Officers and Senior Management

The following are brief biographical summaries of Woodward Communications Incorporated’s (WCI) officers, and its senior management team:

Craig L. Trongaard

Director, Chair
After serving in management roles at other companies, Craig joined WCI in 1976 as General Manager of the Platteville (Wisconsin) Shopping News. During his career he served as Vice President - Weekly Publications, Senior Vice President and President. He retired as President at the end of 2003, but continues to serve as Chair of the Board and the Executive Committee.

William F. Skemp

Director, Vice Chair & Secretary
Bill’s employment with Woodward began in 1956 when he worked part-time at the Telegraph Herald during college. From 1961 to 1964, he was a CPA with Price Waterhouse in Chicago. He returned to the company in 1964 as a general accountant, served as Treasurer for many years and joined WCI's Board of Directors in 1968. He was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer in 1987, retiring in 2000 but remaining on the Board and as Corporate Secretary. He returned to employment with WCI in 2002 and was elected Vice Chairman and CEO. Bill was elected Chairman at the end of 2004 and retired for the second time in 2006. In addition to being Vice Chair, he serves as Compensation Committee Chair and a member of the Audit Committee. Mr. Skemp is a graduate of Loras College.

Thomas A. Yunt

Director, President & Chief Executive Officer
After serving in management roles for Gannett newspapers, Tom joined WCI in 1985 as Advertising Director of the Telegraph Herald. He left in 1990 to take the position of Advertising Director for Indianapolis Newspapers Inc. Tom rejoined the company as Publisher of the Telegraph Herald in 1993. He was promoted to Vice President/Publisher in 1994, and in 2000 was named Senior Vice President and elected to the corporation’s board of directors. Mr. Yunt became President on December 1, 2003 and was elected CEO in 2006. He received a BA degree in Mass Communications/Advertising from Western Kentucky University and a Master’s degree in communications from the University of Dubuque.

Grady D. Ivy

Director, Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer
Grady joined Woodward in 1987. Prior to joining WCI, he was Vice President, Administrator and Controller with Buford Television Inc. in Tyler, Texas, and from 1974 to 1981, he worked in various financial management positions for Harte-Hankes Communications, Inc. in San Antonio. From 1970 to 1974, he was a CPA with Price Waterhouse in Dallas. Mr. Ivy graduated from East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas and received his MBA from the University of Texas at Tyler.

Greg Bell

Vice President – Broadcast
Greg became VP – Broadcast in 2000. He is general manager of WCI's six radio stations in the Appleton/Oshkosh/Green Bay markets. He entered the radio industry in 1972 after four years in the United States Air Force. He started as an announcer/copywriter in Austin Minnesota and worked at stations in Sturgeon Bay and LaCrosse, Wisconsin and Burlington, Iowa before joining the WCI stations in Appleton in 1983.

Steve Larson

Controller & Assistant Treasurer
Steve joined WCI in September 1984 as Internal Auditor. In 1988, he was promoted to Accounting Supervisor and then in 1992 to Assistant Controller. In 1997, he became Controller and in 2002, the Assistant Treasurer responsibilities were added. Prior to joining WCI, Steve worked at a local CPA firm in Dubuque for two years. Steve is a CPA and graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1982.

Kate Lawrence

Administrative Assistant to the President, EOCC Liaison
Kate also serves as Administrative Assistant to the President. She joined WCI in December 1980 as Secretary to the Publisher of the Telegraph Herald, and was promoted to Administrative Assistant to the President in September 1983. She serves as the liaison from the President's office to the Employee Owners' Communication Committee (EOCC). Kate attended Madison Area Technical College prior to serving as Office Manager of the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce beginning in August 1970.

Betsy McCloskey

Managing Director, Mission Creative
Betsy joined Woodward Communications, Inc. in January of 2006 as the Managing Director of Mission Creative, the company's full service advertising and marketing division. She was promoted to the Corporate Operating Group in June 2007. Betsy brings 20 years of sales and marketing strategy experience to the organization, primarily in the hospitality and tourism industries. A Native of Burlington, Iowa, Betsy's gaming career exposed her to a large number of markets throughout the United States.

James F. Normandin

Vice President, Newspapers & Woodward Printing Services, Publisher of the Telegraph Herald
Jim joined the Telegraph Herald in February 2004 as Publisher. Prior to joining the company, he held leadership positions with Brown Publishing Company, Pulitzer Publishing Company, Journal Register Company, and Gannett Publishing Company. Jim is a graduate of SPPI, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and as an undergraduate, attended the University of Connecticut where he studied Business. Jim was named Vice President-Newspapers & Woodward Printing Services in December 2006.

Sidney W. Scott

Director, Vice President, Human Resources
Sid joined the Telegraph Herald in 1977 as Public Relations/Art Director after holding management positions at Tazewell Publishing and Peoria Journal Star, Inc. He was promoted to Director of Development & Promotion; then Director of Organization Development, and in 1982, Corporate Director of Human Resources. He left WCI in 1983 forming a consulting firm. Returning to WCI in 1991 as Corporate Director of Human Resources, he was elected Vice President in 1993. He holds a BS in Liberal Arts from Illinois State University and a MBA from Bradley University.

Tom Woodward

Director, Vice President, Strategic Planning & Specialty Publications
Tom began with WCI in 1986, working part-time, and joined the company full-time in August 1991 as management trainee in the Woodward Family Management Training Program. He was named as Director of Woodward Internet Solutions (WINS) in June 1995, which merged with Get Smart Design Co. to form a full service advertising agency, Mission Creative, in 2003. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1997. Tom also oversees the B-2-B Magazine Division, and in December 2004, was named Vice President-Strategic Planning. He completed a BA in Communications from the University of Iowa and a MBA at the University of Dubuque.

 

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