DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - The director of sales and development for Lee Enterprises Inc. has been named publisher of a group of weekly newspapers in St. Louis, the company said Thursday.
Bob Williams will head the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, a group of 40 publications including 31 weekly newspapers and several specialty publications, which have a total circulation of more than 1 million copies a week, the company said.
Williams will move from the corporate headquarters in Davenport, where he has led the development of print and online sales initiatives for Lee's daily newspapers.
He joined Lee in 1998 as advertising manager of the Missoulian in Missoula, Mont. Previously, he worked for Gannett Co. Inc. newspapers for 10 years. He also has five years of advertising agency experience.
Williams succeeds David Stoeffler as leader of the Suburban Journals.
Stoeffler, who has been general manager since January, announced that he is leaving the company after 29 years at the end of November to open a consulting business in Wisconsin.
Lee Enterprises publishes 51 daily newspapers and has a joint interest in five others. It also operates online sites and more than 300 weekly newspapers and specialty publications in 23 states.
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