Ballantine Communications Inc., which publishes the Cortez Journal, made several changes to its executive staff Wednesday, Oct. 16, as the company seeks to improve efficiency and streamline operations.
CEO Doug Bennett named industry veteran Bob Ganley as BCI’s new vice president for finance and operations.
“As we continue our evolution around print and digital, we wanted to make sure we brought in further expertise both on the operations and finance side to better serve not only our business but also our customers,” Bennett said.
Bennett noted that Ganley has extensive experience in setting up and running digital ad operations.
Ganley said his new job is “a great opportunity for me in a market that shows so much promise.” He believes the “big push” in the media market will be with smartphones.
“There’s just nobody under 35 who doesn’t live off their mobile phone, much more than they do off their laptop,” he said. “The adoption rate of mobile in rural areas is happening a lot faster than people expect.”
Ganley also will assume responsibility for circulation management, information technology and vendor contracts. In previous roles, Ganley led many organizational changes in corporate finance, information technology and interactive advertising operations. He also handled mergers and acquisitions.
In another staff change, Durango Herald Managing Editor Don Lindley was named editor for all BCI newspapers and news websites. In addition to the Cortez Journal and the Herald, Ballantine Communications owns two other newspapers – The Mancos Times and The Dolores Star. Lindley joined the Herald as managing editor in 2010 after working for news organizations in Florida.
The change is necessary “so we do a better job of sharing information and content, and using our resources, so we get the benefits in all the communities we serve,” Bennett said.
Bennett also announced that Sharon Hermes will be BCI’s events manager. She will oversee all community shows and events sponsored by the company, including the annual Home & Ranch Show, What a Girl Wants Expos, job fairs and several new events that are in development. She joined the Herald in 1986.
Finally, Bennett said that responsibilities of the general manager of the newspaper division will be shifted to other managers in advertising, sales, circulation and finance. General Manager Ken Amundson will be leaving the company in mid-November, returning to his home in Loveland.