Christerfer Shultz, 2017 MNA President
Bloomington, Minn. (January 27, 2017) – Christerfer Schultz, the publisher and majority independent owner of Herald Journal Publishing, Inc. and Greater Minnesota Communications, Inc. was elected president of the Minnesota Newspaper Association (MNA), Friday, January 27, 2017, during the Association’s annual meeting at the 150th Annual MNA Convention. Shultz is the 137th president of MNA, representing more than 325 newspapers across the state.
“As MNA’s president, I’ll strive to do my best for MNA, its staff and all its member newspapers,” Schultz said. “I’ve been blessed and feel so privileged to be a part of MNA and the newspaper family and humbled to be serving as its president,” Schultz said.
Schultz’s companies Herald Journal Publishing, Inc. and Greater Minnesota Communications, Inc., serve the Minnesota communities of Howard Lake, Lester Prairie, Mayer, Montrose, New Germany, Winsted, and Waverly. He also owns the Herald Journal’s sister newspapers, the Dassel-Cokato Enterprise Dispatch and the Delano Herald Journal.
Schultz lives in his hometown of Lester Prairie with his wife, Amy, and their three children – Abbi, 18 (currently a freshman at the University of Minnesota); Emily, 17; and Ethan, 12.
Schultz never envisioned being a newspaper publisher until shortly after his current and long-time business partner, Dale Kovar, hired him as an editorial staffer in 1992. Kovar was the general manager of the Winsted Lester Prairie Journal, then owned by former MNA President Bill Ramige.
In 1993, Schultz took on the role of advertising manager. He and Kovar purchased the publishing company in 2001. Through the purchases of the Dassel-Cokato Enterprise Dispatch in 2005 (from former MNA president Robert Bradford) and the start-up of the Delano Herald Journal, Herald Journal Publishing Inc. has experienced significant growth since its inception. Today, the company offers publishing, digital agency, design, signs/graphics, digital printing, and full media planning services to its clients.
Schultz has served on MNA’s Advertising Committee for several years, and has won awards for news and advertising in MNA’s Better Newspaper Contest. He also received MNA’s Friend of Minnesota Newspapers award in 2005.
He is proud to serve as president during MNA’s 150th year.
Schultz grew up on a Minnesota dairy farm and is a graduate of St. Cloud State University. He has a master’s degree in public affairs, is a former minor league baseball player, and after family, church, work, and community service, he enjoys sports, the great outdoors, and Minnesota politics.
Others elected at the MNA annual meeting include:
President: Christerfer Schultz, Herald Journal, Howard Lake
First Vice President: Mike Dalton, Cannon Falls Beacon
Second Vice President: Karin Ramige, McLeod County Chronicle, Glencoe
Third Vice President: Chris Knight, APG Media, Mesabi Daily News, Virginia
Director for Two-Year Term: Chad Koenen, Henning Publications and
Director for Three-Year Term: Crystal Miller, Albert Lea Tribune
Treasurer: Diann Drew, Alexandria Echo Press
Justin Lessman, Jackson County Pilot, will continue to serve his term as a director.
Michael Jacobson, Paynesville Press will serve as immediate past president.
# # #
About the Minnesota Newspaper Association
The Minnesota Newspaper Association, a voluntary association of all general-interest newspapers in the state of Minnesota, acts on behalf of the newspaper press of the state. It represents its newspapers in the legislature and in court, sells advertising for newspapers, operates a mailing service (press releases), sponsors a large annual convention in the Twin Cities, and engages in a vigorous program of training persons for newspaper work. Find out more by visiting www.mna.org.
Contact: Lisa Hills, Executive Director
Email: lisa@mna.org
Phone: 612-278-0222