Governance

Orestes Baez

Mr. Orestes Baez
President and CEO
Maryland Pennysaver
1342 Charwood Road
Hanover, MD 21076-3115
v - 443-458-8741
f - 410-684-2065
obaez@mdpennysaver.com

OB was elected president at the 2008 Annual Meeting and assumed this position on July 1, 2008 for a two-year term.

Scott Patterson

Mr. Scott Patterson
Publisher
Carolina MoneySaver
1609 Airport Road
Monroe, NC 28110
v - 704-246-0901
f - 704-246-0950
scott@carolinaclassifieds.com

Scott was elected first vice president at the 2008 Annual Meeting and assumed this position on July 1, 2008 for a two-year term.

A native of Ohio and graduate of Carnegie-Melon University in Pittsburgh, Scott started his publishing career with Harte-Hanks as a sales person for the Austin Shopping Guide where Jim Kendall was then the publisher. He later served as sales manager for the publication and was promoted to publisher when the publication was sold to Worrell Newspapers.

Patterson was transferred to Fort Lauderdale and served as president of the South Florida Newspaper Network, a community newspaper group owned by Worrell. Here Patterson executed a successful turnaround and expansion plan, which eventually allowed him to purchase the papers working with the Riverside Company, a private equity firm. These papers were successfully expanded and grown through acquisition and were subsequently sold to the Tribune Company. Scott remained as the president for one year before taking another entrepreneurial opportunity.

Scott returned to Pittsburgh as CEO of Trinity Holdings, a publisher of direct mail shoppers, community weekly and paid daily newspapers operating in three states. Another successful turnaround, the company was profitably sold to three different publishing concerns.

In his latest venture, Scott has partnered with Dick Mandt to start the Carolina Moneysaver, a 185,000 circulation direct mail shopping magazine based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Patterson served as Treasurer for AFCP and is a past president of the Community Papers of Florida. He is a recipient of the AFCP publisher of the year award.

Scott resides in Charlotte with his wife Jennifer and their children Kendra and Kole.

Carol Toomey

Ms. Carol Toomey
Publisher
Action Unlimited
100-1 Domino Dr.
Concord, MA 01742
v - 978-371-2442
f - 978-287-5046
carolaction@aol.com

Carol was elected second vice president at the 2008 Annual Meeting and assumed this position on July 1, 2008 for a two-year term.

In the newspaper business since 1968, Carol Toomey started Action Unlimited (a CVC gold crown recipient for five consecutive years) in 1970 and is now Publisher of 16 papers in Massachusetts. Past President of Free Community Papers of New England, member of the Independent Free Papers of America, and currently is vice president of the Association of Free Community Papers. Co-chair of the 2006 AFCP Conference & Trade Show in Miami, she received the Distinguished Service Award in 2005 and Publisher of the Year in 2006. Carol headed the Free Paper INK committee and more recently the membership committee. She is on the Saturation Mailers Coalition board where she presents free paper issues to the US Post Office.

Greg Birkett

Mr. Greg Birkett
Publisher
Dubuque Advertiser
2966 JFK Road
Dubuque, IA 52002
v - 563-588-0162
f - 563-582-0335
gbirkett@dbqadvertiser.com

Greg was elected third vice president at the 2008 Annual Meeting and assumed this position on July 1, 2008 for a two-year term.

Greg Birkett is the Vice President and General Manager of The Dubuque Advertiser a free community shopper publication with a weekly circulation of 36,000 in Dubuque, IA. Greg is a Past President and Past Executive Director of Midwest Free Community Papers (MFCP) and still serves on their board of directors. He also serves on the Association of Free Community Papers board and on the PaperChain committee. In addition he has been national Conference Chairman for both the Independent Free Papers of America and the Association of Free Community Papers.

Loren Colburn

Mr. Loren Colburn
Publisher
Scotsman Press, Inc.
PO Box 4970
Syracuse, NY 13221
v - 315-472-7825
f - 315-478-1434
lcolburn@scotsmanpress.com

Loren was re-elected secretary-treasurer at the 2008 Annual Meeting and continued serving in this position on July 1, 2008 for a two-year term.

Loren Colburn has more than 30 years of progressive management responsibilities in all phases of marketing, operations and general management. Starting as a sales rep at the Scotsman Press in Syracuse, New York, he has served as its publisher since 1990. He has a strong ability to gain confidence and cooperation of superiors, colleagues and subordinates. He also is an astute motivator with ability to identify and maximize talents of subordinates and is adept at analysis and reformulation of systems and departments for maximum efficiency at minimum cost.

Loren is a graduate of State University of New York, College at Cortland and served as a board member, president and treasurer of several state and national industry boards. He is active in youth sports in his community and the local March of Dimes chapter.

Carlos G. Guzmán

Mr. Carlos G. Guzmán
President & Publisher
TheFlyer.com
11900 SW 128th Street
Miami, FL 33186
v - 305-234-6701
f - 305-251-5141
cguzman@theflyer.com

Carlos was elected to an At-Large position at the 2008 Annual Meeting and assumed this position on July 1, 2008 for a two-year term.

He is President and Publisher of The Flyer, a weekly direct mail magazine reaching over 2.8 million homes in Florida every week. He has been President of the company since 1994 and became Vice President and Corporate Officer of its parent company, Harte-Hanks, Inc. in 2002.

A New York native, Guzmán graduated from the University of Miami in 1983, magna cum laude, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He later earned an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School in 1988, graduating with second year honors, and specializing in general management and marketing.

Guzmán has grown The Flyer into a print media and direct marketing powerhouse over the last 14 years since becoming President.

He started his career in the publishing business at The Flyer as a college freshman, working as a sales representative after class and on Saturdays. Since the time when The Flyer was acquired by Harte-Hanks in 1982, Guzmán has taken assignments in various positions in senior sales, sales management and general management for Harte-Hanks’ shopper publications throughout the country, including the Southern California, Texas and Florida markets.

Today The Flyer employs over 475 employees statewide and is a widely known brand in the Florida local community advertising industry.

Guzmán has served on numerous charitable boards, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Florida and Catholic Charities, as well as on industry boards, such as the Community Papers of Florida and the Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP), where he is an active board member. He has served on multiple Harvard Business School Alumni Boards of Directors since graduating 20 years ago. In his spare time, he also actively coaches youth baseball in southwest Broward County.

Guzmán is current chairman and founder of “The Leadership Institute”, an industry management education and training college that is sponsored by AFCP. Guzmán received one of the industry’s highest distinctions when he was named AFCP's “Publisher of the Year” in 2001.

Guzmán was also inducted into Miami-Dade College’s Hall-of-Fame for Advertising and General Management in 2005. He and his wife, Susana, have four children and reside in West Miramar, Florida.

Ray Pike

Mr. Ray Pike
President and General Manager
Waxahachie Newspapers Inc
PO Box 877
Waxahachie, TX 75168
v - 972-937-3310
f - 972-937-1139
ray.pike@waxahachiedailylight.com

Ray was re-elected to an At-Large position at the 2008 Annual Meeting and continued serving in this position on July 1, 2008 for a two-year term.

Ray Pike is currently publisher and president of Waxahachie Newspapers, Inc. in beautiful Waxahachie, Texas. As publisher he oversees a six-day daily and six free weekly publications.

Ray has been in the newspaper/free paper industry for almost 40 years. He presently serves as a board member of AFCP and has served on free paper boards in Iowa and Michigan and the Michigan Press Association.

James L. Kendall

Mr. James L. Kendall
Chief Executive Officer
Hometown News
1102 South US Highway 1
Fort Pierce, FL 34950
v - 772-465-5656
f - 772-462-5301
Kendall@hometownnewsol.com

Jim began a two-year term as past president as defined in the by-laws on July 1, 2008.

A graduate of the University of Miami, Jim Kendall joined Dick Mandt, who owned The Flyer in Miami, as a graduate student doing marketing and feasibility studies for expansion. Upon receiving his MBA he joined The Flyer as a sale representative. He also served as a reader ad manager and supervised several of the industry's more successful professionals, including Carlos Guzman, Cristina Beauvoir and Doug Dance.

He subsequently served as division president for Harte Hanks at its Austin, Tx., location and, later, senior vice president of Potpourri in San Jose, Calif. In 1990, we rejoined Mandt who had purchased the Marketeer in Tampa, Fl. from Harte Hanks and renamed it The Flyer. Together, they built one of the most successful free papers in the country. Mandt sold the magazine back to Harte Hanks in 2005 and Kendall served as vice president of sales for Harte Hanks operations in Tampa and Miami. He currently serves as chief executive officer of Hometown News in Fort Pierce, Fl.

Kendall is a past recipient of AFCP's Publisher of the Year and Distinguished Service awards as well as many other industry recognitions. He has served as president of AFCP, the Community Papers of Florida and PaperChain, the industry's marketing initiative.

An active connoisseur of California Cabernet and avid fisherman, skier and Harley rider, Kendall lives in Florida with his wife, Sue. They have two daughters.

Daniel E. Alexander

Mr. Dan Alexander
President and Publisher
Denton Publications, Inc.
PO Box 338
Elizabethtown, NY 12932
v - 518-873-6368
f - 518-873-6360
dan@denpubs.com

Dan represents the Free Community Papers of New York.

Dan Alexander is the Publisher and President of Denton Publications, Inc., a community newspaper publishing and commercial printing company, based in Elizabethtown, NY. Denton employs approximately 70 talented individual staffing 2 branch offices in Plattsburgh and Ticonderoga in addition to the central production plant in Elizabethtown. Alexander is also co-owner of New Market Press, Inc. a Vermont based community newspaper publishing company with three editions. Alexander has worked in the daily newspaper, community publishing and commercial printing field for over 30 years.

Alexander is active in community affairs having serving as campaign chair of the 2009 United Way of Clinton and Essex Counties, chair of the regional North Country Workforce Investment Board, and served as director on the boards of the North Country Chamber of Commerce, the Foundation of Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, CVPH Community Board, the Essex County Industry Development Corporation, the Essex County Business Council, the New York Press Association, Paper Chain and the Free Community Papers of New York. Alexander has received many accolades over years, including being named by the North Country Chamber of Commerce as the Business Person of the Year in 2003 and Publisher of the Year in 2001 by the Free Community Papers of New York. Alexander and his wife Gayle reside in Elizabethtown.

Jesse Aspenson

Mr. Jesse Aspenson
General Manager
Wisconsin Iowa Shopping News
PO Box 97
Prairie Du Chien, WI 53821
v - 608-326-2457
f - 608-326-6621
jaspenson@wcinet.com

Jesse represents the Wisconsin Community Papers.

Jesse Aspenson began his career in the free paper industry as a sales rep at the Wisconsin-Iowa Shopping News in Prairie du Chien, WI in 1987 and has held his current position of General Manager since 1990.

Jesse is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Platteville with a business degree emphasizing in marketing and management. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors and is a Past President of Wisconsin Community Papers.

Elizabeth Bragg

Ms. Elizabeth Bragg
Publisher
The Nickel
1510 Grade Street
Kelso, WA 98626
v - 360-423-3141
f - 360-423-1814
liz@thenickel.net

Liz represents the Pacific Northwest Association of Want Ad Newspapers (PNAWAN).

Elizabeth Bragg owns and operates The Nickel in Kelso, Washington, a publication serving seven counties with a weekly circulation of 22,000. Liz has played an active roll in all phases of the business for more than 20 years. She is a member of the Independent Free papers of America and the Lower Columbia Genealogical Society.

John C. Draper

Mr. John C. Draper
Publisher
The Free Star
PO Box 277
Pipestone, MN 56164
jdraper@pipestonestar.com

John represents the Minnesota Free Papers Association (MFPA).

Shane Goodman

Mr. Shane Goodman
Publisher
Cityview
414 61st Street
Des Moines, IA 50312
v - 515-953-4822, x305
f - 515-953-1394
shane@dmcityview.com

Shane represents the Midwest Free Community Papers (MFCP).

Shane Goodman is the president and co-owner of Big Green Umbrella Media, Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa. The company publishes Cityview, a 30,000 circulation alternative newsweekly for Central Iowa, and Iowa Living magazines, a group of 10 monthly, suburban lifestyle magazines with 100,000 mailed circulation.

Vincent Grassia

Mr. Vincent Grassia
Group Publisher
Ponte Vedra Recorder
100 Executive Way, Suite #105
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
v - 904-285-8831
f - 904-285-7232
vgrassia@jcpgroup.com

Vinnie represents the Community Papers of Florida (CPF).

Vincent Grassia has had a career in the newspaper publishing and printing industry for over 30 years. Growing up in central New Jersey, and a BA graduate of Rutgers University, he began his career as a territory salesman at the Advisor Newspaper in Middletown, NJ. He went on to work for The Asbury Park Press, holding positions of sales manager, ad director, and general manager over a 10-year period. Later he worked at Greater Media Publications, Greater Jersey Press, and Marketeer Publications as Publisher and General Manager before moving to Ponte Vedra Beach in 1998. He has spent the past 10 years here with Journal Community Publishing (owners of The Ponte Vedra Recorder, Clay Today, Clay Leader, Car Connection Weekly, Pelican Press, and Florida Mariner ) managing various properties in the North Florida area, and now serves as Group Publisher for all of the company’s Florida properties. Vincent is active in the Ponte Vedra Rotary Club, Ponte Vedra Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, serves on the Board of Directors of Community Papers of Florida (CPF), is a former Board Member of the Florida Press Association, and is the national chairman of the March of Dimes Committee for PaperChain. He lives with his wife Holly, of 22 years, and their two sons, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Jack Guza

Mr. Jack Guza
Executive Director
Community Papers of Michigan
PO Box 1388
East Lansing, MI 48826
jackguza@cpapersmi.com

Jack represents the Community Papers of Michigan (CPM).

Jim Haigh

Mr. Jim Haigh
Government Relations Consultant
427 Ridge Street
Emmaus, PA 18049
v - 610-965-4032
f - 610-965-5629
jimhaigh@fast.net

Jim represents the Mid-Atlantic Community Papers Association (MACPA).

Jim leads the free paper opposition to big media efforts which undermine fair competition in local markets. He drafted the industry position statement regarding cross-media ownership adopted by the majority associations filed with the Federal Communications Commission in the current media ownership proceeding. He has delivered panel testimony to the full body of the FCC, at community forums attended by Commissioners, authored Reply Comments to the FCC, and actively represents the industry before the national coalition opposing anticompetitive forms of media consolidation.

Jim is a community paper publishing veteran turned professional advocate. His passion for government relations began while serving on MACPA's board of directors, chairing that committee and leading their battle for legals. He wrote the language and gained sponsorship of legals bills introduced in the Pennsylvania House and Senate over the last decade. His arguments against Liquor Control Board's prohibition on liquor advertising in free papers were adopted in the Attorney General's ruling in favor of free papers. His advocacy was instrumental in the battles to stop legislative threats including sales tax on advertising and prohibitions on carrier delivery, and his non-partisan coalition building has legals on the brink of passage.

Formerly, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Penny Power, LTD, a 70,000 US Mailed shopper and Sales Manager of The Free Press, a paid weekly newspaper. He lives in Emmaus, PA with his wife and their four cats, enjoying gardening, cooking, fishing, golf, cartooning and politics. He earned his BA from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA.

Greg Ledford

Mr. Greg Ledford
President
Community First Media, Inc.
503 North Lafayette Street
Shelby, NC 28150
v - 704-484-1047 x111
f - 704-484-1067
greg@shelbyinfo.com

Greg represents the Southeast Advertising Publishers Association (SAPA).

Thomas Gregory Ledford, president of Community First Media, is in his 30th year in the newspaper industry. Greg started as an advertising representative at the Shelby Daily Star in 1979. Since, he has built an award-winning community newspaper from its modest 1984 beginning circulation fo 4,000 to its current 29,000 weekly circulation. Six years ago Greg purchased the Rutherford Weekly, a community newspaper in neighboring Rutherford County. The Rutherford Weekly also began in 1984 and publishers 13,000 copies weekly.

Mr. Ledford serves on the Board of Directors of SAPA and AFCP and is a past president of SAPA. He is also active with the Independent Free Papers of America.

Being a life-long resident of Cleveland County, he is involved in his community. He serves on the Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank, is a member of the Shelby Kiwanis Club, editing its newsletter. He contributes to the Salvation Army, is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of Cleveland, Rutherford and Polk Counties and is a major sponsor of Alive After Five in Uptown Shelby, Cleveland 20/20, Relay For Life and prodcues a monthly newspaper for the Council on Aging.

Bart Loiacono

Mr. Bart Loiacono
Publisher
NiteLife.org
PO Box 428
West Chicago, IL 60185
v - 800-339-2000
f - 630-818-8019
bart@nitelife.org

Bart represents the Community Papers of Illinois and Indiana (CPII).

Entrepreneur, Entertainer, Educator, Extravert, Extra-terrestrial. Founder of the NiteLife Group of Publications including Nitelife.org and Karaoke NiteLife, Bart has been recognized nationally has an innovator in the bar and nightclub industry and is a perennial speaker at the Las Vegas, Atlantic City and New York, bar and nightclub shows. Nitelife.org has been awarded the CVC Gold Standard Award six consecutive times. Bart says, "Life is short; have as much fun as you can in the time allotted."

David J. Neuharth

Mr. David J. Neuharth
Executive Director
Community Papers of Florida
PO Box 1149
Summerfield, FL 34492-1149
v - 877-373-3142
f - 352-347-3384
djneuharth@aol.com

Dave represents the Community Papers of Florida (CPF). He also serves as editor of Free Paper INK.

Karen M. Sawicz

Ms. Karen M. Sawicz
Publisher
Lake Country Pennysaver
PO Box 231
Albion , NY 14411
v - 585-589-5641
f - 585-589-1239
karen@lakecountrypennysaver.com

Karen represents the Free Community Papers of New York (FCPNY).

Involved with the free community newspaper business since age 12, Karen learned the ropes from the ground up. In 1989, she assumed the President’s position of the Lake Country Pennysaver, as her parents retired. The Lake Country Pennysaver is a weekly free community paper with a circulation of 20,000 in the New York counties of Orleans, Niagara and Genesee. She has been a member of the Free Community Papers of New York, serving as chair of the legislative committee and president. In 2003, she received that association's prestigious “Publisher of the Year” honor.

While serving on the Association of Free Community Papers board, she serves as committee chair of Free Paper INK, the free paper industry's trade magazine. Karen is also the chair for the 2009 AFCP Annual Conference & Trade Show in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Karen is involved in her community as past president and board member of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce; past president and active member of the Albion Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow. Currently, she is involved with the Local Development Corporation of Orleans County and is writing a grant for historic renewal for the business area of the county seat – Albion, New York.

Karen studied sociology at the University of Sioux Falls. An interested golfer, Karen loves to sing and travel. She currently resides in Buffalo, New York with her husband Paul. They are the proud parents of three children and four grandchildren.

Paul Sciaraffa

Mr. Paul Sciaraffa
Sales Manager
The Valley Breeze
2190 Mendon Rd, Suite 1
Cumberland , RI 02864
v - 401-334-9555
f - 401-334-9994
paulo1872@aol.com

Dan represents the Free Community Papers of New England.

Paul Sciaraffa has worked in the community newspaper industry for over 23 years in the Rhode Island and Massachusetts market areas. Currently, he is the Vice President of Sales for Action Unlimited's free publications on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Previously he has been a Sales Representative for Beacon Communications, a group of weekly publications in Warwick, RI, from 1985-1995; an Account Executive for Community Newspaper Company, a network of over 120 weekly and daily publications based in Needham, Massachusetts from 1995-1998; and  Sales Manager/Advertising Director for Breeze Publications, featuring 4 local, weekly papers in Cumberland, RI from 1998-2007. He joined Action Unlimited in January, 2008.

He has been on the Board of Directors of Free Community Papers of New England since 2001, serving as the RI representative from 2001-2003, President-Elect and Conference Chairman from 2003-2005, and President from 2005-2007. Currently he is the Immediate Past President of  FCPNE and AFCP representative for the New England region.

A resident of Cumberland, RI, he has a BA in Russian Studies from American University in Washington, DC, with a minor in Journalism. He is single and loves to travel, speaking Russian and Italian.

Michael Van Stry

Mr. Michael Van Stry
President
Coastal View News
4856 Carpinteria Avenue
Carpinteria, CA 93013
v - 805-684-4428
f - 805-684-4650
news@coastalview.com

Michael represents the Southwest Association of Community Publications (SACP).

He is president and co-founder of RMG Ventures, LLC, which publishes Coastal View News, DEEP Surf Magazine and Carpinteria Magazine. Based in Carpinteria, Calif., his publications have won numerous national awards, including AFCP’s Outstanding Publication honor in 2004.

Michael was on the founding board of SACP and served as president for two years.

Born and raised in upstate New York, he has called Southern California home for the past 20 years.