The Indiana Publisher

Page 2 December 2019 The Messenger publisher, HSPA past president Welch to retire at year's end Staff reports The Messenger (Madisonville/ Hopkins County, Kentucky) After more than 39 years working in the newspaper industry, The Messenger pub- lisher Rick Welch will be retiring at the end of this year. Welch's newspaper career began right after graduating from Indiana University. His first job was a sportswrit- ing stint at the daily Gary Post-Tribune. As time passed, he was promoted into advertising sales at the Knight-Ridder based newspa- per and then left for a small locally owned newspaper group known as the Herald News Group in 1987. The late Joel Remaley asked Welch to become the advertising director of the HNG. In 1994, he left the Herald News Group to become advertising manager at Nixon Newspapers Inc. NNI asked him to become advertising manager at its Wabash Plain Dealer newspaper, which is currently owned by Paxton Media Group. In 1998, Welch left the Plain Dealer to become the advertising manager at the Evansville Courier & Press, a Scripps-How- ard newspaper. After a few years at the Courier & Press, he was hired by Paxton Media Group in 2001 to become the publisher of the Frankfort Times. In 2005, PMG moved Welch to publisher of the Michigan City News-Dispatch and the New Buffalo Times. Eventually, in 2008, former Group Publisher Bob Morris hired Welch as publisher of The Madisonville Messenger. He has since also helped with new PMG acquisitioned newspapers. Welch has served on the Hoosier State Press Association and the Kentucky State Press Association boards and was HSPA president. He also served as president for the KPA in 2015 and currently serves on the KPA's Past Presidents Board. "We will miss Rick. He has truly had a distinguished career in newspapers. Please join me in wishing Rick the very best in his retirement, as it is well deserved," current Group Publisher Mike Weafer said. Welch Send your updated ad rates to HSPA by Jan. 6 Indiana newspapers: Remember to send your updated ad rates to ads@hspa.com by Jan. 6. Questions? Contact Pam Lego, plego@hspa.com. "We will miss Rick. He has truly had a distin- guished career in newspa- pers. Please join me in wishing Rick the very best in his retirement, as it is well deserved." Mike Weafer, Paxton Media Group Publisher Connect with us. Follow HSPA on Facebook & Twitter. @OurRight2Know Facebook.com/HoosierStatePressAssociation The Hoosier Times

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