John Kridelbaugh has been named general manager at The Jeffersonian Co.
Dix 1898 has owned the Cambridge newspaper company and related enterprises since 1975.
Kridlebaugh’s appointment is effective July 1.
He will be assuming many of the responsibilities in Cambridge of Publisher Andrew S. Dix, who also is publisher of The Daily Record of Wooster. Dix also had his corporate roles expanded recently by being named publisher of The Ashland Times-Gazette.
Kridelbaugh comes to Cambridge with an impressive and extensive media industry background.
He is a native Iowan who has been involved in the media industry for more than 20 years. Most recently, Kridelbaugh served as product and sales development director for Dix 1898 in Kent, a position he held since 2011.
Prior to joining Dix 1898, he spent 15 years with the Gannett Co. in several marketing, digital and advertising roles at newspapers in Des Moines, Iowa; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Boise, Idaho; Wilmington, Del.; and Indianapolis, Ind.
He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Upper Iowa University in Fayette.
In taking over management of The Jeffersonian Co., he will be in charge of the longest continually operating, privately held corporation in Guernsey County.
Its flagship product, The Daily & Sunday Jeffersonian, was founded as a weekly newspaper in 1824 and became a daily in 1892. The first edition of the daily rolled off the presses on Monday, Sept. 9, of that year.
Today the company publishes weekly newspapers in New Concord, Newcomerstown and Barnesville, as well as the Cambridge daily and Sunday publication. Dix 1898 also publishes specialty magazines throughout the region under the banner of Spectrum Publications and has an increasing digital media presence.
“I’m excited to join the staff at The Jeffersonian and help continue the long history of serving Cambridge and the surrounding communities,” Kridelbaugh said. “Newspapers and newspaper websites are a vital asset to a community – sharing news and information, informing the community and helping businesses promote their products and services are at the core of what we do. Having a strong newspaper is important to having a strong community.”
He said, “In my role with Dix 1898 I have had the opportunity to spend time in Cambridge. I’m looking forward to moving my family to the area and becoming part of the community.”
Kridelbaugh and his wife, Suzanne, have four children.