Orage Quarles III, President and Publisher
Mr. Quarles was named president and publisher of The News & Observer in January 2000; it is the third McClatchy newspaper he has led. From 1996 to 2000, he was publisher of The Modesto Bee in California, and from 1993 to 1996, he was president and publisher of The Herald in Rock Hill, S.C. When he assumed his role in Rock Hill in January 1993, he became the first African American to lead a daily newspaper in the South. Mr. Quarles began his newspaper career in San Bernardino, Calif., where he attended high school and college. He spent more than 20 years with the Gannett Co., the largest newspaper company in the nation, working in advertising and marketing before becoming a publisher. He led The Coloradoan in Fort Collins from 1987 to 1990 and The Record in Stockton, Calif., from 1990 to 1993 and was named Gannett's Publisher of the Year in 1990. Mr. Quarles was named the nation’s outstanding publisher by Editor and Publisher magazine in 2002 for his leadership of The News & Observer. Mr. Quarles is active both in the newspaper industry and the Triangle community. For nine years, he was a member of the Associated Press board of directors, and he has been a board member of the Newspaper Association of America, serving as chair in 2001-2002. He is a member of the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute board, the Freedom Forum Board of Trustees, the Poynter Institute National Advisory Board, the American Press Institute general management advisory board and the National Association of Minority Media Executives. In the Triangle, he serves on boards of Rex Healthcare; N.C. Museum of Art; UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication Foundation; Wake Education Partnership Board of Trustees; High Five: Regional Partnershp for High School Excellence board of directors; the Pope House Museum Foundation; and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. Mr. Quarles and his wife, Linda, have been married for more than 30 years and are the parents of two grown daughters. He is an avid reader, runner and movie-goer.
John Drescher, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor
John Drescher was named Executive Editor and Senior Vice President of The N&O in 2007, becoming the seventh person to hold that job since the paper was launched in 1894. Mr. Drescher grew up in Raleigh and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and of Duke University. He began his journalism career at The N&O, where he was a reporter from 1983-1986, covering state and local government. He then worked for 12 years at The Charlotte Observer as a state capitol reporter and later in several editing jobs, including government editor, metro editor, regional editor and front-page editor. In 2000, he was named managing editor of The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C. In 2002, he became managing editor of The News & Observer. Mr. Drescher’s book, “Triumph of Good Will: How Terry Sanford Beat a Champion of Segregation and Reshaped the South,” was published in 2000 by the University Press of Mississippi. He and his wife, Deanna, have three children who attend Wake County public schools.
Al Autry, Senior Vice President, Advertising
Al Autry joined The News & Observer in September 2005, moving to the East Coast after a 25-year career in advertising sales and management at The Modesto Bee. Al joined the Bee advertising team in 1980. He held numerous positions there, including Co-op Manager, Retail Manager, Classified Manager and most recently, Advertising Director. Mr. Autry is a native of Modesto who played professional baseball for 10 years after graduating from high school. He played for the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, and the St. Louis Cardinals. While a ballplayer, Al attended Arizona State University, and Cal State Stanislaus. He and his wife, Paula, live in Cary.
Jim McClure, Vice President, Display Advertising
Mr. McClure has directed The News & Observer’s display advertising endeavors since 1990, first as director, and since 2000 as vice president. Mr. McClure began his newspaper advertising career at The N&O in 1974 as a summer intern, and served in several sales positions before becoming a manager. He has served as president of the Triangle Advertising Federation and the Mid-Atlantic Newspaper Advertising and Marketing Executives, of which he is an honorary life member. A native of Raleigh and a 1975 graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he serves on the board of the Garner Educational Foundation and is a member of the Newspaper National Network’s sales advisory committee. He serves on the Wake Education Partnership’s Community Assessment Steering Committee and is a volunteer tutor. Mr. McClure and his wife, Pat, live in Garner and have two daughters.
Gary Smith, Vice President, Interactive Media and Classified Advertising
Mr. Smith joined The News & Observer in 2003 as VP for Interactive Media, having previously served as director of interactive media of The News Tribune, a McClatchy newspaper in Tacoma, Wash. In 2006, his responsibilities were expanded to include the company’s classified advertising business. Mr. Smith began his newspaper career at the News-Tribune in 1989 as a systems programmer, and led the development of that paper’s electronic marketing department. Mr. Smith represents The McClatchy Co. on the advisory board of cars.com. He is a native of Washington state and a 1986 graduate of Eastern Washington University. An avid golfer and youth baseball coach, Mr. Smith and his wife, Peggy, live in Apex with their two teenage children.
Richard Rinehart, Senior Vice President, Operations and Strategic Planning
Mr. Rinehart was named Senior Vice President, Operations and Strategic Planning, at The News & Observer in May 2008; he joined the company as Vice President, Operations in 2005, after a 15-year career at The Indianapolis Star. At the Star, he worked in several production management roles. As Director of Printing and Packaging, he was responsible for a $73-million press project. Mr. Rinehart earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University. Mr. Rinehart has been a guest speaker at several industry conferences on production operations. He is a member of the Newspaper Association of America Technology and Telecommunications Committee and an observer member of the International Standards Organization technical committee for the printing industry. Mr. Rinehart and his wife, Mary, are active runners, bikers, hikers, climbers, snowboarders and skiers; they live in Raleigh.
Jackie Stark, Vice President, Human Resources
Ms. Stark was named Vice President of Human Resources at The N&O in October 2000. Before coming to Raleigh, she worked for almost five years at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in Wisconsin. She began her career at Swiss Colony Inc. In 2004, she was named one of the NAA’s 20 under 40 — an annual award that spotlights talented newspaper industry executives. Ms. Stark, a native of Wisconsin, has a bachelor’s degree in human resource management from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She is a member of the board of directors of the United Way of North Carolina, the Millbrook High School Business Alliance and the YWCA Human Resource committee.
Jim Puryear, Vice President, Circulation
Mr. Puryear became Vice President of Circulation in May 2005, after serving his entire career in the Circulation Department of The N&O. He began his career in 1972 while studying Engineering at North Carolina State University and working part-time at the newspaper. Mr. Puryear has held a number of circulation positions over the last 35 years, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the NAA Circulation Federation and the North Carolina Press Foundation. He was named the NAA’s Circulation Sales Executive of the Year in 2007. He is a native of Raleigh.
Felicia Gressette, Vice President, Marketing
Ms. Gressette became Vice President of Marketing in January 2003, after serving eight years as features editor at The News & Observer. During that time, the features sections twice won the Missouri Lifestyles Journalism award as the nation’s best for a midsize newspaper. She began her newspaper career in 1977, after graduating from The University of Maryland at College Park, and worked for 15 years as a reporter and editor at The Miami Herald before moving to Raleigh. While in Miami, she co-authored "Sunshine Cuisine," the companion cookbook to a PBS cooking show. Ms. Gressette was born in Charlotte and grew up in South Carolina. She serves on the board of directors of the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Ms. Gressette is a member of the Newspaper Association of America, the International Newspaper Marketing Association, Triangle United Way strategic marketing committee and the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce campaign leadership team. She and her husband, Bob Ruf, live in Raleigh with their teenage daughter.
Steve Ford, Editor of the Editorial Page
Mr. Ford has been editor of the editorial pages at The News & Observer since 1989. He joined the paper in 1981, serving first as an editor in the news department and then as an editorial writer. Mr. Ford’s prior experience in journalism was chiefly with the Trenton (N.J.) Times; he was also one of the original staff members of the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, charged with protecting the state’s pine barrens from overdevelopment. Mr. Ford was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in nearby Fairfax County, Va. He is a 1968 graduate of Yale University and a veteran of the U.S. Army.
Mr. Quarles was named president and publisher of The News & Observer in January 2000; it is the third McClatchy newspaper he has led. From 1996 to 2000, he was publisher of The Modesto Bee in California, and from 1993 to 1996, he was president and publisher of The Herald in Rock Hill, S.C. When he assumed his role in Rock Hill in January 1993, he became the first African American to lead a daily newspaper in the South. Mr. Quarles began his newspaper career in San Bernardino, Calif., where he attended high school and college. He spent more than 20 years with the Gannett Co., the largest newspaper company in the nation, working in advertising and marketing before becoming a publisher. He led The Coloradoan in Fort Collins from 1987 to 1990 and The Record in Stockton, Calif., from 1990 to 1993 and was named Gannett's Publisher of the Year in 1990. Mr. Quarles was named the nation’s outstanding publisher by Editor and Publisher magazine in 2002 for his leadership of The News & Observer. Mr. Quarles is active both in the newspaper industry and the Triangle community. For nine years, he was a member of the Associated Press board of directors, and he has been a board member of the Newspaper Association of America, serving as chair in 2001-2002. He is a member of the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute board, the Freedom Forum Board of Trustees, the Poynter Institute National Advisory Board, the American Press Institute general management advisory board and the National Association of Minority Media Executives. In the Triangle, he serves on boards of Rex Healthcare; N.C. Museum of Art; UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication Foundation; Wake Education Partnership Board of Trustees; High Five: Regional Partnershp for High School Excellence board of directors; the Pope House Museum Foundation; and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. Mr. Quarles and his wife, Linda, have been married for more than 30 years and are the parents of two grown daughters. He is an avid reader, runner and movie-goer.
John Drescher, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor
John Drescher was named Executive Editor and Senior Vice President of The N&O in 2007, becoming the seventh person to hold that job since the paper was launched in 1894. Mr. Drescher grew up in Raleigh and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and of Duke University. He began his journalism career at The N&O, where he was a reporter from 1983-1986, covering state and local government. He then worked for 12 years at The Charlotte Observer as a state capitol reporter and later in several editing jobs, including government editor, metro editor, regional editor and front-page editor. In 2000, he was named managing editor of The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C. In 2002, he became managing editor of The News & Observer. Mr. Drescher’s book, “Triumph of Good Will: How Terry Sanford Beat a Champion of Segregation and Reshaped the South,” was published in 2000 by the University Press of Mississippi. He and his wife, Deanna, have three children who attend Wake County public schools.
Al Autry, Senior Vice President, Advertising
Al Autry joined The News & Observer in September 2005, moving to the East Coast after a 25-year career in advertising sales and management at The Modesto Bee. Al joined the Bee advertising team in 1980. He held numerous positions there, including Co-op Manager, Retail Manager, Classified Manager and most recently, Advertising Director. Mr. Autry is a native of Modesto who played professional baseball for 10 years after graduating from high school. He played for the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, and the St. Louis Cardinals. While a ballplayer, Al attended Arizona State University, and Cal State Stanislaus. He and his wife, Paula, live in Cary.
Jim McClure, Vice President, Display Advertising
Mr. McClure has directed The News & Observer’s display advertising endeavors since 1990, first as director, and since 2000 as vice president. Mr. McClure began his newspaper advertising career at The N&O in 1974 as a summer intern, and served in several sales positions before becoming a manager. He has served as president of the Triangle Advertising Federation and the Mid-Atlantic Newspaper Advertising and Marketing Executives, of which he is an honorary life member. A native of Raleigh and a 1975 graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he serves on the board of the Garner Educational Foundation and is a member of the Newspaper National Network’s sales advisory committee. He serves on the Wake Education Partnership’s Community Assessment Steering Committee and is a volunteer tutor. Mr. McClure and his wife, Pat, live in Garner and have two daughters.
Gary Smith, Vice President, Interactive Media and Classified Advertising
Mr. Smith joined The News & Observer in 2003 as VP for Interactive Media, having previously served as director of interactive media of The News Tribune, a McClatchy newspaper in Tacoma, Wash. In 2006, his responsibilities were expanded to include the company’s classified advertising business. Mr. Smith began his newspaper career at the News-Tribune in 1989 as a systems programmer, and led the development of that paper’s electronic marketing department. Mr. Smith represents The McClatchy Co. on the advisory board of cars.com. He is a native of Washington state and a 1986 graduate of Eastern Washington University. An avid golfer and youth baseball coach, Mr. Smith and his wife, Peggy, live in Apex with their two teenage children.
Richard Rinehart, Senior Vice President, Operations and Strategic Planning
Mr. Rinehart was named Senior Vice President, Operations and Strategic Planning, at The News & Observer in May 2008; he joined the company as Vice President, Operations in 2005, after a 15-year career at The Indianapolis Star. At the Star, he worked in several production management roles. As Director of Printing and Packaging, he was responsible for a $73-million press project. Mr. Rinehart earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University. Mr. Rinehart has been a guest speaker at several industry conferences on production operations. He is a member of the Newspaper Association of America Technology and Telecommunications Committee and an observer member of the International Standards Organization technical committee for the printing industry. Mr. Rinehart and his wife, Mary, are active runners, bikers, hikers, climbers, snowboarders and skiers; they live in Raleigh.
Jackie Stark, Vice President, Human Resources
Ms. Stark was named Vice President of Human Resources at The N&O in October 2000. Before coming to Raleigh, she worked for almost five years at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in Wisconsin. She began her career at Swiss Colony Inc. In 2004, she was named one of the NAA’s 20 under 40 — an annual award that spotlights talented newspaper industry executives. Ms. Stark, a native of Wisconsin, has a bachelor’s degree in human resource management from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She is a member of the board of directors of the United Way of North Carolina, the Millbrook High School Business Alliance and the YWCA Human Resource committee.
Jim Puryear, Vice President, Circulation
Mr. Puryear became Vice President of Circulation in May 2005, after serving his entire career in the Circulation Department of The N&O. He began his career in 1972 while studying Engineering at North Carolina State University and working part-time at the newspaper. Mr. Puryear has held a number of circulation positions over the last 35 years, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the NAA Circulation Federation and the North Carolina Press Foundation. He was named the NAA’s Circulation Sales Executive of the Year in 2007. He is a native of Raleigh.
Felicia Gressette, Vice President, Marketing
Ms. Gressette became Vice President of Marketing in January 2003, after serving eight years as features editor at The News & Observer. During that time, the features sections twice won the Missouri Lifestyles Journalism award as the nation’s best for a midsize newspaper. She began her newspaper career in 1977, after graduating from The University of Maryland at College Park, and worked for 15 years as a reporter and editor at The Miami Herald before moving to Raleigh. While in Miami, she co-authored "Sunshine Cuisine," the companion cookbook to a PBS cooking show. Ms. Gressette was born in Charlotte and grew up in South Carolina. She serves on the board of directors of the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Ms. Gressette is a member of the Newspaper Association of America, the International Newspaper Marketing Association, Triangle United Way strategic marketing committee and the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce campaign leadership team. She and her husband, Bob Ruf, live in Raleigh with their teenage daughter.
Steve Ford, Editor of the Editorial Page
Mr. Ford has been editor of the editorial pages at The News & Observer since 1989. He joined the paper in 1981, serving first as an editor in the news department and then as an editorial writer. Mr. Ford’s prior experience in journalism was chiefly with the Trenton (N.J.) Times; he was also one of the original staff members of the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, charged with protecting the state’s pine barrens from overdevelopment. Mr. Ford was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in nearby Fairfax County, Va. He is a 1968 graduate of Yale University and a veteran of the U.S. Army.
