Publishers Named in Des Moines, Iowa; Great Falls, Mont.; Elmira, N.Y.
ARLINGTON, Va. — Three executive appointments were announced today in the Newspaper Division.
— Barbara A. Henry has been named president and publisher of The Des Moines Register. She previously was president and publisher of the Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune
— Elizabeth T. (Pat) Frantz succeeds Henry in Great Falls. She previously was president and publisher of the Star-Gazette in Elmira, N.Y.
— Margaret E. Buchanan succeeds Frantz in Elmira. She previously was advertising director of the Rockford (Ill.) Register Star.
“Barbara Henry brings to The Register an outstanding record of leadership, first as an editor and more recently as a publisher and group executive,” said Gary L. Watson, president of the Newspaper Division.
“Under Barbara’s guidance, The Register will continue to serve the needs of Des Moines and Iowa.”
Henry succeeds Charles C. Edwards, who resigned to pursue other interests.
Henry, 43, joined Gannett in 1974 at the Reno (Nev.) Gazette-Journal, where she served in a variety of reporting and editing roles, including managing editor.
In 1982, she joined USA TODAY as assistant national editor. A year later, she returned to Reno as executive editor. She became editor of the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat & Chronicle and Times-Union in 1986.
In 1991, she was appointed to her position in Great Falls. In 1994, she assumed the additional responsibilities of a vice president in the Northwest Newspaper Group, where she oversaw the activities of Gannett newspapers in Fort Collins, Colo.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; and St. Cloud, Minn.
Henry is a graduate of the University of Nevada.
“Pat Frantz is an experienced publisher who understands and appreciates the role of the Tribune as a leader in Great Falls and Montana,” Watson said.
Frantz, 52, joined Gannett in 1979 in the marketing department of the Niagara Falls (N.Y.) Gazette. She later served as advertising director in Elmira and at the Ithaca (N.Y.) Journal.
In 1986, she was named president and publisher of the Chambersburg (Pa.) Public Opinion. She became president and publisher in Elmira in 1990. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the State University of New York.
“Margaret Buchanan has prepared herself for a general management opportunity,” Watson said. “She has consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence and service to our customers that will serve her well in her new role.”
Buchanan, 38, began her career with Gannett in 1986 as assistant to the publisher of The Cincinnati Enquirer. In 1987, she was named marketing services director at the Register Star. She became advertising director in Rockford in 1992.
She holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from the University of Cincinnati.
Gannett is a nationwide news and information company that publishes 92 daily newspapers, including USA TODAY, and USA WEEKEND, a newspaper magazine. Gannett also has entertainment programming, operates 15 television stations, 13 radio stations, cable television systems in five states, alarm security services and the largest outdoor advertising company in North America.