Tag Archives: Forum Forward

2012 Forum Forward class graduates during ceremony in Fargo

Posted on by
Reply

The 2012 Forum Forward graduating class and mentors, from left to right: Dickinson Press Publisher Harvey Brock, JobsHQ Employment Specialist/Sales Team Leader Lisa Tillotson, Forum Regional Operations Manager Curt Christensen, Forum Communications Printing-Fargo Customer Service Representative Kari Saylor, FCC Director of Multimedia Sales Operations Amy Fredrickson, Forum Features Editor Heidi Shaffer, Duluth News Tribune Ad Director Roz Randorf, FCC Digital Accounts Manager Chad Jacobsen, RiverTowns Newspaper Group Multimedia Producer Roger Sievers, Echo Press Variety Editor Tara Bitzan, Grand Forks Herald Editor Steve Wagner, WDAY-TV Regional Sales Manager Joshua Rohrer, FCC CEO Lloyd Case, Forum General Manager Aaron Beecher, Forum Reporter Ryan Johnson, FCC Executive Vice President and COO Bill Marcil Jr. and Daily Republic Publisher Korrie Wenzel.

FARGO, N.D. – Eight Forum Communications Co.employees were feted this week as the 2012 Forum Forward class graduated and became alumni of the company’s leadership training program started several years ago. Graduation was held Tuesday at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Fargo. Members of FCC’s senior management team were on hand to celebrate, as were each of the graduates company mentors, who are an integral component to the program. “This is a culmination of a year spent visiting various divisions within our company, including Broadcast, Commercial Printing, Digital and Newspaper,” said program facilitator Sonjia Anderson. “This has provided them insights into leadership skills, professional growth, and the opportunity to share best practices.” The graduating class also participated in brainstorming session on company innovation to generate ideas relating to reducing expenses and increasing revenue. Projects coming out of the past innovation sessions include the Forum News Service, the Green Team, and the “We Are Forum Communications” branding video. The 2013 Forum Forward participants and mentors also gathered in Fargo this week to begin their year of training.

Forum Communications Co. CEO Lloyd Case presents Forum Forward graduate Tara Bitzen with her certificate. Her mentor, Grand Forks Editor Steve Wagner stands at right.

Forum Communications Co. CEO Lloyd Case presents Forum Forward graduate Ryan Johnson with his certificate. His mentor, Daily Republic Publisher Korrie Wenzel stands at right.

Forum Communications Co. CEO Lloyd Case presents Forum Forward graduate Joshua Rohrer with his certificate. His mentor, FCC Executive Vice President and COO Bill Marcil Jr. stands at right.

Forum Communications Co. CEO Lloyd Case gives Forum Forward graduate Heidi Shaffer and her mentor Amy Fredrickson a hug.

Forum Communications Co. CEO Lloyd Case presents Forum Forward graduate Lisa Tillotson with her certificate. Her mentor, Dickinson Press Publisher Harvey Brock stands at right.

Forum Communications Co. CEO Lloyd Case presents Forum Forward graduate Kari Saylor with her certificate. Her mentor, Curt Christensen stands at right.

The 2012 Forum Forward graduating class included: – GRADUATE: Tara Bitzan, life/variety/special projects editor, Echo Press, Alexandria, Minn. MENTOR: Steve Wagner, editor, Grand Forks Herald, Grand Forks, N.D. – GRADUATE: Chad Jacobsen, digital accounts manager, Forum Communications Co., Fargo, N.D. MENTOR: Roz Randorf , ad director, Duluth News Tribune, Duluth, Minn. – GRADUATE: Ryan Johnson, reporter, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Fargo, N.D. MENTOR: Korrie Wenzel, publisher, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D. – GRADUATE: Joshua Rohrer, regional sales manager, WDAY-TV, Fargo, N.D. MENTOR: Bill Marcil Jr., executive vice president and chief operating officer Forum Communications Co., and publisher, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, N.D. – GRADUATE: Kari Saylor, customer service representative, Forum Communications Printing-Fargo, Fargo, N.D. MENTOR: Curt Christensen, regional operations manager, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Fargo, N.D. – GRADUATE: Heidi Shaffer, features editor, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Fargo, N.D. MENTOR: Amy Fredrickson, director of multimedia sales operations, Forum Communications Co., Fargo, N.D. – GRADUATE: Roger Sievers, multimedia producer, RiverTown Newspaper Group, Red Wing, Minn. MENTOR: Aaron Becher, general manager, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Fargo, N.D. – GRADUATE: Lisa Tillotson, employment specialist/sales team leader, Jobs HQ, Fargo, N.D. MENTOR: Harvey Brock, publisher, The Dickinson Press, Dickinson, N.D.

Forum Communications Co. announces 2013 Forum Forward class

Posted on by
Reply

FARGO, N.D. - Forum Communications Co. has named its Forum Forward class for 2013, company officials announced Friday. This year’s class is comprised of eight individuals, salespeople, reporters, editors and multimedia producers from all over the company’s geographic footprint.

Forum Forward is an internal company leadership program created in 2009 to broaden the leadership skills of the dedicated employees across Forum Communications Co.and to build the company’s next generation of leaders.

This year’s class includes:

Jon Buller, director of finance for the Duluth News Tribune

- Applicant: Jon Buller, Director of Finance, Duluth News Tribune

Phil Frebault, director of advertising for Rivertowns Newspaper Group

Mentor: Phil Frebault, Advertising Director, RiverTown Multimedia

Leah Kastner, supervisor, FCC Media Planning

- Applicant: Leah Kastner, Media Planning Supervisor, Digital

Kirsten Stromsodt, deputy editor of The Forum

Mentor: Kirsten Stromsodt, Deputy Editor, The Forum

Greg Locnikar, customer service representative, Forum Communications Printing-Fargo

- Applicant: Gregory Locnikar, Customer Service Representative, FCP-Fargo

Chris Dorsey, FCC director digital and major accounts sales

Mentor: Chris Dorsey, Director Digital & Major Accounts, Forum Communications Company

Lori Weber Menke, multimedia manager at the Grand Forks Herald

- Applicant: Lori Weber Menke, Multimedia Manager, Grand Forks Herald

Rob Horken, general manager at WDAY TV

Mentor: Rob Horken, General Manager, WDAZ-TV

Jeff Nelson, news director at WDAY TV

- Applicant: Jeff Nelson, News Director, WDAY TV

Mary Jo Hotzler, director of the Forum News Service

Mentor: Mary Jo Hotzler, Director, Forum News Service

Dave Roepke, news editor at The Forum

-

Jon Clites, regional sales manager at WDAY

Applicant: Dave Roepke, News Editor, The Forum
Mentor: Jon Clites, Regional Sales Manager, WDAY

Kevin Smith, advertising director at the West Central Tribune

- Applicant: Kevin Smith, Director of Advertising, West Central Tribune

Roger Sievers, multimedia producer for the Rivertowns Newspaper Group

Mentor: Roger Sievers, Multimedia Producer, RiverTown Multimedia

John Svingen, advertising director at The Pioneer of Bemidji, Minn.

- Applicant: John Svingen, Director of Advertising, The Bemidji Pioneer

Carmen Wallander, customer service manager at Forum Communications Printing-Fargo

Mentor: Carmen Wallander, Customer Service Manager, FCP-Fargo

Each year, FCC employees have the opportunity to apply for Forum Forward and company executives choose the finalists who undergo a year of site visits, leadership studies and mentoring. Each graduate is assigned a mentor from inside the company, someone who has demonstrated leadership and the ability to help build the skills of their employees. The class then spends a year traveling to various FCCsites and learning from respected leaders in all aspects of the company’s ventures.

Forum Communications Co. is a multimedia information company based in Fargo, N.D. Forum Communicationsowns dozens of newspapers, websites and television and radio stations in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Forum Communications Co. announces 2012 Forum Forward class participants

Posted on by
Reply

Chad Jacobsen

FARGO, N.D. – Forum Communications Co. has named its Forum Forward class for 2012, company officials announced Tuesday. This year’s class is comprised of eight individuals, salespeople, reporters, editors and multimedia producers from all over the company’s geographic footprint.

Lisa Tillotson

Forum Forward is an internal company leadership program created in 2009 to broaden the leadership skills of the dedicated employees across Forum Communications Co.and to build the company’s next generation of leaders.

This year’s class includes:

- Chad Jacobsen, regional/national digital sales accounts manager, FCC Digital Division, Fargo.

Tara Bitzan

- Lisa Tillotson, JobsHQ sales team leader, FCC Digital Division, Fargo.

- Tara Bitzan, life/variety/special projects edtior, Echo Press, Alexandria, Minn.

Roger Sievers

- Kari Sayler, customer service representative, Forum Communications Printing-Fargo, Fargo.

- Ryan Johnson, news reporter, Grand Forks Herald, Grand Forks, N.D.

- Roger Sievers, multimedia producer, RiverTown Newspaper Group, Red Wing, Minn.

Heidi Shaffer

- Heidi Shaffer, SheSays editor, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Fargo.

- Joshua Rohrer, regional sales manager, WDAY, Fargo.

Ryan Johnson

Each year, FCCemployees have the opportunity to apply for Forum Forward and company executives choose the finalists who undergo a year of site visits, leadership studies and mentoring. Each graduate is assigned a mentor from inside the company, someone who has demonstrated leadership and the ability to help build the skills of their employees. The class then spends a year traveling to various FCCsites and learning from respected leaders in all aspects of the company’s ventures.

Joshua Rohrer

The 2012 class begins its adventure May 9 in Fargo.

Forum Communications Co. is a multimedia information company based in Fargo, N.D. Forum Communicationsowns dozens of newspapers, websites and television and radio stations in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Grand Forks Herald’s Stromsodt appointed deputy editor of The Forum

Posted on by
Reply

Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald News Editor Kirsten Stromsodt has been appointed the new deputy editor at The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.

FARGO, N.D. – Kirsten Stromsodt has been named deputy editor of The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.

Now the assigning editor at the Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald, Stromsodt brings 14 years of newspaper experience to The Forum’s No. 2 newsroom position.

“Kirsten is a well-respected journalist in our region, and we’re lucky to have her join us,” said Forum Editor Matthew Von Pinnon.

Stromsodt grew up in Mekinock, about five miles north of the Grand Forks Air Force Base, and graduated from the University of North Dakota. She started in the Herald’s sports department in 1998 and has since worked there as a copy editor, page designer, night editor, reporter and news editor.
“I’m excited and honored to be a member of The Forum team,” Stromsodt said. “There’s a lot of talent in that newsroom, and they’re taking the practice of thorough, thoughtful journalism in an exciting new direction. I can’t wait to be a part of that.”
Stromsodt will start at The Forum on April 9. She succeeds Mary Jo Hotzler, recently named editor of the Herald.

The Forum and the Herald are both owned by Forum Communications Co., a multimedia information company based in Fargo, N.D. In addition to The Forum and the Herald, Forum Communications Co. owns dozens of newspapers, websites and television and radio stations in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Forum Communications Co. hosts ‘transformation’ conference for newsroom executives

Posted on by
Reply

FCC Vice President for Newspapers Steve McLister addresses a room full of publishers, general managers, news directors and editors during Forum Communication Co.'s recent two-day newsroom management conference in Fargo.

FARGO, N.D. – More than 60 Forum Communications Co. executives, publishers and editors attended a two-day conference focused on the transformation of the company’s newsroom personnel. The annual gathering held here Wednesday and Thursday served as a training opportunity and a time for discussion among the company’s newsroom managers about the future of collecting and disseminating information.

The event was organized and led by FCC President Lloyd Case to discuss recommendations by The Forum Forward Innovation Committee.  The committee is chaired by Mary Jo Hotzler, and members include; Kirsten Stromsodt, Aaron Becher, and Jenny Porter.

There were also sessions that focused on legal update training, the future of the company’s content management system, fostering community content development, social media and future digital content business strategies.

Other speakers included Steve Johnson of the Vogel Law firm in Fargo, Vice President for Interactive Paul Amundson, Vice President for Newspapers Steve McLister, Product Development Manager Chris Welle, Digital Content Development Director Tracy Briggs, Project Manager Zac Echola and Digital Content Operations Manager Devlyn Brooks.

The attendees of the conference held at the Holiday Inn also participated in social activities that allowed colleagues who may work hundreds of miles apart all year round the time to exchange professional ideas and to get to know one another face to face.

“We have hundreds of journalists working in sites across four states,” Vice President McLister said. “It’s valuable to periodically bring those professionals together so that they can share best practices and bounce ideas off one another. It speaks to the company’s commitment to develop highly trained newsroom professionals to serve the millions of consumers of our broadcast, digital, mobile and printed information products.”

Conference attendees listen to a discussion on the future of the industry.

Forum Communications Co. is a multimedia company headquartered in Fargo, N.D. The company publishes nine daily newspapers and 24 other newspapers in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and South Dakota. The company also has television, interactive and printing divisions.