Newspaper & Mailroom

Publishers announced in Rochester, Indianapolis, Lafayette

Thursday 23. December 2010 - Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) announced today that Michael G. Kane was named president and publisher of the Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle. Karen Crotchfelt has been named president and publisher of The Indianapolis Star, succeeding Kane. Crotchfelt formerly was senior vice president/advertising and strategic planning at The Arizona Republic in Phoenix.

Kane, previously president and publisher of The Indianapolis Star and president of U.S. Community Publishing’s Interstate Group since 2008, was named president of U.S. Community Publishing’s newly configured East Group last week. At that time, the Interstate Group merged with the East Group, which now will be headquartered in Rochester.
Former Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Publisher Ali Zoibi has been named president and publisher of The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette, LA. He succeeds Leslie Hurst, who recently was named president and publisher of The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, MS.
Kane was president and publisher of the Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle and regional vice president for Gannett’s East Newspaper Group from 2005 to 2008.
“Michael knows Rochester and with the strong ties he has established there, he will be a great asset to the Democrat and Chronicle and to the local community,” said Robert Dickey, president of U.S. Community Publishing. “Rochester provides a good central location for our East Group headquarters. The East Group covers a vast area from Vermont south to Virginia and Kentucky, north to Michigan.
“Karen has been an exceptionally strong leader in Phoenix and is an up-and-comer with Gannett and in the industry. Her combined business and strategic experience will enable her to provide outstanding service to consumers and advertisers in the Indianapolis area,” Dickey said.
“I also want to thank Ali for his time and service in Rochester. His experience and commitment will serve Lafayette very well,” Dickey said.
Prior to Kane’s work in Indianapolis and Rochester, he was president and publisher of the Lansing (MI) State Journal and regional vice president for Gannett’s Midwest Newspaper Group. Earlier he held various management positions with The Journal News in Westchester, NY, the Poughkeepsie (NY) Journal, and The News Journal in Wilmington, DE, and has more than 27 years of experience in the media business.
Kane was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) in 2007 and is a seven-time winner of Gannett’s President’s Ring honor for management excellence. He received a B.A. in Communications/Journalism from Virginia Tech in 1981.
In Arizona, Crotchfelt led The Republic’s unified strategic development of advertising, circulation, marketing and business development, and community newspapers. She began her career at Gannett in 1995 as a circulation sales manager for The Tennessean/Nashville Banner. From 1996 to 1998, she served as circulation director for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, CA, and as advertising director for the Reno (NV) Gazette-Journal from 1998-2002. In 2003, she became director of business development at The Arizona Republic and was named vice president of market and business development in 2005. In 2008, she took on the added responsibility of overseeing circulation and, in 2009 she was promoted to senior vice president/advertising and strategic planning, while assuming leadership for print and digital advertising sales.
Crotchfelt is a six-time Gannett President’s Ring award recipient and holds a bachelor of science in journalism from Northwestern University.
Zoibi joined Gannett in January 2000 as vice president/human resources at The Des Moines Register. He began working at The Indianapolis Star in August 2000 as vice president/human resources, then added the title group human resources director in 2002. In 2005 he was named vice president/administration and group human resources director. He served as senior vice president and general manager of The Indianapolis Star from 2006 until 2008, when he was named president and publisher in Rochester. Zoibi received a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Illinois and a MBA in industrial relations from Loyola University.