photo of Scripps building in Cincinnati
Careers Investors

Smiddy named president, publisher of Redding Record Searchlight

April 8, 1999
 

CINCINNATI – Deborah G. Smiddy, advertising director for The Knoxville News-Sentinel, has been named president and publisher of the Redding (Calif.) Record Searchlight, effective May 1.Smiddy, 47, will succeed Timothy E. Stautberg, who has been named vice president/investor relations and communications for The E.W. Scripps Company. “Debbie is one of the most creative, energetic and customer/reader-oriented leaders in the entire company. She will make a splendid publisher,” said Alan M. Horton, senior vice president/newspapers for Scripps. Bruce R. Hartmann, president and publisher of the News-Sentinel, said, “Debbie’s leadership ability and her customer focus have led the way to many successes at the News-Sentinel. These same qualities will continue to pay dividends in her new role as publisher of the Redding Record Searchlight.” Smiddy has been advertising director at the News-Sentinel since 1995. A Knoxville native, she’s been with the newspaper for 26 years, starting as a keypunch operator in the data processing department. She developed an interest in sales after moving to the News-Sentinel’s advertising department as a secretary. She landed an advertising sales position and later became a sales supervisor. From 1990-95, she was the News-Sentinel’s classified advertising manager.Smiddy graduated from the University of Tennessee in December with a bachelor’s degree in human resource development. She had worked on the degree part-time for 16 years.She is a member of First Baptist Church in Knoxville, chairwoman of the local board of Junior Achievement, serves on the boards of the Knoxville Better Business Bureau and Knoxville Area Community Center for the Deaf, and is a member of Executive Women’s Association.Smiddy and her husband, Paul, have two children.The E.W. Scripps Company operates 19 daily newspapers; nine network-affiliated television stations; two TV networks, Home & Garden Television and the Food Network; a TV programmer, Scripps Productions; United Media, a worldwide syndicator and licensor of news features and comics; the Scripps Howard News Service; and publishes independent Yellow Pages directories.