Production All-Stars: Recognizing Managers Who Are Tops in Op's

By: Jim Rosenberg And Mark Fitzgerald This year's All-Stars found their way into newspaper production and packaging from all directions. While their career trajectories are diverse, all but one, as it happens, are from East Coast newspapers, and four of the seven saw service with Gannett. But for the first time, no women took top honors. This year's list features a trio of esteemed executives emeriti. Saddened by the industry's sustained downturn, one remarked: "I feel I've been blessed that I've been through the best days of the business. It's in my blood."

As in previous years, colleagues selected candidates at their newspaper companies, where top executives signed and submitted nomination forms. Those honored in the following pages received the highest combined scores in several criteria by the five judges listed to the right. For a second year these awards include the category of senior manager.

E&P donates $500 in the name of each winner to the International Newspaper Group's scholarship fund for college students. Awards will be presented in Tampa, Fla., on Sept. 24 during ING's annual conference, to be held at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay hotel.