WILMINGTON — Veteran newspaper executive Bud Hunt has been named regional vice president and group publisher of AIM Media Midwest, including the News Journal.
Previously Hunt served as regional publisher for Civitas Media in southeast Ohio working with newspapers in Portsmouth, Gallipolis, Pomeroy and Point Pleasant, W. Va., and as regional director for the Civitas newspapers in West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.
The announcement was made recently by Jeremy Halbreich, Chairman and CEO, and Rick Starks, President and COO of AIM Media Midwest, the newspapers’ parent company.
In addition to responsibility for news and editorial, print and digital advertising sales and other business functions, Hunt will now have direct responsibility for circulation management and audience development within the southern tier of AIM Media Midwest. He will continue to work with the southeast group of newspapers as well as the News Journal and AIM newspapers in Washington Court House and Hillsboro.
Hunt has an extensive background in media, holding senior management positions in several organizations.
Prior to joining Civitas Media, he was vice president of revenue at Rust Communications in Cape Girardeau, Mo. During his time with Rust, he also served as regional vice president, regional publisher and editor working with newspapers in southeast Missouri and west Tennessee.
Hunt began his newspaper career with Park Communications, serving as advertising manager, editor and general manager of newspapers in Arkansas.
He has won several awards for performance and editorial excellence during his career, as did newspapers under his guidance.
Hunt has a strong history of community involvement, including past chairman of the Board of Trustees for Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center, Kennett, Mo., past president Kennett, Mo. Chamber of Commerce, past board member Kennett United Way, and past chairman, Cherokee District, Greater St. Louis Area Council of Boy Scouts of America.
He was also a member of the inaugural Missouri Seismic Safety Commission and serves on the board of trustees in his local church, Grace United Methodist, Gallipolis.
During his newspaper career, Hunt served as a president of the Southeast Missouri Press Association and was a member of Inland Press Association’s inaugural Executive Program for Innovative Change (EPIC), a year-long study looking at innovation within the newspaper industry.
Hunt and his wife, Lee, moved to Gallipolis in 2014 to take on the role of regional sales director with Civitas Media. They have two children, Adam Nichols who lives in St. Charles, Mo., and Haylee and Justin Owens, who live in Cape Girardeau. They have one granddaughter, Aubrey Nichols. They are members of Grace United Methodist Church in Gallipolis.
They are in the process of relocating to Wilmington.
“I am excited about the opportunity to work with AIM Media’s southern Ohio operations,” Hunt said. “I know many of our associates already from our time with Civitas and look forward to working with the dedicated professionals in our media operations covering community news, along with providing print and digital advertising solutions to our audience.
“We are also looking forward to meeting new friends and becoming part of the Wilmington community,” he said.
