The Akron Beacon Journal has its first female publisher in its 168-year history.
Andrea Mathewson, vice president of production at the Beacon Journal and a 29-year ve
teran of the paper, was promoted to publisher effective Thursday after Edward Moss unexpectedly resigned.Advertising Vice President Alton Brown also was promoted to the new position of executive vice president and general manager.
Moss, 52, who was named publisher last August shortly after the Beacon Journal was bought by Black Press Ltd. of Canada, said he could not give much detail about his plans or whether he was leaving Akron, other than to say he had received an unsolicited business opportunity ``that I could simply not turn down.'' Thursday was his last day.
Black said Moss' departure was a surprise to him.
``It was an unfortunate surprise because I think very highly of him. I think he's a great publisher. But I'm very pleased with where we've ended up with Andrea. I think Andrea will also be a great publisher,'' Black said.
Black said he thought it would be great to promote from within.
``Andrea has such a depth of experience there and as well as being a longtime Akron resident and being a very strategic thinker and good with people. It just seemed like a logical choice,'' he said.
Mathewson, 48, said she was very ``excited and honored to lead this company.''
Mathewson, an Akron native, joined the Beacon Journal when she was 18 in her first full-time job out of Springfield High School.
She's worked in a variety of roles and departments in her 29 years, starting as a classified phone sales representative and working in advertising, the mail room and production departments.
In 2006, Editor & Publisher magazine, an industry trade journal, named her one of the nation's top production executives.
``I didn't know John S. Knight, but I had a few conversations with him, and to be able to lead this company now is just amazing to me,'' she said.
Black said that having a woman publisher is ``a bonus.''
Being a native of the community will be an advantage, Mathewson said.
``I do understand the community. We have history. My father was a tire builder and was on the other side. I understand the traditions of labor and I understand we are in a different city now.''
Black acknowledged the top management of the paper has gone through a lot of changes, but said he is confident in the team he now has in place.
``Turnover sometimes is a blessing, but not normally. There has been a lot there and there has been some downsizing because revenues were (down). With any luck, we've got that behind us,'' Black said. ``We don't think there will be any more changes, and we're not anticipating any. We really hope things stabilize and we can focus on the product.''
Black said he was pleased with the paper and had no plans to sell it.
``I'm a big fan,'' he said.
Click on the headline to read the full story which was published on Page A1 today.
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