Kelly Lecker named interim Dispatch editor
Eugene Jackson will become market leader
Managing Editor Kelly Lecker has been named interim editor of The Dispatch, and Eugene Jackson, vice president of sales and marketing for Ohio for Localiq and the USA Today Network, will be the market leader for Dispatch operations in Columbus upon the retirement of Alan D. Miller on Monday.
Miller, 62, who announced his retirement in September, will leave the paper on Monday after 37 years in the newsroom, and he will move into a new role teaching journalism at Denison University. He served as a reporter and editor at several levels before becoming editor in 2015. In that capacity, he also served as market leader in Columbus and
regional editor for the USA Today Network’s 21 newsrooms in Ohio.
“The Dispatch media group of websites, newspapers and magazines in Columbus is in good hands with Lecker, Jackson and their teams,” Miller said. “Both are talented leaders who care deeply about the people of Columbus and this region, and the teams they work with are equally dedicated to doing their best for central Ohioans.”
Lecker, 49, has worked in The Dispatch newsroom for nearly 18 years as a reporter and editor. She was named managing editor in 2020.
Lecker is a University of Wisconsinstevens Point graduate who started her journalism career in 1994 at The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She also worked as a reporter and editor at The Blade in Toledo.
She started with The Dispatch in 2004 as a reporter covering southeastern Ohio. As a reporter, she won several journalism awards for her work covering immigration issues, agriculture and breaking news. And as an editor, she has helped lead a newsroom that has been honored with many state and national
awards, including being named best newspaper in Ohio eight years in a row by the Associated Press Media Editors Association.
Lecker has held various editing positions with The Dispatch, including assistant state editor, religion editor, digital news editor, metro editor and assistant managing editor. She is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Columbus.
She grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm on Cheese Factory Road and now lives in German Village with her dog, Fezzik.
“The team of talented journalists in the Dispatch newsroom takes its role as community watchdog very seriously, and I’m honored to lead them as they continue to cover the important issues facing Greater Columbus and Ohio,” said Lecker. “Their work has changed lives, and we are working harder than ever to tell the stories of all residents.”
Jackson, 41, has 17 years of media experience in various roles including executive leadership roles. Before coming to Columbus in 2021, Jackson was senior sales director and regional market leader for five USA Today markets in Illinois.
“Eugene is a strong leader who is committed to serving others,” said Allen Jones, regional vice president for advertising sales. “He is passionate about the community and brings a forward thinking approach to the team. We couldn’t ask for a better fit to step into this critical role.”
Before working in Illinois, Jackson was senior vice president of advertising and marketing in the Washington, D.C., area. And earlier, he was regional president and publisher of the Rapid City Journal in South Dakota and the Casper Star Tribune in Wyoming. He also served as president and publisher at the Daily Journal in Missouri and director of advertising at the Connecticut Post.
A Virginia Tech graduate, Jackson began his career at the Roanoke Times in Virginia, where he worked in various advertising leadership positions
Jackson and his wife, Holly, have three children, Chloe, Gavin and Parker.
“I am excited about the opportunity to help lead The Columbus Dispatch, particularly at this very important moment in the company’s history,” Jackson said about its 150th anniversary year.
“Columbus has a thriving business climate, and we are a vital part of the media landscape in Ohio,” he said. “We have many talented staff members, and I want to help navigate the future with them side by side.”