Morning News Hires Circ Director, Columnist

The Morning News of Springdale has hired a new circulation director and society columnist, said Tom Stallbaumer, the newspaper’s publisher.

Stephen Kelsey will serve as circulation director for The Morning News and Southwest Times-Record of Fort Smith, which are both owned by Stephens Media Group of Little Rock. He replaced Lewis Floyd in Springdale and Dennis Arnoldussen in Fort Smith.

Kelsey came to Northwest Arkansas from Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was circulation director for two newspapers in a joint operating agreement, the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Morning News, which have a combined circulation of about 230,000.

Kelsey’s first day at his new job was Aug. 1.

The Morning News also hired Jeannie Smith of Springdale as its society writer. She replaced Mari See, the publisher of Celebrate Northwest Arkansas magazine, who wrote the society column for The Morning News on a contract basis for the past year.

“Our coverage had grown to the point where we needed our own staff person doing it,” said Rusty Turner, managing editor of The Morning News.

Smith’s first day at The Morning News was Sunday.