Susan Clark-Johnson named president of Gannett's Newspaper Division Gary L. Watson announces retirement

Susan Clark-Johnson has been named president of the NewspaperDivision to succeed Watson. Clark-Johnson was senior group presidentof the Gannett Pacific Newspaper Group, Gannett's largest regionalgroup, and chairman, CEO and publisher of The Arizona Republic inPhoenix. Her successor will be named later.

"It's been an incredible run with a great company," Watson said."It's been my privilege to work with 37,000 professionals who clearlyunderstand the meaning of service to our readers and advertisers. Toeach of these friends and colleagues, let me say thank you.

"Perhaps most gratifying has been the growth of our division from91 daily and Sunday newspapers in 1985 to a collection of more than170 information businesses that also includes more than 900 weekly andspecialty publications, database management, software development,commercial printing and the strongest network of local web sites inthe country."

"Gary Watson was a success throughout his career in whatever rolehe served Gannett, from entry level reporter to publisher to presidentof our Newspaper Division," said Craig A. Dubow, president and chiefexecutive officer of Gannett. "First and foremost, Gary has always hadthe heart of a journalist. He has been a strong leader, not only atGannett, but also within the nation's newspaper industry. He was inlarge part responsible for many of the leading-edge strategic andtactical initiatives at Gannett during his time with us. Gary will bemissed. We wish him all the best."

"We are absolutely delighted that Gannett has an executive withSue's experience, management talents and leadership qualities ready toserve as president of our largest division," Dubow said. "Sue hastremendous experience in every aspect of the newspaper business. Shenot only is a talented manager of very complex and far-flungoperations, but she is a gifted strategist and visionary. Sue is anideal executive to help lead Gannett into our new digital informationage."

"Taking the helm of the Newspaper Division at this moment in timeis not only exciting and challenging but also humbling," saidClark-Johnson. "There are very talented and innovative people in thedivision, which I believe is the best in the industry. I'm very muchlooking forward to working more closely with my colleagues, andbecoming part of the team that will lead Gannett into the future."

Clark-Johnson is the first woman to head Gannett's NewspaperDivision.

Biographical Information

Susan Clark-Johnson:

Clark-Johnson, 58, began her career in 1967 as a reporter atGannett's Niagara Gazette, in Niagara Falls, NY. She rose rapidlythrough the editor ranks and in 1977 was named publisher of thenewspaper.

In 1983, she was promoted to publisher of the Binghamton SunBulletin and a year later added the responsibility as regional vicepresident of Gannett's East region. She became senior group presidentof Gannett's West region in 1985. In 2000, she was named Chairman andCEO of The Arizona Republic and senior group president of the PacificRegion.

Clark-Johnson serves as the secretary of the Newspaper Associationof America (NAA). She is a member of the board of advisors of theMorrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University and aboard member of numerous Arizona nonprofit organizations.

In 2003, the National Association of Minority Media Executivesawarded Clark-Johnson the Distinguished Diversity Award for LifetimeAchievement for her success in championing diversity in the mediaindustry. She also received a lifetime achievement award from theNational Association of Female Executives.

Clark-Johnson received a bachelor's degree from the StateUniversity of New York at Binghamton.

Gary Watson:

Watson, 60, began his newspaper career as a carrier for hishometown newspaper, the Rockford (IL) Register Star, where he laterserved as a news intern, reporter, political editor and city editor inthe 1970s. He also held editor positions at The Idaho Statesman inBoise and the Springfield (MO) News Leader.

In 1981, he returned to Rockford to become president and publisherof the Register Star. In 1984 and 1985, he was president and publisherof the Cincinnati Enquirer and president of the Central NewspaperGroup.

In late 1985, he joined the corporate staff as president of theCommunity Newspaper Division. He became president of the NewspaperDivision in 1990.

Watson previously served on the boards of directors of theAmerican Press Institute and ifra, the international newspapertechnology association. He currently is a member of the board ofAMCORE Bank, N.A., the World Association of Newspapers and theNewspaper Association of America, where he chairs the TechnologyCommittee.

He holds degrees from Northern Illinois University and theUniversity of Florida. He has two adult married sons.

Gannett Co., Inc. is a leading international news and informationcompany that publishes 99 daily newspapers in the USA, including USATODAY, the nation's largest-selling daily newspaper. The company alsoowns more than 900 non-daily publications in the USA and USA WEEKEND,a weekly newspaper magazine. Gannett subsidiary Newsquest is theUnited Kingdom's second largest regional newspaper company. Newsquestpublishes more than 300 titles, including 17 daily newspapers, and anetwork of prize-winning Web sites. Gannett also operates 21television stations in the United States and is an Internet leaderwith sites sponsored by its TV stations and newspapers includingUSATODAY.com, one of the most popular news sites on the Web.