SNPA elects Kentuckian as president
Hayes’ term ends as Schurz begins tenure

By John Whitlock
Kentucky Press Association News Bureau

Even though it's losing one Kentuckian, the board of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association will continue to feel the influence of the commonwealth through a new board member and its new president.

David Paxton, publisher of the Paducah Sun and president and CEO of Paxton Media Group, has been named president of the SNPA while Scott Schurz, publisher of the Advocate-Messenger of Danville, has joined the board.

Taylor Hayes, publisher and CEO of Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville, ends his time on the board after a three-year term.

Hayes, the president-elect of the Kentucky Press Association, has plenty of praise for his time on the SNPA board and the work of the organization.

Hayes said he has served in voluntary positions on numerous boards over the years and said SNPA is one of the best in identifying and promoting new programs and initiatives to benefit the membership.

"Strategic and visionary are adjectives I would use in describing SNPA during my time on the board," Hayes said. "I know it sounds corny but serving on the SNPA board has truly been inspiring. Yes, I think I added to the organization’s dialogue through the perspective of a small newspaper publisher. But participating on the SNPA board has given me the opportunity to meet and learn from some great leaders in our industry."

Although SNPA’s membership is exclusively made up of dailies, much of its mission focuses on the industry.

One of the most popular features of SNPA is its Traveling Campus Training program, a free program for any and all newspaper employees regardless if they are members or not.

Hayes calls the training program "visionary" and has served over 28,000 employees over the years.

"This type of training program is thought to be the first of its type of any trade association," Hayes said.

It is this kind of program, along with its nearly $10 million endowment, that shows how dedicated the organization is to the newspaper industry.

"The bottom line is … as the culture changes in how society consumes information, the industry changes, and what SNPA is doing is adapting," Hayes said.

Like many industry organizations, SNPA is tackling the same problems that newspapers have to wrestle with every day.

Hayes said SNPA hopes to help its members understand and make the transition to new media, adjust to changing consumer patterns, preserving the integrity of the press and finding new ways to best serve the communities they serve.

"In one sense, the issues that face SNPA are the same issues that newspapers face - assuring we remain of value to our constituents or audience in a culturally changing environment," Hayes said.

Because of his situation, Hayes said he hoped he gave the SNPA a different viewpoint from which to see the needs, challenges and rewards associated with being the publisher from a small daily in Kentucky.

"What I have done is provide thoughts and ideas for dialogue from the publisher’s perspective of an independent small community daily," Hayes said.

Although the majority member newspapers hail from smaller communities, a large section of the SPNA board is made up of publishers from larger papers and company executives.

Hayes said it is important to have voices from the smaller organizations heard on the board.

"If you look at the number of programs geared toward helping the small dailies, I think the small daily voices on the board are being heard," Hayes said. "In addition I hope I have kept Kentucky publishers and the Kentucky Press Association abreast of programs SNPA has to offer."

But Hayes' work with SPNA may not be finished. He has been nominated to fulfill a vacancy on the SPNA's Foundation Board, a separate entity that oversees the endowment and funding for the Traveling Campus Training course along with seminars and workshops.

Hayes said serving on the board was an honor that he is happy to have experienced.

"When I first received the invitation to serve on the board I was excited, but I was also quite humbled at the thought of following in the footsteps of Mr. Fred Paxton as Kentucky's SNPA representative," Hayes said. "He was a devoted individual to the industry with so many more years of experience. And while I think Edward VanHorn, the SNPA executive director, would say I have been a good contributor to the well being of the organization, in my modest opinion, though, I am not sure I could have ever filled the shoes of Mr. Paxton."

Following in Hayes' footsteps to the SNPA board will be fellow Kentuckian Scott Schurz Jr., publisher of The Advocate-Messenger in Danville.

Although his tenure on the board has barely begun, Schurz said he hopes to tackle the major issues facing the industry while continuing to support and promote the work done by the SNPA.

"I haven't been on very long and I'm still trying to get a feel for the organization," Schurz said. "I think most the challenges and focus of the group will be the same challenges most newspapers face in a changing environment with disruptive technologies and more choices for people not only news outlets but in advertising outlets."

Because he and Hayes come from similar situations - smaller daily from Kentucky - that viewpoint will continue to enhance and augment the SNPA board.

"Being a member of the KPA board, I feel I can have a voice with SNPA so they can get an idea of the needs and challenges we face up here," Schurz said.

Schurz said he is excited to be a member of the SNPA board and wants to continue the work its done making the industry more responsive to change and stressing the value of training.

"It will be a great networking opportunity," Schurz said. "I have seen first hand the value of the traveling campus, the seminars. It's a strong organization and it's good to be part of the work they are doing."

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