Akron Beacon Journal Publisher Andrea Mathewson will retire at the end of September after six years at the helm of the newspaper and Ohio.com.
A search for a successor will begin immediately.
“Upholding the tradition of the Beacon Journal was one of my top goals,” Mathewson said. “I sit in John S. Knight’s office. It has been an honor to be publisher of the Beacon Journal.
“I love Akron and I love the Beacon Journal, but it is time for a change.”
Mathewson, 54, became the Beacon Journal’s first female publisher on June 7, 2007. She stepped into the role less than a year after the Beacon Journal was bought by Black Press Group Ltd. of Canada.
Under her leadership, the publishing company has seen the same challenges faced by the newspaper industry as a whole, as advertising revenue moves from print to other media.
Despite those issues, the combined readership of the Beacon Journal and Ohio.com is among the top 25 U.S. newspapers for growth, according to the Alliance for Audited Media. Readership was 551,551 as of March 31, up 6.1 percent from the year before.
The publishing company also launched a series of community-oriented websites in 2012 through Ohio.com designed to deliver local news and advertising content to local audiences. Those websites serve Cuyahoga Falls, Jackson Township, Kent, Hudson, Wadsworth, Barberton, Stow, Copley-Fairlawn, Green and Barberton.
Mathewson serves on the boards of the University Park Alliance and Akron Tomorrow. She is a past board member of the Ohio Newspaper Association.
In 2006, Editor & Publisher, an industry trade magazine, named her one of the nation’s top production executives.
She is a past member of the Greater Akron Chamber board of directors.
In 2009, Mathewson and former Canton Repository Publisher Kevin Kampman co-chaired the Harvest for Hunger campaign for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
A native of Akron, Mathewson, joined the Beacon Journal when she was 18 in her first full-time job out of Springfield High School. She’s worked in a variety of roles and departments, starting as a classified phone sales representative and working in advertising, the mailroom and production departments.
“Where else can you start out as a classified ad-taker and then get to run the company?” Mathewson said. “That just doesn’t happen today. Anywhere.”
She said that the decision is “all mine” and she is looking forward to a new chapter in her life.
“The month of September has always had a lot of meaning to me,” Mathewson said in an email to Beacon Journal employees. “I was born in September. I started my career at the Beacon Journal 36 years ago on September 7. And, I will be retiring at the end of September.”
Jim DeLuca, Beacon Journal vice president for circulation, worked with Mathewson for 35 years.
“She was a real asset. ..,” DeLuca said.
“The dedication and passion from her always has been great. She always worked hard to improve the product and the company.”
Bruce Winges, editor and vice president, said: “I will miss Andrea’s leadership and friendship.
“The energy she devoted to running this newspaper and working with the community will be missed inside the Beacon Journal and by the community.”
Rick O’Connor, president and chief executive officer of Black Press Group Ltd. said that he is disappointed to see Mathewson leave.
“She has been good for the Beacon Journal and Black Press,” O’Connor said. “We will start immediately to look for a replacement. We hope to get someone who can provide the same level of leadership as Andrea.”