SNPA Mentors

Eight executives selected for 2014-15 NEX GEN class

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Eight newspaper executives from SNPA member newspapers have been selected to participate in SNPA's 2014-15 "NEX GEN" class.  They will be paired with experienced industry experts in a structured mentorship program.

Howard Hoffman, member services director of SNPA, said: "The impressive quality of this group of NEX GEN proteges again underscores the belief that our industry continues to find and cultivate talent and that we should be optimistic about the future." He said, "They come into the NEX GEN program rising stars and with some guidance and wisdom from the mentors ... will emerge even stronger and better prepared for what's ahead."

Selected for participation are:

  • Kurt Caywood, vice president/audience, Florida Times-Union/Times-Union Media, Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Carrie Phibbs Crisman, Chesapeake retail sales manager, The Virginian-Pilot/Pilot Media, Norfolk, Va.
  • Alan Herzberger, digital managing editor, The Oklahoman/Oklahoma Publishing Company, Oklahoma City, Okla.
  • Courtney Ricks, field sales coach, The Palm Beach Post/Cox Media Group, West Palm Beach, Fla.
  • Jerry Ritter, regional director of distribution services, North Carolina and South Carolina, McClatchy Newspapers, Raleigh, N.C.
  • Sylvia Rodriguez, senior audience manager/sales and retention, Austin (Texas) American-Statesman.
  • Grant tenHoeve, retail sales manager, Daily Press, Newport News, Va.
  • Paul Whelan, editor, TimesDispatch.com, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Va.


Meet the NEX GEN class of 2014-15:


Kurt Caywood

KURT CAYWOOD is vice president audience  at the Florida Times-Union/Times-Union Media in Jacksonville. 

In nominating him for the NEX GEN program, Mark Nusbaum, president of the Florida Times-Union, called Caywood "a bright and shining star at Morris Communications, and in the industry.  He has a tremendous knowledge base that spans both print and digital."

Caywood has considerable background in content, serving in many newsroom roles.  He also spent three years as director of digital sales in the Topeka Capital-Journal advertising department, before being named vice president/audience of the Florida Times-Union in 2012.

He is part of a senior executive team at the Florida Times-Union that led the charge that helped Morris retire more than $60 million in debt from a two-year period spanning 2012-14.  The company is now debt free.

Also central to strategic planning, Nusbaum says Caywood has helped the paper stay focused on five primary points of emphasis: exceed cash flow budget, grow revenue, grow digital subscriptions, grow digital traffic and grow active accounts.

Caywood is looking to the NEX GEN program to give him access to different perspectives and approaches that will let him bring more expertise to bear on the paper's challenges and opportunities.


Carrie Crisman

CARRIE PHIBBS CRISMAN is the Chesapeake retail sales manager for The Virginian-Pilot/Pilot Media in Norfolk, Va. She has built her entire career with the company since graduating from college 14 years ago.  She currently is a multi-media sales manager on the Small to Medium Business Local Team and has six sales reps who report to her. She is responsible for approximately $1.5 million in annual print and digital revenue.

"While this is Carrie's first formal leadership role within our company," said Publisher David Mele, "she has a distinguished track record of success across multiple revenue categories, with particular exposure and success selling digital solutions in conjunction with print responsibilities."  She is on the company's succession plan as a high potential candidate for senior leadership.

Mele noted that Crisman has served as a top-performing sales executive across the real estate, local retail, major retail, key accounts and automotive categories.

She moved into her first management role with the company in 2011, as she took over an underperforming local retail team and turned the team around.  Mele said, "She hired, trained and developed several new reps; grew the team's active account list with a focus on new business acquisition and significantly increased the team's digital sales activity and revenue performance.  For 2013, her team grew print revenue 1.8 percent (in a season when print growth has become increasingly rare) and grew digital revenue 32 percent over prior year."

Crisman said the outside perspectives from both peers and a dedicated mentor from a different organization will provide "invaluable insights and ideas."


Alan Herzberger

ALAN HERZBERGER has been in a managerial role with The Oklahoman / OPUBCO since 2001, when the paper launched NewsOK.com, a convergence site with a television affiliate. As the company has transitioned digitally, he has been the multimedia managing editor, the director of custom publishing and, most recently, digital managing editor within the newsroom at The Oklahoman.

He said: "I believe the NEX GEN program will strengthen my ability to lead sustainable and thoughtful change within my direct area of influence and within my company.  I expect to see our challenges through a new lens, thereby giving me greater understanding of our internal challenges to further evolve our business at The Oklahoman."

He was nominated by Christopher P. Reen, president and publisher of The Oklahoman.  Reen said: "Alan is currently a top leader in our news and information center and has been with our company in various roles for the past 12 years.  He currently leads the charge in our rapidly changing digital content environment.  

"He has been instrumental in helping to develop and execute our strategy with video, mobile, blogging, social media integration and aggregation.  While Alan has shown maturity and wisdom beyond his years and tenure, he will benefit greatly from interaction and guidance from other seasoned veterans in our industry.  Being able to attend conferences and interact with other mentees in the program will serve both him personally and our entire company as he brings back ideas and experiences that will help us be successful in the future."


Courtney Ricks

COURTNEY RICKS joined The Palm Beach Post two years ago and serves as field sales coach for the paper's local revenue teams in the central and south territories.  She manages six account executives, helping them grow their digital knowledge and meet and exceed both print and digital goals set by the company.

Ricks said she applied to be part of the NEX GEN program in order to continue to enhance and grow her leadership skills and to learn from executives who have been in the industry for a number of years. She said, "I really believe in the servant-leader leadership style and in empowering my team with the skills to be highly successful at what they do.  To be a servant-leader, you must share power, put the needs of others first and help people develop and perform at a high level.  I believe to be a good leader, you have to earn trust from your team and be able to roll up your sleeves and work with them to achieve the greatest success."

She was nominated by Publisher Tim Burke and by Carol Manning, senior sales manager.  Manning said, "As her direct manager, I have yet to meet a more focused, driven, yet compassionate individual as Courtney Ricks.  She leads with integrity and believes in rolling up her sleaves and getting the job done.  As a sales leader, she relentlessly stands next to her staff (not in front of nor behind), shoulder to shoulder supporting the client and the company goals.  She embodies the drive and genuine business intelligence that this industry needs and must have to solidly own our place in the future, especially the digital future."  She called her a "risk taker, not afraid to fight for what is right and certainly not afraid to hold both her staff and her managers equally accountable."


Jerry Ritter

JERRY RITTER is regional director of distribution services for North Carolina and South Carolina for McClatchy Newspapers and The News & Observer in Raleigh.

He was nominated for the NEX GEN program by Orage Quarles III, publisher of The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., and Jim Puryear, regional vice president, audience development for North Carolina and South Carolina.  In a letter of recommendation, they called Ritter a "very hard working dedicated individual who understands the newspaper business but would also benefit from additional exposure to other newspaper operations."

Since 1994, Ritter has been employed at The News & Observer and has held a variety of positions as he was promoted in the department.  He began his career as a district sales manager (1994-1998) and was promoted to metro home delivery manager (1998-2005).  He served as circulation manager of the company's nine community papers from 2005-2014.  Just recently, he was promoted to regional director of distribution services for the Carolinas, as the company has moved to a regional structure serving seven newspapers.

Ritter says the NEX GEN program will "give me the opportunity to learn from others and to bring back ideas on how I can operate more effectively and, in turn, help the company."


Sylvia Rodriguez

SYLVIA RODRIGUEZ is senior audience manager, sales and retention for the Austin American-Statesman.  She says the NEX GEN program is aligned with her long-term career goals.  "Knowing that I would have an opportunity on a monthly basis to pinpoint a challenge and get a different perspective on the issue could only help me continue to build my leadership skills," she said.

Susie Ellwood, publisher of the American-Statesman, nominated Rodriguez for this opportunity.  She described Rodriguez as a long-time employee who has "wide-ranging expertise and seasoning as a manager and leader."  She said: "In the past year, I've watched her develop her strategic thinking skills and the ability to tackle tough problems with strategic and executable solutions. I find that combination of skill sets – the ability to develop strategic ideas and the ability to carry out the execution – to be uncommon.  That's why I'm sure she will benefit from this program as a part of her development."


Grant tenHoeve

GRANT tenHOEVE is the retail sales manager of the Daily Press in Newport News, Va.  He joined the company two years ago, having previously worked as the district sales manager for Your Community Phonebook / Ziplocal / Yellow Pages Group.

He said he applied to be part of the NEX GEN program because "the only way to achieve continued personal growth and growth within those you manage is to constantly learn from those around you." He said, "A combination of traditional management ideas, creative thinking, and supportive mentorship are a perfect combination for growth."

Digby A. Solomon, president, publisher and CEO of the Daily Press, nominated tenHoeve for the NEX GEN program.  Solomon said: "Grant represents the new generation of sales leadership that will help newspapers thrive in this competitive age. He has a deep knowledge of digital combined with a 'hunter' approach to gathering new business, which he learned from several years working in the digital directory space. He is not afraid to make 20-40 cold calls a day."


Paul Whelan

PAUL WHELAN was named as the editor of TimesDispatch.com in January.  For the past five years, he has managed a team of page designers for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.  In his new role, he is managing a team of web producers.

Thomas A. Silvestri, president and publisher of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, called Whelan "a perfect candidate" for the NEX GEN program:

  • "He has a proven record of excellence.
  • "He just started an exciting new job with expanded duties.
  • "He is an acknowledged up-and-comer, with lots of potential.
  • "He is ripe for development from outside authorities since his previous roles kept him confined to process work.  Exposing him to different big thinkers and leaders would really help him grow.
  • "He's an admirable problem-solver and very resilient."

"He has NEX GEN written all over him," Silvestri said.

Whelan is looking forward to taking part in this mentoring program, saying: "The program could help me avoid common pitfalls and detours that could slow my progress on my goals."

Would you like to nominate someone for the NEX GEN class of 2015-16?
Information and nomination forms for the Class of 2015-16 will be available next summer on the SNPA website and in the eBulletin.

NEX GEN, Jacksonville, Caywood, Norfolk, Crisman, Oklahoma City, Herzberger, West Palm Beach, Ricks, Raleigh, McClatchy, Ritter, Austin, Rodriguez, Newport News, tenHoeve, Richmond, Whelan
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