Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Hubs | Asbury Park reaches outside for design chief

Blogger and Des Moines Register alum Charles Apple today reports the appointment of Tim Frank as Design Studio hub chief; Apple's got the memo from New Jersey's Asbury Park Press Executive Editor Hollis Towns.

Until two weeks ago, Apple says, Frank was creative director and deputy managing editor at Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Apple likes Frank, and is mystified by the Florida daily's decision to lay him off.

[Updated at 3:42 p.m. ET.] Frank is now the third second design chief appointment among the five page design and production hubs. Jeff Glick just got the post at The Tennessean in Nashville. See the following memo from Executive Editor Randy Lovely about the appointment at The Arizona Republic in Phoenix.

Lovely's memo
It is with great pleasure that I announce that Tracy Collins has been named director of the Phoenix design studio.

Tracy will bring his vast creative and management experience to the papers served by the Phoenix studio, and I'm confident that the quality and sophistication of our newspapers will be enhanced by his leadership.

As you all know, Tracy is a nationally known visual journalist. He has been actively involved with the Society of News Design for many years and has worked with scores of designers and graphic artists to win many national awards.

Tracy came to Phoenix in 2001 and has worked in almost all areas of the newsroom -- sports, news/enterprise planning, and coordination with KPNX, in addition to his leadership of our design, photo and copy desks. Tracy led a full redesign of The Arizona Republic in 2006, and has worked with other Gannett newspapers to improve their visual storytelling.

Tracy will assume his new role May 1, when the Phoenix design studio is officially launched. In the coming months we'll review the myriad roles and responsibilities that Tracy oversees to determine how the Republic operation is impacted by his promotion.

After the new year, we'll move forward with the next step in creation of our design studio -- interviewing and filling the role of creative director.

Please join me in congratulating Tracy.

Randy

Got a memo? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

8 comments:

  1. It was announced yesterday in Phoenix that Tracy Collins will be beading up the Phoenix design center. It's a good thing for folks in Phoenix because he's one of the smartest guys in the Republic's newsroom.

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  2. From Lovely's memo: Tracy will bring his vast creative and management experience to the papers served by the Phoenix studio, and I'm confident that the quality and sophistication of our newspapers will be enhanced by his leadership.

    This is not a reflection on Tracy at all, but I wish they'd stop using the word "sophistication" to describe our newspapers.

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  3. Tracy helped with the Berliner redesign in Shreveport. Seems like a sensible, talented, down-to-earth guy with a great eye. I hope he does well with the hub.

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  4. Phoenix because he's one of the smartest guys in the Republic's newsroom. And one of the most dishonest! To your face he's a buddy, behind your back he's all Gannett.

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  5. Asbury had a very talented design guy / Managing Editor but let him go in a short-sighted move ... Such a damn shame to go this route ... Just a frickin' shame

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  6. Jim, you don't even do crowd-sourcing well. Four of the design studio directors have been named, not two or three. Only one not yet announced is Des Moines.

    Recap for JIm and the other uninformed (who can't even follow blog comments)
    Asbury Park - Tim Frank
    Des Moines - not yet announced
    Louisville - Jim Kirchner
    Nashville - Jeff Glick
    Phoenix - Tracy Collins

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  7. Tracy's a fair person who deserves better opportunities. He's been limited for too many years- Congratulations Tracy!

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  8. All of the back-slapping for these moves shows how too many people have lost their sense. None of this will restore readership. Might cut costs, though, but there will be collateral damage.

    Way to stay on top of those moves, Jim.

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