Andreas Plesske has been appointed management board spokesman (Vorstandssprecher) for Germany-based Koenig & Bauer, effective Jan. 1, 2021. The company’s board appointed him to the position, which he will hold until the end of 2025. Plesske succeeds Claus Bolza-Schunemann, who is leaving the board on Dec. 31 after reaching the designated retirement age.

John Phillipp Graf, former owner and publisher of the weekly Galesville Republican (Wisconsin), has died at 69. Graf sold the paper in 2011 to News Publishing, which merged it with the Whitehall Times and Arcadia News-Leader to form the Trempealeau County Times.

Kendra Majors has been named regional publisher of The Andalusia Star-News, The Atmore Advance, and The Brewton Standard and associated print and digital products. All three newspapers are affiliates of Boone Newspapers, headquartered in Tuscaloosa.

Robert Granfeldt has been named general manager of the Midland Reporter-Telegram and Texas Panhandle properties for Hearst Communications. The Panhandle properties include the Plainview Herald, Muleshoe Journal and Canyon News.

Tricia Miller has been named editor and publisher of The Missourian (Washington, Missouri). Miller will replace Bill Miller Sr., who has retired after 67 years with the paper. She comes to the paper after 33 years with the St. Louis Business Journal.

Better Newspapers announced the promotions of Scott Hoskins to MetroEast regional manager, Katrina Crabtree to corporate business manager, and Emilee Hutman (of Scott Air Force Base) to corporate account executive. Better Newspapers is headquartered in Mascoutah, Illinois, and is made up of 24 weekly publications in Illinois and Missouri.

Rodney Mahone, who as publisher of the McClatchy-owned Charlotte Observer

also oversaw some of the company’s South Carolina papers, was named president of the company’s Georgia markets. Mahone will lead sales teams across McClatchy’s 30 markets, driving revenue to support essential local journalism not only in Georgia, but company media properties such as the Miami Herald and Kansas City Star. He will no longer be the Observer’s publisher. Editor Sherry Chisenhall was named president of the Observer and the (Rock Hill) Herald, and will remain as editor. She’s the former editor of the Wichita (Kansas) Eagle.

Steve Coffman, executive editor of the McClatchy-owned Fort Worth Star-Telegram, will remain in that position while also taking on the role of company president.

Publishing systems specialist Peter Marsh has died following a battle with cancer.

Formerly vice president of marketing at Naviga - formerly Newscycle Solutions - he died on Friday (May 22) after battling an aggressive brain tumour for the past several months.

He joined the then-Newscycle in 2013 from Atex, where he was senior vice president of global product management. With more than 30 years' experience in the media industry, he was previously chief executive of 5 Fifteen Inc., Founder and chief executive of Deadline Data Systems and vice president of web development at Ebsco Publishing. He held a Bachelor of Science degree, Summa Cum Laude, from Boston University's College of Communications.

He also served as chairman of the board of directors at Samaritans, a non-profit organisation dedicated to suicide prevention, based in Boston.

Donations can be made to the brain tumor association in tribute to Peter at  https://give.abta.org/fundraiser/2776918

Terrie Baker has been named regional publisher for Lee Enterprises with responsibility for the Grand Island Independent, Kearney Hub and Lexington Clipper-Herald (Nebraska). Baker has served as the publisher of the Grand Island Independent since August.

Dan York, former chief content officer at DirecTV and MediaPlay News “Digital Driver,” has been named CEO of Cox Media Group. York will be responsible for all aspects of managing the company’s media platforms and will oversee CMG’s long-term strategic priorities.

Charles F. “Chuck” Champion has been named president and CEO of the California News Publishers Association, a newly created position. Champion is the former publisher of papers in Santa Clarita and Pasadena and a top executive with large circulation papers in Chicago (Sun-Times), Philadelphia (Inquirer), Orange County (Register) and Los Angeles (Daily News). He was head of CNPA’s board when he was asked to assume the responsibilities of long-time executive director Tom Newton, who retired after 30 years.

Steve Pruett, who was interim CEO, will continue as executive chairman of CMG.

Bill Atkinson, publisher of The Meridian Star (Mississippi), has left the paper to devote more of his time to sister newspapers in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky. The Meridian Star will begin the search for his successor. 

Ben Campbell has been named publisher of The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), continuing a 99-year tradition of Campbell family ownership of the newspaper into its fourth generation. The transition was made official by Scott Campbell, who will become the company’s non-executive chairman of the board. Longtime Columbian circulation executive Rachel Rose was named as the newspaper’s new circulation director, succeeding Ben Campbell.

William J. Keating, who spent three decades as an Ohio newspaper executive after leaving Congress in the 1970s, has died. He was 93. He was a judge, a city councilman, congressman, publisher of the Cincinnati Enquirer and chairman of the Associated Press. He also worked with Gannett, where he served as general counsel, a regional newspaper president and helped with the joint operating agreement between Detroit’s major dailies.

The Chicago Sun-Times boosted two top bosses Friday with the promotion of interim CEO Nykia Wright to CEO and editor-in-chief Chris Fusco to executive editor.