Advertisement

"Bill's many years of experience and financial acumen will be a great addition to the Lapeer Newspaper Group and I look forward to his continued growth," said Scott Wright, senior vice president-operations for Journal Register Company's Michigan division.

A Chicago native and graduate of the University of Kansas, Southern earned his CPA certificate in 1982. After a stint as controller for Star Publications, also a publisher of suburban weeklies, Southern accepted a strategic planning position in the advertising department of the Chicago Sun-Times in 1994. He took on a similar planning role in the circulation department of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News in 1996. Southern became chief financial officer for Heritage Newspapers, based in metro Detroit's downriver area, in April 2002.

He and his wife, Carrie, are the parents of three children, Tim, Patrick, and Emily. Southern is looking forward to his new role.

"The award-winning County Press and its sister publications have developed a large and loyal following among its readers and advertisers. These newspapers play a valuable role in the communities they serve," he said.

Paterson, who came to Lapeer after working as a publisher in Texas, stated he will miss his associations with the Lapeer Group staff and local residents.

"I have had the privilege to work with a wonderful staff. When you have a staff that genuinely cares about the quality of the products and the community they serve it is magical to work with such people. I will truly miss every single person I have worked with. With folks like these at your side it is a pleasure to come to work everyday," he said.

"It has been a very rewarding experience working in the thumb of Michigan and I have made many a good friend and acquaintance, which I will miss. The people of Michigan are a wonderful group of folks with strong values and the propensity to persevere."

Southern praised Paterson for the work he did with the Lapeer Group. "The Lapeer Group has been strengthened both journalistically and operationally under the stewardship of Steve Paterson, the group's outgoing publisher," he said.

"I appreciate Steve's contributions and wish him well in his new endeavors." Southern added he is looking forward to continuing the momentum initiated in recent years at the Lapeer Group's publications. "I am impressed with the quality of Lapeer Group's management team and staff, and will enjoy working closely with them to further the group's growth curve," he said.

The Lapeer Group, based in Lapeer, is owned by Journal Register Company and publishes The County Press, a three-day weekly, as well as 16 weeklies,, based in Michigan's Thumb region, Oakland County and mid-Michigan.

Jack Guza, publisher of The Huron County Press, Harbor Beach Times and Newsweekly newspapers and general manager of the Thumb Blanket, all part of the Lapeer Group publications, reports to Southern.