Industry Change Agents
Contact the executive committee for more info
Mark Hall
ING Vice President, Regional Manufacturing Director Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: markhall@postmedia.com
As Regional manufacturing Director Mark has responsibility for Production and Prepress operations in Ontario Canada including the Islington centralized commercial production and packaging facility in Toronto. Mark has 37 years of involvement in the industry. Starting with print and paper in Africa before expanding into Newspapers in Canada where he has covered IT and production, leading technological changes in workflows and manufacturing.
Wayne D. Pelland
Senior Vice President of Operations, Gannett
Contact: wpelland@gatehousemedia.com
Prior to joining GateHouse Media, Mr. Pelland served as the Senior Vice President – Operations at the Providence Journal Company, Mr. Pelland was responsible for Printing, Print and Distribution Sales, Distribution, Single Copy, Home Delivery, Inserting, Mechanical Support, and the Building Facilities departments. Mr. Pelland joined the Providence Journal in 1989 as a staff Industrial Engineer. He has completed engineering and process studies in all major operating departments including Advertising, Circulation, Distribution, News and Operations. In 1990 he was promoted to the position of Manager of Industrial Engineering. Mr. Pelland directed the analysis, research and implementation of the Journal’s Circulation/Distribution/Printing network and much of that analysis has continued to support the Journal’s Distribution and Print businesses. In 1995, he was promoted to Assistant Director of Operations with the responsibility to consolidate the evening and morning newspapers. He became Director of Operations in 1998, Vice President in 2003 and Senior Vice President in 2009. Under his direction as SVP the Providence Journal has expanded its printing and distribution to include over 11 daily and many weekly newspapers and has received a number of awards for distribution including the top-performing home delivery partner for USAToday. Mr. Pelland graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1981 (B.S. Industrial Engineering) and completed his MBA at the University of Rhode Island in 1993. Prior to joining the Providence Journal Company, he completed eight years of naval service as a nuclear-trained submarine officer and worked as a consultant in the defense industry. He also serves on the board of Trustees for Saint Elizabeth Community, a leading skilled nursing home and advocate for the elderly in Rhode Island. He resides with his wife, Doreen, in Saunderstown, Rhode Island.
Kevin Desmond
ING Secretary Sr. Vice President, Operations Star Tribune Media Company
Contact: kevin.desmond@startribune.com
Since 2007, Kevin Desmond has worked for the Star Tribune Media Company. In his role as Senior Vice President of Operations, he is responsible for Manufacturing, Facilities, and Information Technology. Prior to Star Tribune, Kevin was Vice President of Operations at St. Paul Pioneer Press. Before coming to the Twin Cities in 2004, he was Vice President of Operations at Wichita Eagle. Kevin has a Master’s Degree in Business Management and Administration from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Massachusetts.
Tom Travis
ING Treasurer Vice President, Production & Distribution Sports Information Group
Contact: ttravis@drf.com
Tom Travis joined the Sports Information Group as Vice President of Production in 2009 and added responsibility for Distribution in 2011. He started his career nearly 40 years ago at the Miami Herald in 1974 and has worked for such companies as Knight-Ridder, E.W. Scripps and Gannett. He served as Vice President of Production at The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) as well as Vice President of Operations at The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) and at The Ventura (CA) County Star. Tom holds an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from California Lutheran University. He previously served as Chair of the NEXPO Planning Committee, a Board Member of the Louisville Downtown Management District and on the Advisory Board to the Dean of the Carlson Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis.
Steve Mattingly
ING Program Chairman Senior Vice President Southern Lithoplate
Contact: smattingly@slp.com
Steve Mattingly has his BSBC from the University of Louisville with emphasis on Marketing/Finance – Highest Honors. Steve’s professional background includes M&M/Mars, Banking, Consulting, and now 30 years with Southern Lithoplate. He is passionate about industry engagement and is actively involved as an APTech/PRIMIR Board Member, as well as the ING board serving as Program and Marketing Chair. With an eye for the future, he serves as an APTech PRIMR Research executive committee member. Most recently he has co-chaired APTech PRIMR studies, The Economics of Print 2014, The Future of Print in the US 2016, the Worldwide Printing Industry Consumables Usage and Trends Study 2017 and Evolution of Print in the Cross Generation World of Information Media 2018. In his role as a Certified Professional Coach, he recently published a white paper on Enlightened Coaching. In his spare time, he is a Certified Master Diver. Steve is has been involved with the acquisitions and integrations of DuPont Imperial, Spectratech Int’l., CitiPlate, 3M/Imation, most recently Konica Minolta/American Lithoplate. A proud & blessed father, father-in-law, grandfather and husband, Steve’s motto is family first.
Todd Socia
Senior Vice President Print Products & Services New York Times
Todd Socia joined the New York Times in 2005, and is currently Senior Vice President – Print Products & Services. He has responsibility for The Times College Pt Production facility in NY, 27 National Print sites, Nationwide Distribution & Transportation, Magazine Production, Newsprint purchasing, and all Prepress Departments. Prior to joining the New York Times, Todd held the position of Vice President, Newspaper Division for both Lastra America and Western Lithotech. He is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in Newspaper Operations Management.
Gary Blakeley
CEO of PAGE Cooperative
Prior to joining PAGE Cooperative in March of 2019, Gary was the Director of Global Service and Technical Support for Southern Lithoplate (SLP) with responsibility for leadership of the Service Team, segment profitability & new business development. Gary joined SLP in January of 2014 from Olive Software where he was the General Manager, responsible for onshore and offshore operations as well as overall sales growth. Gary spent the majority of his career working for Freedom Communications as the VP of Operations for the Gazette in Colorado Springs and as the Senior Director of Group Purchasing, Production & Chief Safety Officer for Freedom Communications Corporate. Gary was an OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer for the General Industry Standard from 2009 – 2019.
John Corcoran
Vice President US Ink
John Corcoran is Vice President of Sales for US Ink. He has been with US Ink / Sun Chemical for over 39 years. In his career with US Ink/ Sun Chemical he has had the opportunity to work in manufacturing, technical and sales. The majority of his career has been spent in sales covering the Newspaper, Heatset Publication markets. John is currently responsible for Sales, National Account and Product Management for US Ink.
Clarence Jackson
Director, Sustainable Supply Chain Cox Enterprises, INC.
Clarence is currently the Director, Sustainable Supply Chain at Cox Enterprises. He’s responsible for the development and implementation of innovative strategies for Cox’s Corporate Sustainability programs involving company suppliers, industry partners, and various community entities. Prior to his role at Cox Enterprises, he served as the Senior Director of Operations for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the flagship newspaper for Cox Enterprises. At the AJC, Clarence led all maintenance, safety/security, facilities, and the newspaper inserting and transportation operation. He directed all capital projects and budgets for the AJC. He also managed all of the waste and recycling operations for the newspaper and led the AJC to be the first Cox facility and first newspaper in the country to be certified as Zero Waste to Landfill, by the US Zero Waste Business Council. Clarence worked continuously for over 20 years in various industries; He began his career in the US military, then worked in Bio-tech, pulp & paper, and heavy manufacturing prior to joining Cox at the Dayton Daily News in his hometown of Dayton Ohio. Clarence worked in the newspaper industry for over 14 years.
Clarence mentors junior employees in the Cox Enterprises Mentoring program. He also does youth mentoring at High schools and elementary school students in the Big Brothers program. For the past 8 years, he’s volunteered with Cox during Chattahoochee river cleanups and Atlanta Habitat for Humanity builds.
Clarence lives in the Atlanta area with his wife, Heather, and daughter Charley. They enjoy spending time outdoors and volunteering with various organizations.
Brian Karnick
Sr. Vice President of Manufacturing Tribune Publishing
Brian Karnick serves as Sr. Vice President of Manufacturing for Tribune Publishing. He oversees manufacturing operations as well as commercial production and outsource relationships for seven business units across the country. Brian has spent most of his 33-year newspaper career at the Chicago Tribune’s Freedom Center Campus. Since joining the Tribune Company, Brian has held many key management positions throughout the organization, and has spear-headed a Lean manufacturing culture, driving efficiencies throughout the organization. Karnick holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership. He is also certified in Lean Manufacturing through the Association of Manufacturing Engineers and is a Six Sigma Black Belt.
Karnick has led key transformational strategies throughout his career, most notably in driving the transition from the traditional newspaper manufacturer to a highly regarded commercial services provider.
Alvin Nesmith
Production Manager Tampa Bay Times
Alvin joined the Tampa Bay Times (formerly the St Petersburg Times) in 2003 as Press Operations Manager after 11 years at the San Jose Mercury News, where he was Director of Production. Initially, Alvin began his career at the Washington Post. Throughout his career, he managed several departments within Production. Alvin is currently the Production Manager responsible for the overall production and multiple departments including Production Services, Output Management, Platemaking, Pressroom, Newsprint Operations and the Print Shop. Alvin attended Rochester Institute and has completed several other leadership programs that have contributed greatly to his career development. Alvin serves on several Boards within the Industry and community and is proud to serve as a Board member of the International Newspaper Group (ING).
Gary Owen
Director – Sales Mailroom Solutions Muller Martini Corp
Gary Owen is a sales and marketing veteran in the newspaper and publishing industry having worked with KBA the first 23 years followed by Muller Martini the past 5 years. Prior to working sales and marketing, Gary was a Controls System Design Engineer for a variety of industries requiring customized motion control systems. His industry focus over the past several years has been to closely monitor the change in the newspaper and publishing industry and to advise customers on adapting to those changes by increasing efficiency and maximizing their production and distribution areas.
Janet Owen
VP Operations, Las Vegas Review & Journal
Janet is vice president operations for the Las Vegas Review-journal, where she has worked since the spring of 2016. That follows three years at the Register Guard in Longview, Texas, where she was vice president operations. One of the pioneering women in the newspaper production industry, Janet has worked in newspaper management at the Wall Street Journal, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News, USA Today, Eugene Register Guard and The Fresno Bee since graduating from Cal Poly too many years ago. She has leveraged a strong passion for print to expand commercial printing operations at her previous and current newspapers. Janet loves life in Las Vegas, enjoys spending time with friends, family and especially with her Golden Doodle, C.C.
Kimberly Reddington
National Director of Diversity & Strategic Alliances
Kim Reddington is the National Director of Diversity and Strategic Alliances at United Scrap Metal (USM). Currently, her main focus is expanding the company’s recycling presence within Fortune 1000 companies that are conscious of Corporate Social Responsibility while creating partnerships with both Women and Minority Owned businesses. Over her 14-year career at USM, Kim has been instrumental in the company’s geographic and revenue growth, now ranking as one of the largest Privately Owned Metal Recycling Businesses in the U.S. USM is also recognized as the largest Aluminum Lithographic Plate recycler in the country, servicing leading commercial printing and media companies in North America.Kim and USM are dedicated to preserving the earth’s precious resources through sustainability. She serves on the board of Women In Manufacturing (Illinois Chapter) and is a member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. Married with three young children, Kim resides in the Chicagoland area. In her spare time, she’s passionate about volunteering through the numerous charitable endeavors supported by USM’s active community involvement. She also enjoys swimming, biking, workout classes, and relishes long walks with her family and their two dogs.
Richard Rinehart
Corporate Director of Production McClatchy
Richard Rinehart is McClatchy’s Director of Production overseeing 28 newspapers printing, inserting and trucking. Richard joined McClatchy in 2005 as VP of Operations at the News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida and a MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Jesse Samaniego
National Sales Manager Central Ink Corporation
Currently, Jesse Samaniego is a National Sales Manager for Central Ink Corporation. He is responsible for specific National corporate accounts as well as new account development and business opportunities. Prior to Central Ink, Jesse was President and Co-Owner of Impression Inks from 1999 until 2017. In July of 2017, Impression Inks merged with Central Ink. Impression Inks was a national supplier of web offset inks for the newspaper, commercial coldweb, commercial heatset and publication markets. Prior to this, Jesse began his career in the graphic arts industry with The Ink Company from 1982 until 1999. He held the positions of production manager, plant manager and Regional Manufacturing Manager. Jesse is also on the Mid-America board and graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Management.
Ron Sams
SP Sales and Service manroland | Goss Group – NA
Ron Sams has a BBA from the University of Iowa and has spent the past 35 years in the printing industry. Ron has held various sales and sales management positions in his 11 years at Harris / Harris Graphics and 24 years at manroland – now manroland | Goss Group. Ron’s current include leading the newspaper sales and service activities for newspaper press and post press in NA and leading the sales effort for the packaging printing market segment in NA.
Jack Saunders
Vice President of Publishing Services at Gannett
Jack Saunders has been Vice President – Publishing Services at Gannett since 2017 and Vice President – National Distribution Gannett Publishing Services since September of 2011. Prior to taking that position, he was Vice President – Circulation for The Arizona Republic, a Gannett newspaper in Phoenix, Az. During his time in Phoenix, which started in 2000, he also held the title of Director of Circulation Administration.
Prior to joining The Arizona Republic, Jack held the position of Circulation Director for several papers including The Times Herald-Record in Middletown, NY, The North Jersey Herald-News in Passaic, NJ and The Daily American Republic in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Jack started his career in the newspaper industry as a District Manager at The Telegraph Herald in Dubuque, IA in 1984.
Jack was born in Newburgh, NY and attended Iowa Wesleyan College, majoring in business administration. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the East Valley in Arizona, New York State Circulation Manager’s Association and is a past president of the Circulation Manager’s Association of New Jersey. Jack is now based out of Nashville, TN. but also maintains a home in Arizona and spends part of his time operating from there.
Prior to joining The Arizona Republic, Jack held the position of Circulation Director for several papers including The Times Herald-Record in Middletown, NY, The North Jersey Herald-News in Passaic, NJ and The Daily American Republic in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Jack started his career in the newspaper industry as a District Manager at The Telegraph Herald in Dubuque, IA in 1984.
Jack was born in Newburgh, NY and attended Iowa Wesleyan College, majoring in business administration. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the East Valley in Arizona, New York State Circulation Manager’s Association and is a past president of the Circulation Manager’s Association of New Jersey. Jack is now based out of Nashville, TN. but also maintains a home in Arizona and spends part of his time operating from there.
Joseph Vincent
SVP Operations Dow Jones
Joseph Vincent is Head of Operations worldwide for Dow Jones reporting to the CEO. He started his career in the United States Navy, serving 10+ years in various roles including electronic warfare, teaching, operations, and management. After honorably fulfilling his obligation with the US Navy, he took a management position at IDAB, Inc. in Virginia as a Production and Project Manager. In this role, Joseph managed complex projects at numerous newspapers including the Washington Post, the New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Boston Globe.In 1993, he left IDAB to start his own technology / consulting business in Stockholm, Sweden. However, in 1995, the New York Times hired Joseph as a Maintenance Manager and eventually moved to Director of Operations at the College Point facility. In 2001, he was hired by the New York Post as Vice President of Operations. When News Corporation purchased Dow Jones, Mr. Vincent was named Senior Vice President of Operation for Dow Jones and the New York Post. Mr. Vincent is a graduate of Hofstra’s, MBA program. He is an avid outdoorsmen, environmentalist, and cherishes time with his family.
Doug Wilson
Vice President of Production Adams Publishing Group
Doug Wilson is Vice President of Production for Adams Publishing Group. He was promoted to the role in November 2017 and is responsible for assisting the organization’s production facilities in improving operational performance and aiding in growing commercial printing, both locally and nationally. He works collaboratively with the local Production Director and Group Publishers on capital products to ensure APG stays current with technology in the equipment arena to produce the highest quality products our customers expect.
A newspaper veteran of over 39 years, Wilson emphasizes that high quality and superior customers service are keys to success. Before joining APG via acquisition in 2016, he served as Director of Printing Operations for ECM Publishers. printing, heat set magazines and retail flyers, along with a wide range of finishing applications.
