PREPRESS

Acutech named Rockie Westerberg senior sales associate and Tim Aydelotte equipment product manager.

Brainworks named Barbara L. Giovinelli as a systems software specialist for its AdPerks product line. The company also named Randy Jones as a systems software specialist for its ClassSmart line.

Nela appointed Terry Shelton, who for the past year has served as special projects engineer for web-width reduction projects, to take over the eastern U.S. region of the newspaper section. In his new role, Shelton replaces Spencer Richardson, who will retire in early 2008.

Presstek Inc. named Mark J. Levin president, Americas region.

PRESS

Baldwin Technology appointed Steffen Weisser as managing director of Baldwin Germany GmbH. Weisser will oversee Baldwin Germany in Friedberg, Baldwin Oxy-Dry in Egelsbach and Baldwin IVT in Sweden. 

FMC Technologies Inc. named Mark Fung manager of projects for the automated systems North America project management team. Fung will also continue to oversee FMC’s SVG rollout at The New York Times.

Harland Simon named Charlie Brackley sales manager.

Sun Chemical named Susan Guerin as senior vice president and chief financial officer.

POSTPRESS

Cannon Equipment named Charles Gruber president of the postpress vendor. Gruber formerly served as vice president of GAF Material Corp., where he oversaw the company’s specialty products business. He also served as a founding member of Elemica, a supply chain consortium jointly owned by 22 chemical companies.

Ralph Valero joined Miracom Computer Corp. as customer service manager. Valero brings 37 years of experience to the position, where he’ll be responsible for managing customer support, customer installation and training. He most recently worked at Quipp (Newstec).

NEW MEDIA

AdStar Inc. named Karen Wilson vice president of business development.

INDUSTRY

The Denver Newspaper Agency named Bernie Szachara senior vice president of operations and information technology, succeeding Frank Dixon, who retired. Szachara will also replace Eric Wolferman, DNA’s vice president of information technology, who left the agency, according to Harry Whipple, DNA’s chief executive officer.

DNA, which prints The Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo., also promoted Robert Kinney to vice president of information technology and prepublishing. He formerly served as the agency’s director of prepublishing.

The McClatchy Co. named Hai Nguyen controller.

News Corp. named Les Hinton chief executive officer of Dow Jones & Co. and Robert Thomson publisher of The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones’ former CEO, Richard F. Zannino; Journal Publisher Gordon Crovitz and general counsel Joseph Stern resigned.

The PAGE Cooperative re-elected Wally Lage, vice president and chief operating officer of Rust Communications, as president of the co-op in 2008. Other 2008 officers are Thomas Shaw, president of Shaw Newspapers, vice president; Gary Shorts, president of Calkins Media, treasurer; and Gregg Jones, president of Jones Media, secretary. PAGE Chief Executive Officer Chuck Berky and PAGE General Manager John Snyder were also re-elected to the board.

Sun-Times Media Group Inc. named Fred Lebolt president of Fox Valley Publications in suburban Chicago. He was also named chairman of the Sun-Times News Group New Media Steering Committee.

AWARDS

Gerald F. Clark, director of corporate accounts at Graphic Microsystems, was inducted into the Ben Franklin Honor Society of PIA/GATF at a Chicago awards ceremony.

Elinor R. Midlik, president of Prime UV Systems Inc., received the Harold W. Gegenhimer Award for service to the printing industry by NPES. The award was presented at NPES’ annual conference.

OBITUARIES

Beth Wolfe, 55, wife of E.W. Scripps  Director of Newspaper Operations Frank Wolfe, passed away Nov. 19. She is survived by her husband, three children and six grandchildren.

George D. Higgins, 82, father of Cannon Equipment’s Tim Higgins, passed away Nov. 21.

In addition to his wife, Ruth, to whom he was married for 57 years, Mr. Higgins is survived by Tim, a daughter, siblings and grandchildren.

Following his service in the U.S. Marine Corps, which included a tour of duty in the Pacific during World War II, Mr. Higgins spent more than 50 years working in the printing industry, including the newspaper segment. He worked for 28 years at RR Donnelley and also worked at McCain Manufacturing.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Mr. Higgins’ name to The Catholic Community Hospice (catholiccommunityhospice.com) at 9740 West 87th Street, Overland Park, KS, 66212-4563.