Name: Tom Caudill

Birthday: July 18, 1954

Newspaper: Lexington Herald-Leader

Position/Title: Assistant Managing Editor

How long held: 17 years as assistant managing editor with 26 years at the Herald-Leader

Duties, responsibilities of position: Chief assigning editor

Previous professional experience in and outside of newspaper industry: Three years at The Gleaner in Henderson; two years at the Daily News in Bowling Green. Also worked in high school and college at the Franklin Favorite and WFKN radio in Franklin, my hometown. Interned at the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina.

Education: B.A. in journalism and government, Western Kentucky University

Family: Single

Civic Clubs/Organizations: Producer-level member, Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, OR

Goals for KPA: To promote outstanding journalism at newspapers of all sizes.

Views on future of newspapers: If they fully embrace online potential, newspapers in print and on the internet will continue to be the primary sources of information in the communities they serve.

What is the best advice you can give for successfully operating a community newspaper? Local, local, local...news, features, sports, editorials, photos.

Name: Chip Hutcheson

Birthday: 10/28/1948

Newspaper:The Times Leader, Princeton, Ky.

Position/Title: Publisher

How long held: 15 years; previous 16 years publisher of The Princeton Leader, predecessor of The Times Leader

Duties, responsibilities of position: Fiscal responsibility for twice-weekly newspaper plus a sheet-fed commercial printing operation.

Previous professional experience in and outside of newspaper industry: Sports editor of Kentucky New Era (1970-76)

Education: B.A. University of Kentucky (1970)

Family: Wife, Karen; daughter and son-in-law, Cindy & Ivan Birrell; son and daughter-in-law, John Mark and Karen Hutcheson; grandson Preston Birrell, 15 months old; mother Betsy Hutcheson (worked 43 years at The Princeton Leader).

Civic Clubs/Organizations: Kiwanis Club, president Princeton-Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce; board member National Newspaper Association and Kentucky Press Association; board member of Pennyroyal Hospice, Caldwell County Free Clinic; Western Recorder (state Baptist newspaper); Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Foundation board member.

Goals for KPA? I hope to see KPA continue to lead the fight to keep public notices in newspapers. I also would like for KPA to help newspapers, especially those who don't have great resources, to capitalize on opportunities with the Internet, enhancing what is being done with the banner ad network.

Views on future of newspapers: Bullish on newspaper future, especially community papers.

What is the best advice you can give for successfully operating a community newspaper? Be involved in your community — the more people you know, the more it pays off in the future. Also, take advantage of every opportunity to network with others in the community newspaper business. I have benefitted greatly over the years by the advice and help of others in this profession.

Name: Dennis Hetzel

Birthday: July 22, 1952

Newspaper: The Kentucky Enquirer/NKY.com

Position/Title: Kentucky General Manager

How long held: Since June of 2004

Duties, responsibilities of position: Responsible for The Enquirer's print and online products in fast-growing Northern Kentucky -- the "southern side" of the Ohio River.

Previous professional experience in and outside of newspaper industry:

• Editor and publisher, York, Pa., Daily Record 1990-2004

• Managing editor, The Capital Times, Madison WI 1986-1990

• Reporter & associate editor, The Journal Times, Racine WI 1977-1986

• Reporter, The Register-Mail, Galesburg IL, 1976-1977

• Sports Editor, Barrington Press, Barrington IL, 1974-1976

• Journalism Instructor at Temple and Penn State universities

Education: B.A. political science with minor in journalism, Western Illinois University

Family: Wife, Cheryl, is a school psychologist in Kenton County; Daughter Lindsay, 15, a sophomore at Conner High School, Hebron; Son Nathan, 23, a senior at Penn State University; Son Jon, 25, a commercial real estate analyst in Dallas

Civic Clubs/Organizations: Board member of Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Vision 2015 Stewardship Council in Northern KY, and St. Luke Community Foundation

Goals for KPA: Help our members understand, navigate and overcome the challenges our industry faces so that we can produce even better journalism and thrive as businesses far into the future.

Views on future of newspapers: The question suggests the problem. We all love the romance and history of The Newspaper Business. We love to smell the ink and feel the building rumble when the press starts. But we must focus much more on the content we have as opposed to the method of delivery. I worry that there still isn't enough of a sense of urgency, particularly the threats to our traditional sources of revenue. Private party classified advertising, for example, seems destined to be totally free. How do we replace this while continuing to have great people producing great products? The print newspaper will be around for a long time in some form, but we face a grim future of frustration & eroding resources unless we embrace change.

What is the best advice you can give for successfully operating a community newspaper? Hire and challenge great people to help you develop a clear vision for where you want to go. Have benchmarks you can celebrate when they're achieved. Do everything you can to understand your market and the character of your community. Lead your staff, of course, but also identify opportunities to take leadership roles for your community. And, unlike the tone of this profile, don't take yourself too seriously.

Name: Ron Filkins

Birthday: 8-22-50

Newspaper: The Kentucky Standard

Position/Title: Publisher and Regional Manager, LCNI

How long held: five years in Kentucky and 11 years with LCNI

Duties, responsibilities of position: In addition to publishing The Standard, which also includes a cable television station, I work with newspapers in Illinois, Iowa and Kentucky.  

Previous professional experience in and outside of newspaper industry: Am now in my 33rd year of newspapering; 22nd year of publishing.

Education: B.S. journalism and history, State College of Arkansas; M.A., journalism, University of Iowa  

Family: wife: Dr. Kathleen Filkins, chair of the education division of St. Catharine College; Daughter: Rachael Filkins Turner, UK grad and now associated with a printing and marketing/advertising firm in Ashland

Civic Clubs/Organizations: Board member: (statewide non-profit) Kentucky Child Now; Stephen Foster Drama Association; NelCASA (Nelson County Court Appointed Special Advocates); and member of Rotary Club of Bardstown.

Goals for KPA: To represent the very best interests of newspapers in the state, both privately and publicly held. To stay strong financially, so that the organization can serve its member newspapers from a position of strength. To be the watchdog for the industry in our state against those who seek to weaken our public records/open meetings laws.

Views on future of newspapers: Newspapers have provided a wonderful way of life for my family and me. While change is omnipresent, I would like to think that newspapers will continue to play a relevant role in society for this next generation. Like others, I am concerned about the state of our industry, not because newspapers are not strong or that they have less of a place at the 21st Century table but rather, I see a concerted effort by marketers and big ad agencies and the rich and powerful in our main metropolises to re-write the core values of American society—bombarding us with light-speed images of sex and violence and greed. Such basically represents a dummying-down of America which perhaps may be better suited for a global economy where our country is yet a player among many nations who are business concentric.

What is the best advice you can give for successfully operating a community newspaper? Focus on the product(s) and be mindful of the ever present opportunities to innovate, paying careful attention to the triad of community, company, and employees.

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