Collaborative virtual events empower, support newspaper leadership - October 6-8

Mark Hall, Regional Director of Postmedia Network and International Newspaper Group (ING) President, announced today the exciting collaboration between ING 2020 and America’s Newspapers’ PIVOT 2020. The two organizations will be hosting virtual gatherings in support of and engagement for newspaper professionals in the same week.

”Our goal is to present information-packed sessions for North American newspaper professionals, equipping them with the resources, knowledge and foresight to navigate the future,” Hall explained.

America’s Newspapers (the result of a recent merger between the Inland Press Association and the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association) will hold its virtual conference, PIVOT 2020, October 6, 7 and 8. The meeting will cover a variety of topics considered vital to the newspaper publishing industry. Details of PIVOT 2020’s program and registration info can be found on the association’s web site, newspapers.org/pivot.

ING’s 2020 Virtual Leadership Summit is scheduled for Thursday, October 8 from 12 Noon to 1:30 p.m. EDT. Aptly titled, Pressing into Our Future, the virtual event will feature a panel of experts who will discuss salient, newspaper-centric information key to attendees–the production, operations and logistics leaders of today’s newspapers who face increasingly challenging business operational environments. To register for the ING Virtual Leadership Summit, visit: https://internationalnewspapergroup.org/take-action/ 

The panel will engage in a lively, vigorous exchange about The Future of Newsprint, which is unquestionably front and center among newspaper operations executives who must plan and implement policies and practices that can effectively deal with whatever the future holds.

Moderated by Wayne Pelland, SVP of Operations with Gannett, and Vice President of the ING board of directors, the 90-minute session will feature panelists who are among the most respected thought leaders and advocates for newsprint across North America:

Gary Blakeley, CEO of PAGE Cooperative, who manages one of the largest purchasers of newsprint in the US, was previously Director of Service and Technical Support for Southern Lithoplate, Operations VP for Freedom Communications in Colorado Springs and Senior Director of Group Purchasing & Production at Freedom.

Larry Hoffman, VP Production at Dow Jones & Company, has been with the legendary newspaper since 2005. Prior to that he was Vice President Production at Ottaway Newspapers, Inc., which was acquired in 2009 by the Dow Jones Local Media Group. Hoffman is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a degree in Printing Management and Business.

Russell Lowder, Executive Vice President of White Birch Paper, oversees global sales of White Birch’s annual production of more than one million metric tons of newsprint, directory paper, bulky book grades, specialty board and high bright paper products. He is also a member of the Pulp and Paper Products Council steering committee and past chairman of the organization’s newsprint committee.

Frank O’Toole, President, Gannett Supply Corporation is responsible for the procurement of products, services and supplies, including newsprint. Frank manages the companywide paper program and all related issues for Gannett’s U.S. and U.K. operations. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s School of Business, majoring in Finance.

Lisa Taner, Director of Paper Production & Services at The New York Times Company since 2001, has responsibility for all newsprint and magazine paper purchases that support the College Point Production Facility, 26 National Print Sites, and various printers associated with the NYT Magazine products.

Mark Hall also reminds all newspaper companies that ING, in conjunction with Editor & Publisher Magazine, will host the 2020 Operations All-Stars Awards on Wednesday, October 6, at 1:15 p.m. EDT, as part of the PIVOT 2020 and ING newspaper recognition week.

The virtual event will recognize the contributions of newspaper production executives who stand out among the world’s newspapers for their knowledge, dedication, and performance in their myriad duties for papers large and small. Mike Blinder, publisher of E&P will moderate the celebration. For more information visit http://forms.editorandpublisher.com/allstars.