Susie Ellwood Named as New Publisher of Austin American-Statesman and The Statesman Co.

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Media industry veteran Susie Ellwood is the new Publisher for Cox Media Group's (CMG) Austin American-Statesman and The Statesman Co., Austin's leading media business, which publishes newspapers and websites and also acts as a regional commercial printer and distribution company.   Ellwood joins the Statesman on Dec. 3 and succeeds Jane Williams, who was recently named as CMG's Senior VP of Television earlier this year.    

As Publisher, Ellwood will be responsible for all business and editorial operations of the Statesman and its affiliated publications, including statesman.com, austin360.com, and 8 weekly community newspapers.    

"Susie has deep passion for our business, is an accomplished media professional, and has a proven track record that speaks to her vast experience," said Mike Joseph, CMG's Executive VP. "Her values align solidly with those of Cox, evidenced in how she cares about people and the community she serves.  Susie is the right leader to take the Statesman into the next era." 

Prior to this appointment, Ellwood was Executive VP and General Manager for USA TODAY, where she was responsible for editorial and business functions and strategic direction for Gannett's flagship brand. She also provided direction for the recent re-design and re-launch on all platforms.  Additionally, Ellwood held senior executive positions at the Detroit Media Partnership, including CEO, where she led the strategic transition of Detroit's two metro dailies.

"I'm thrilled to join the strong media heritage that thrives at the Statesman and Cox Media Group," said Ellwood.  "I look forward to working side-by-side with the media professionals in Austin to strive for constant transformation of our print and digital products and our business models -- always keeping our customers at the center of change. I will put my experience in leading and overseeing every aspect of a media business to drive success here."     

Ellwood began her media career in 1984 when she joined the Arkansas Gazette as VP and Director of Marketing, where she led the marketing effort to take the Gazette from being a privately held operation through to corporate ownership by Gannett.  Other career highlights include VP of Market Development with Detroit Newspapers and Gannett's Newspaper Division. 

Ellwood currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Newsmedia Marketing Association (INMA) North America.  She is a board member for the mid-Atlantic chapter of the Make-A-Wish foundation and a member of the International Women's Forum.  Ellwood is an Arkansas native and a graduate of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR.    

For a photo of Susie Ellwood, please go to: https://www.yousendit.com/download/WUJiRkJXcWY1aVlkVU1UQw

About Cox Media Group
Cox Media Group is an integrated broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing and digital media company that includes the national advertising rep firms of Cox Reps. Additionally, CMG owns and operates Valpak, one of North America's leading direct marketing companies.   With $1.7 billion in revenue, the company operations include 15 broadcast television stations and one local cable channel, 86 radio stations, eight daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services.   CMG operates in more than 30 media markets and reaches approximately 52 million Americans weekly, including 30 million TV viewers, more than 4 million print and online newspaper readers, and 18 million radio listeners.  For more information about Cox Media Group, please check us out online at www.coxmediagroup.com.   

About The Austin American-Statesman:
The Austin American-Statesman is part of a multimedia company that includes print, digital, delivery, commercial printing and packaging. The Statesman is the leading medium in Central Texas, reaching more than 800,000 readers every week. In print and online, Statesman brands are Central Texas' top news, entertainment, shopping and information sources. Along with the Statesman, the Statesman family of print brands includes publications in communities across Central Texas and publications such as ahora si! and REAL, which serve many diverse markets. The Austin American-Statesman is a Cox Media Group company.

SOURCE The Austin American-Statesman