Max Heath, Mike Zinser inducted into Circulation Director Hall of Fame

Mike has been a leader in maintaining the independent contractor status for newspaper carriers.”

Don Michel, 2013 Hall of Fame inductee

No one could breakdown a postal issue and offer up a solution better than Max.”

Steve Learn, LMCIS owner

Max Heath, a postal consultant for Athlon Media Group and Landmark Community Newspapers, and Mike Zinser, founding member of The Zinser Law Firm in Nashville, have been inducted into the Anderson-Hanna National Circulation Director Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame, created by LEARNing More Circulation Idea Service, honors those in the circulation profession who create the edge for others to follow.

The award is named for Ron Anderson and Phil Hanna, highly respected experts in the industry.

This year's inductees:

Mike Zinser

Zinser is an honors graduate of the University of Cincinnati, and he received his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1975. He is a member of the Antitrust, Labor Law and Litigation Sections of the American Bar Association.

He is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers for Labor and Employment Law. The Bar Register is a publication of Martindale-Hubbell, the national legal directory that rates lawyers. Martindale's highest attorney rating is "AV" and only 7 percent of all lawyers nationwide are rated AV.  Only 3 percent of AV rated lawyers are listed in the Bar Register.  

Zinser is a member of the ABA's standing committee on Practice and Procedure under the National Labor Relations Act. He is also a member of the Employee Relations Committee of the Newspaper Association of America.

Since 1975, Zinser has spent the great majority of his time representing communications companies and industry trade associations. His 35+ years of practice has, in particular, focused on labor/employee relations and circulation legal issues.

He is general counsel to a number of newspaper trade associations. In addition, he regularly speaks to industry trade associations and writes a monthly column for the SNPA eBulletin.

Zinser also is a long-time contributor to LEARNing More Circulation Idea Service and its predecessor, CIS.

"Mike has been a leader in maintaining the independent contractor status for newspaper carriers; I can't imagine what it would have been like to manage a circulation department without that flexibility. He's also devoted much of his time 'gratis' (which is pretty admirable for a lawyer!) to support circulation sectionals and has provided a wealth of training and educational materials to circulation professionals for many, many years," said Don Michel, retired circulation professional and 2013 Hall of Fame inductee. 

Ron Anderson, former owner of LEARNing More Circulation Idea Service and one of the professionals for which the name was awarded, had this to say about Zinser: "While Mike Zinser was not a circulation director, he was a main part of the support system that we needed to succeed. Mike is and was the premier legal mind helping circulation professionals and our publishers. And, he was and continues to be very successful at it.  Mike helped keep many of us out of trouble, while giving to our industry for a long, long time."

LMCIS Owner Steve Learn said,  "Our entire industry should be thankful for Mike's contribution in so many areas but none more than his devotion to educating us on how to work and interact with independent contractors."

Max Heath

Max Heath, 67, is a postal consultant for Athlon Media Group (Athlon Sports, American Profile, Relish, and Spry magazines) and for Landmark Community Newspapers, Shelbyville, Ky.

For 21 years, he was LCNI executive editor and for many years was corporate circulation director as well. From 2001 until 2008, he also handled acquisition development for the group.

LCNI has 54 weekly and daily newspapers in 13 states, seven collegiate sports publications, 10 free newspapers, 31 shoppers, and more than 30 titles of free special publications.

In his 30th year as chair of the Postal Committee of the National Newspaper Association, Heath writes a monthly Postal Tips column for Publisher's Auxiliary. He is also a bi-monthly columnist for LMCIS.

He was named to the Postal Service Mailer's Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) representing NNA in 1989 and is also on the Periodicals Advisory Group, and other working groups of MTAC. He is ending that work at the end of 2014 after 25 years.

He received the NNA President's Award in 1989 and 2007, Ambassador Award in 1992, and coveted Amos Award for service to NNA in 1994. The Postal Service presented him a Special Achievement Award Sept. 2, 1998, at the National Postal Forum.

In 2012 he received the Al Smith award for public service through community journalism by the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues and the Lexington Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists.

He conducted seminars on "Maximizing Postal Savings and Delivery" and "Top 25 Ways to Grow Circulation for Community Newspapers" for newspaper associations, sectionals and other groups through 2013, ending 25 years of service.

He is past NNA director for Region 3. He has testified as a witness in several rate cases and other proceedings on issues before the Postal Regulatory Commission since the 1990s, including five-day delivery, post office closings and service standard changes related to mail processing plant closings.

Don Michel had this to say about Heath: "Max Heath, the postal 'guru' has made huge contributions to the circulation industry, especially for smaller and rural newspaper markets. Max has tackled issues that nobody else in our industry understands or would care to dig into. But his efforts have saved newspapers (both their paid and unpaid products) a ton of money, while keeping postal regulations in check as much as possible.  As mentioned, Max also been a very helpful influence on helping small markets to be successful in their circulation marketing and operations."

Ron Anderson had these comments about Heath: "I have known and worked with Max since 1987, and found him to be a top notch circulation VP for Landmark Community Newspapers Inc., as well as the top postal guy in our business. Max's newspapers always grew circulation. He led the way to make this happen.  Max is certainly one of the most successful operators I have experienced during my long lifetime in our business. Our candidates should not just be those that were active in sectionals or ICMA, but also who personally grew circulation consistently. Max did that!"

LMCIS Owner, Steve Learn said this about Heath: "Max was a main cog in the circulation growth area within his group and is well known to circulation directors across the country for his expertise in the postal arena. No one could breakdown a postal issue and offer up a solution better than Max."