Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. appoints new vice president of operations / advertising

CAMPBELL HALL, NY – Zeke Fleet, who has been a publisher in New York and Michigan for Ottaway Newspapers, Inc., will move to corporate headquarters at the end of May to fill the new position of vice president / operations and advertising.

“We’re excited that Zeke, with his solid ad background, strategic approach to operations and track record running two different ONI dailies will be joining the CHQ team,” said John P. Kinney, Ottaway senior vice president. “He will have corporate oversight of a key part of the business – advertising – and operational responsibility for several newspaper divisions.”

Fleet, who will join the corporate staff on May 31, has been president and publisher of the Record-Eagle in Traverse City, MI, since the fall of 2000. Before that he held the same position at the Press-Republican in Plattsburgh, NY.

“I am most pleased to have this opportunity, especially at such a changing time in the information industry,” Fleet said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in New York, as well as staff members at Ottaway sites.”

Ottaway hopes to name a successor to Fleet in Traverse City soon.

Fleet has been in the newspaper business since 1972 after graduating from the college of communications at Michigan State University.

He held a variety of positions in advertising, news, production and circulation departments at three papers in Michigan: the Oakland Press in Pontiac, the Lansing State Journal and the Daily News in Greenville. He came to the Record-Eagle in 1989 and served as advertising and marketing director, assistant to the publisher and general manager before going to Plattsburgh in 1998.

In New York, he was a board member of the Plattsburgh Rotary Club and was on the area hospital and college foundation boards. He is a former member of the board of directors of the New York Newspaper Publishers Association and is currently on the board of the Michigan Press Association and president of the advertising sales portion, Michigan Newspapers Inc. Fleet, his wife, Mary, and daughter Kerry live in Traverse City. His daughter Kathleen is a student at Michigan State.

Contact:

John P. Kinney
Ottaway Newspapers, Inc.

845-294-8181