Wednesday, June 13, 2007

AU grad named Repository publisher

The new publisher of The Repository and head of GateHouse Ohio Newspapers is Kevin Kampman.

Kampman is chief operating officer of Community First Holdings and vice president of Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. He joined the group, based in Birmingham, Ala., in 1997.

Kampman, 50, a University of Akron graduate and Cleveland native , has worked for Com
munity Newspaper Holdings since it was started in 1997. He started his newspaper career in 1980 in the circulation department of the Columbus Dispatch.

He will succeed David J. Greenfield, who retired in May after 10 years.

The Repository, which has an average weekday circulation of about 64,100 and Sunday circulation of 82,300, was purchased in April by GateHouse Media from Copley Press.

“Canton represents home to me,” said Kampman. He will also assume a managerial role over The Times-Reporter at Dover-New Philadelphia and The (Massillon) Independent, similar to duties held by Greenfield. A Cleveland Browns and Notre Dame fan, who grew up on the east side of Cleveland, Kampman may begin as early as June 18.

He comes to the paper from Birmingham, Ala., where he’s chief operating officer of Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., a 10-year-old company that owns daily, weekly and semi-weekly newspapers in more than 200 communities around the country. Kampman and wife, Deborah, and a 14-year-old son – the youngest of their four children – plan to move to the area this summer.

“I’m a big believer in the newspaper business ... in local community news,” he said.

Although he has a degree in educatin, Kampman's professional career has been entirely in newspapers. He began in 1980 in the circulation department of the Columbus Dispatch. He’s held positions with Stauffer Communications, including publisher in Blue Springs, Mo.; marketing director in Independence, Mo.; circulation director in Winter Haven, Fla; and general and circulation manager in Holland, Mich.

Kampman has worked for Community ewspaper Holdings since its inception in 1997, first as regional manager and publisher of the McAlester (Okla.) News Capital. The company was founded by Ralph Martin, formerly with the Thomson Corp. newspaper operation, and is financially backed by the Alabama state pension system. Thomson owned The Repository until its sale in 2000 to Copley Press.

Last month, CNHI and Monster.com, the leading Internet job and career Web site, announced an online and print alliance. The centerpiece of that arrangement is 80 co-branded, job-recruitment Web sites.

Kampman said Randall W. Cope, a Gatehouse Media co-president, phoned him about three weeks ago to see if he was interested in the Ohio position. Gatehouse Media owns The Repository, as well as the Massillon and New Philadelphia-Dover newspapers.

The Repository’s former publisher, Greenfield, retired effective May 18.

Kampman said he will visit Canton on Monday, but likely won’t assume his full duties until June 25.


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