Media group announces changes
Fox Valley Publications President Fred Lebolt has announced important changes to the senior management team at Fox Valley Publications, parent company of The Herald News, and a plan to accelerate the news group's transition to an integrated, multimedia company.
Under the reorganization, Lebolt takes on the role of president and publisher of all Fox Valley Publications. Three Fox Valley vice presidents will report directly to him.
• Robert Wall has been appointed vice president advertising. Wall previously held the dual roles of Fox Valley's regional advertising vice president and publisher of The Courier News. All local advertising managers will now report directly to Wall.
• Jerry Alger, former publisher of the Naperville Sun, returns to Fox Valley on Monday as vice president business operations. Alger will have a variety of responsibilities, starting with circulation sales initiatives.
"This talented and streamlined management team will allow us to act quickly in a period of profound change for our newspapers," Lebolt said.
Lebolt also announced two changes in current Herald News management.
Steve Vanisko has been named Fox Valley Advertising Director, focusing primarily on the core advertising market for The Herald News. He will manage the Joliet office sales staff and will also head up major group projects for Fox Valley Publications and The Sun-Times News Group.
The position of Publisher-Editor, currently held by Larry Randa, will be eliminated Aug. 1. Randa will continue with the company as Herald News Publisher until that date, assisting in the overall transition plan which includes a move to a flexible and efficient "hub and spoke" organizational model, centralizing certain editing, advertising and circulation functions at the new Aurora facility at 495 N. Commons Drive.
A universal media desk will have responsibility for coordinating, editing, designing and ensuring the smooth flow of print pages and digital content, emphasizing a "Web first" mindset for breaking news, and an integration of deadlines for the Web and the newspapers.
Managing editors, reporters and photographers will stay at each community location. Local sales managers will remain as well, maintaining the strong local connection and point of view that is essential to the news organization's success.
In addition to The Herald News, Fox Valley daily newspapers include The Beacon News in Aurora, The Courier News in Elgin and the Naperville Sun. The news group also produces 12 weekly newspapers, including the Lincoln-Way Sun and Southwest Weekly, individual Web sites corresponding to each of its print publications and the Neighborhood Circle community-focused Web sites.
Fox Valley Publications is a division of The Sun-Times News Group.