People and Papers

John Nelson, managing editor of The Advocate-Messenger for the past 10 years, has been named executive editor of the four Kentucky newspapers owned by Schurz Communications Inc. These newspapers include The Advocate-Messenger, The Interior Journal in Stanford, The Winchester Sun and The Jessamine Journal in Nicholasville.

In addition to his duties as managing editor in Danville, Nelson will be responsible for hiring, developing and supervising the editors in the group. He also will be involved in newsroom planning and procedures, staff recruiting, training and newsroom budgets, while focusing on readership and financial goals for all four papers.

Nelson served as 2004 president of the Kentucky Press Association and served two terms as president of the Bluegrass Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. As KPA president, he coordinated the state's first public records audit, which involved three agencies in each of the state's 120 counties, and spearheaded an effort to open juvenile courts and records in Kentucky. He has received the Bingham Freedom of Information Award and the Russ Metz Most Valuable Member Award from the KPA.

Jacqueline Jordan has been named managing editor of the McLean County News.

Jordan, a native of Muhlenberg County, has worked at the paper since May as an advertising account executive.

Jordan received a degree in print journalism from Murray State University.

Sean Rose, a senior at the University of Kentucky and managing editor of the Kentucky Kernel, has won the national collegiate Reporter of the Year Award from the Associated Collegiate Press.

Several other UK students also won national awards at the organization’s national meeting in Washington, D.C.: Chris DeLotell, a journalism and education senior from Mason, Ohio, won third place for Sports Story of the Year; Keith Smiley, a journalism and computer science senior from Versailles, won honorable mention for News Photo of the Year; Brad Luttrell, a journalism senior from Middlesboro, won honorable mention for Picture Story of the Year. Rose also placed third in News Story of the Year.

Rose’s Reporter of the Year entry consisted of stories about the crash of Comair Flight 5191, the drowning of two women during a storm in Lexington and a profile of former UK interim police chief Kevin Franklin.

Rose, who received $1,000 for his winning entry, is journalism major from Crestwood.

Larry Jobe has been named advertising director of The News-Enterprise in Elizabethtown.

Jobe comes to Kentucky from Portland, Ore. where he recently served as regional advertising sales director for Nickel Publications.

Jobe began his new job in October.

Brian Smith has joined the staff of the Mayfield Messenger as a staff reporter.

Smith is a native of Farmington and a 2006 graduate of the University of Kentucky.

He comes to the Messenger from The Anderson News in Lawrenceburg.

Jeanie Noble and Bobby Thorpe have been chosen to take over new roles at the Jackson Times.

Noble was promoted to general manager after working for over four years in the composition department.

Thorpe, who will now serve as editor of the paper, was the Breathitt County coroner.

Karen Ross has taken the position of medical account executive at The Lexington Herald-Leader.

She has 22 years of experience in media marketing and has won Newspaper Association of America advertising awards as well as awards from the Kentucky Press Association.

Michele Carlton, the Kentucky New Era's feature editor for the past 10 years, has been promoted to the managing editor position at the Fort Campbell Courier.

Emily Parrino, who has worked at the copy desk for nearly two years, will become the paper's new features editor.

Cheryl Truman, books editor and columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader, was one of nine alumni selected for the Bryan Station Alumni Association's Hall of Distinction.

The event was held Oct. 6.

Rebecca Owsley is on loan to the LaRue County Herald News from The News-Enterprise. Both papers are owned by Landmark.

She is filling in at the LaRue due to the illness of another employee.

Owsley is a graduate of Western Kentucky University with a bachelor degree in mass communications and a minor in history. She has a master’s degree in Christian education from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Deborah Garrett and Sharon Graves have joined the staff of The News-Democrat in Carrollton.

Garrett will serve as a sales representative with Graves working as a staff writer.

Garrett formerly served as an account executive at a radio station.

Graves has been a freelance writer for The News-Democrat for over three years.

Jessica Singleton is the new staff writer for The News-Herald in Owenton.

Singleton received her degree in journalism from the University of Southern Indiana.

Before starting her career, Singleton served as a health education volunteer for the Peace Corps in Senegal.

Lynette Mason has been hired as an advertising representative for The Spencer Magnet in Taylorsville.

Mason received her degree from Middle Tennessee State in business administration with a minor in accounting and a post-baccalaureate degree in law and paralegal studies.

Lexington Herald-Leader editorial cartoonist Joel Pett is one of 12 recipients of the Population Institute's 2007 Global Media Awards for Excellence in Population Reporting.

Pett, a Herald-Leader employee since 1984, was recognized for numerous cartoons he has drawn that address population issues.

This is the second time he has won this award.

Matthew Goldman, a graduate of Guilford College, has joined the staff of the Henry County Local as a reporter/photographer.

Goldman replaces Katherine Jacewicz.

Goldman previously worked as an intern for Yes! Weekly and served on his college paper as a reporter, sports editor and eventually managing editor.

Mark Neikirk, the former managing editor of the Kentucky Post and the Cincinnati Post, has been named executive director of the Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement and Nonprofit Development at Northern Kentucky University.

Neikirk was followed in his former post by Keith Herrell who will serve as managing editor until the papers close Dec. 31.

Herrell has been with the staff since 1984 and writes a weekly column on politics and policy.

Portia Oldham and Donna Walker have assumed new positions of responsibility at The News-Enterprise in Elizabethtown.

Oldham has worked for The News-Enterprise for over 26 years and will now be working in circulation.

Walker moves from her role as circulation marketing and sales team leader to the business office where she, along with Oldham, will be assuming new responsibilities as part of a succession plan for the position of business manager.

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