Veteran newspaper publisher Mark Millsap has been hired to serve in the roles of Tennessee Press Association (TPA) executive director and Tennessee Press Service (TPS) executive vice president. He officially begins on Sept. 11.
“We are extremely excited that Mark will be joining us and working on behalf of Tennessee's newspapers,” said Dave Gould, TPS president. “His background and experience are a perfect fit. Mark will have very big shoes to fill following after Carol Daniels, who served the organizations so well, but we have no doubt he will be up to the task.”
TPA President Daniel Williams added, “I’m excited to work with Mark as the new executive director of TPA. He has an impressive background leading groups of newspapers, and I feel confident that will translate well to being the head of our organization. I look forward to getting to know him and getting to work.”
Millsap started his newspaper career at his hometown newspaper in Muskogee, Oklahoma as an advertising sales rep in 1996. Over the next 15 years, he climbed the advertising management ranks with Gannett and led advertising departments in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Montgomery, Alabama; and Shreveport, Louisiana.
“I am excited to begin work as the executive director of the Tennessee Press Association and Tennessee Press Service,” Millsap said. “I have been a champion for newspapers for my entire career, and I will continue to advocate for their success.”
In 2011, Millsap joined Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. (CNHI) so he could return to Oklahoma. He took his first publisher’s job in Chickasha, Oklahoma. After three successful years, he was promoted to publisher of the Norman, Oklahoma, newspaper. In 2017, he was promoted again to group publisher for CNHI Central Oklahoma newspapers.
Last year, he joined WEHCO Media as the general manager for Central Missouri Newspaper Group, managing the News Tribune in Jefferson City and newspapers in California and Fulton, Missouri.
Millsap was also active in the Oklahoma and Missouri press associations. He served on the Oklahoma Press Association board of directors for six years.
He is married to his high school sweetheart, Melanie. They have two adult children, daughter Makenzie and son Mason. Their family includes a basset hound named Molly.
The search to fill the TPA/TPS positions was conducted by TPS President Dave Gould, then-TPA President Chris Vass and TPA Foundation President Victor Parkins. The three also currently serve on the TPA board of directors. Millsap’s hire was also approved by the TPS board of directors, which is responsible for providing staffing for the organizations.
It is anticipated that Millsap also will be named to fill the Tennessee Press Association Foundation role of secretary/treasurer.
The Tennessee Press Association was founded in 1870-71 for the purpose of creating a unified voice for the newspaper industry in Tennessee. Today, TPA continues to provide assistance to its 131 members by monitoring legislative activities, providing training programs and providing regular meetings and forums to foster the exchange of information and ideas.
Tennessee Press Service was founded in 1947 to serve clients and to drive revenue to newspapers. Every TPA member newspaper is a TPS Stockholder.
“Newspapers are viable,” Millsap said, “and newspapers still have strong readership, both in print and digital versions. Local newspapers matter now more than ever.”
