Tribune-Democrat appoints three to management posts

By Susan Evans
The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown

The Tribune-Democrat has a new management team with the appointment of three top executives announced yesterday by Publisher Chris Voccio.

They are:

• Former Tribune-Democrat employee Charles "Chip" Minemyer as editor. He is a Penn State journalism instructor who returns to Johnstown after six years as an editor with the Centre Daily Times in State College.

• Marcia Martsolf-Miller, the new advertising director. Her roots are in Western Pennsylvania as a former ad director of The Meadville Tribune. Most recently, Martsolf-Miller has been advertising sales manager with the Times Herald-Record in Middletown, N.Y. 

• Keith West as circulation director. He has held several circulation management positions at newspapers in Texas, most recently at the Greenville Herald-Banner.

All three begin their new positions Oct. 4.

The public is invited to meet the newspaper executives at a community reception from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 17 at University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown's Living/Learning Center.

"We have a top-notch group of executives joining our team," Voccio said as he announced the appointments to The Tribune-Democrat staff.

"I'm excited to have them on board and can't wait to have them start," he said.

A graduate of Penn State University, Minemyer was sports editor of The Tribune-Democrat from 1993 to 1997, when he was named news editor. He joined the staff of The Centre Daily Times in 1998 as news editor, and was named associate editor in 2001.

At Penn State's University Park campus, Minemyer has taught introductory news writing since 1998.

"I am very excited about the opportunity to return to The Tribune-Democrat, and to have the opportunity to work with a great staff," Minemyer said from State College.

"I truly love the Cambria-Somerset region, and I developed strong feelings for the people and the culture when I was here before. This is an exciting time for readers and the newspaper, and I can't wait to get started," he said.

Martsolf-Miller, also a Penn State graduate, has had extensive experience in advertising and public relations, beginning with the York Daily Record in 1981 and serving as advertising director for Thomson Newspapers, including The Meadville Tribune, in the 1990s.

She was named advertising director for The New Jersey Herald in 1997 and most recently has served as advertising sales manager for The Times Herald-Record.

West, The Tribune-Democrat's new circulation director, is a graduate of East Texas State University and has worked as a circulation executive for publications owned by the Cox Newspaper organization in Texas.

Most recently he has served as circulation director for Herald-Banner Publications in Greenville, Texas, which is owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., The Tribune-Democrat's parent company.

West also is a member of CNHI's circulation task force.

"My goal is to have 100 percent customer satisfaction. We will have new delivery guidelines, and we will put customers first. That is the plan," he said from Greenville.