Business News

Carol Hudler named president/publisher of The Tennessean; Ellen Leifeld to retire

Tuesday 24. November 2009 - Gannett's (NYSE:GCI) U.S. Community Publishing division has named Carol Hudler president and publisher of The Tennessean in Nashville. Hudler, who has been the president and publisher of The News-Press in Fort Myers, FL, since 2000 succeeds Ellen Leifeld, president and publisher of The Tennessean, who is retiring.

Hudler will remain group president of U.S. Community Publishing’s South Newspaper Group, which comprises 16 Gannett-owned media operations in five states. Currently located in Fort Myers, the South Newspaper Group headquarters will now be located in Nashville with Hudler.

Mark Mikolajczyk, president and publisher of FLORIDA TODAY in Brevard, FL, will replace Leifeld as South Group vice president.

“We welcome Carol to Nashville as president and publisher. She is a strong leader and brings a resourceful advertising and marketing perspective,” says Bob Dickey, president of Gannett’s U.S. Community Publishing. “At the same time, we wish Ellen all the best. She’s been with Gannett for more than 30 years – rising from reporter, to editor, to city editor, to managing editor, to executive editor and to president and publisher of several Gannett newspapers. We deeply appreciate her love of journalism and the many contributions she has made to the company. Ellen has been a good friend and colleague for many years and I will miss her,” says Dickey.

Hudler has worked in a variety of advertising, marketing and general management positions, including at the Kansas City (MO) Star, the Orange County (CA) Register, the Long Beach (CA) Press-Telegram, the Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle, the St. Paul (MN) Pioneer Press and the Macon (GA) Telegraph. She is a board member of the Newspaper Association of America and chairs its Audit Bureau of Circulations liaison committee.

A native Kansan, Hudler graduated with a degree in Journalism Science from the University of Kansas and is a graduate of the Stanford Executive Program.