GM aims to expand Gazette’s digital presence
Pili Linares is the new general manager of the Texarkana Gazette, parent company WEHCO Media announced Thursday.
Linares comes to the Gazette after more than two years as vice president of revenue for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, the latest position in her 25-plus-year newspaper industry career.
“I’m looking forward to working with Pili. She is an exceptional leader with years of media experience,” said Mark Lane, president of WEHCO’s newspaper division. “She is passionate about local journalism, building relationships with customers, partners and team members.”
Linares previous experience includes management positions in marketing and advertising for the Houston Chronicle, the Newspaper Association of America, the Beaumont Enterprise and the Everett, Wash., Daily Herald.
A longtime Texan, Linares graduated in 1988 from the University of Texas in Austin with a Bachelor of Science in advertising.
Succeeding in the digital marketplace is a top priority for Linares.
“I think there’s huge opportunity in digital, and I’m going to focus on advertising in that space,” she said. “Primary for me is going to be focusing on revenue growth with a digital emphasis.”
Providing high-quality local journalism will continue to be important for the Gazette, Linares said.
“On the editorial side, I think we have a quality product that we can only get better with. There’s a commitment to quality local journalism from WEHCO … providing relevant content for the communities that we serve and the families that it impacts. And I love that we’re doing that. When you go down a path, when it becomes consolidated and cookie-cutter, that’s not what the community’s looking for. They need to know what’s happening in their backyard,” she said.
Linares assumes her new duties on April 16. She replaces former general manager Terri Leifeste, who resigned in December 2017 to become the publisher of the Columbia, Mo., Daily Tribune.