Thirteen years ago, Paul Fopiano sat in my living room and said, “The Beacon is closing. What are we going to do?”
Executive Director/Publisher
Community Publishing of Andover, Inc, a New Hampshire non-profit corporation, seeks an Executive Director and Publisher for The Andover Beacon in Andover, New Hampshire. This full-time position is responsible for the operational, strategic, and financial success of a small, hyperlocal publishing company.
The Executive Director/Publisher works closely with the Board of Directors to establish the vision, policies, and strategic focus of the organization. This position is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a monthly community newspaper (content coordination, print design and production, ad creative, volunteer oversight, etc.). Additional duties include overseeing the advertising team to retain and expand revenue stream, providing fiscal oversight, and building strong community relationships to foster the strength of The Andover Beacon.
Candidates must possess superb communication skills; a firm understanding of the changing media landscape; an expertise with Adobe Creative Suite, Google Docs and Drive, WordPress, Windows 7 or 8, and Microsoft Office; a customer-first approach for readers and advertisers; and the ability to build strong community connections.
To view the full job description, visit AndoverBeacon.com/Publisher. Please submit a resume and cover letter by December 1, 2015 to Resumes@nullAndoverBeacon.com.
After two years of scratching my head over that, and with a lot of help, encouragement, and financial support from Andover folks too numerous to mention, Community Publishing of Andover, Inc. was born, and I found myself running an entirely new and re-imagined Beacon.
Over the past 11 years, this “simple” non-profit community project has grown almost immeasurably: more pages, more volunteers, more donors, a Web site at AndoverBeacon.com, and new community publishing projects like the Town Report, the Fourth of July program, and more.
It’s been a fantastic ride, a wonderful and deeply fulfilling challenge for me personally. And I believe – and I know that many agree – that it’s been a very positive contribution to the quality of life in Andover.
But now I’ve reached the point in my life where it’s time for me to retire.
Thankfully, the Beacon has reached the point where it should be sustainable into the future for as long as the community – donors, advertisers, volunteers, contributors of articles and photos – continues to support it. So now is the right time to explore the final piece of the sustainability puzzle: the ability to sustain the organization’s vigor and effectiveness during changes in key personnel.
I’ve worked closely with our Board of Directors to ensure that this important transition will go as smoothly as possible. Once the Board finds and hires a suitable replacement for me, I’ll be available as a volunteer for as long as necessary and in whatever capacity necessary to help my replacement as they “settle in.”
The Board of Directors is also planning to step up its role in a number of areas, and to that end will be expanding the size of the Board soon. This will provide an important measure of continuity and flexibility as Community Publishing of Andover continues to evolve in the years to come.
I won’t close with any kind of “good-bye” at this point because for now, nothing much will change. For the near term, the same team will be working really hard to bring you the Beacon, the Web site, the Town Report, etc. We still need you to volunteer to help! We still need you to send in your 2015 donation!
But now, we also need you to think about who, in the coming months, might be able to step into my role, and who might be able to join the Board of Directors. There’s a lot riding on this transition, and we need everyone’s help to be sure it’s successful.