New regional president takes reins at L-T

Matt Milner, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

Apr. 21—EAU CLAIRE — Paul Gaier has joined Adams Publishing Group as its new regional president for Northern Wisconsin, working with newspapers in Eau Claire, Rice Lake, Spooner, Ashland, Sawyer County and Price County.

The move marks a return to his roots for Gaier, who began his career getting an up-close view of operations in Chippewa Falls, where his father was publisher.

"I grew up around that. I grew up around taking the phone calls from readers. We all worked in newspaper. I started in the basement, where we inserted papers," he said. "My goal was to be a publisher."

He achieved that goal in Rockford, Ill. and has accumulated 34 years of experience in newspapers, with more than 25 years in various executive positions.

Gaier's most recent newspaper position was as regional vice president and publisher of 16 daily newspapers in Illinois and Iowa, a portfolio that included the Register Star in Rockford, the Journal Star in Peoria, Ill., along with several weekly papers. After Gatehouse and Gannett merged, he ran Action Printing, a commercial printer in Fond du Lac.

Community involvement has also been a hallmark of Gaier's career, with leadership roles in the United Way in both Fox Valley and Rockford, the Rockford Area Economic Development Council and the Illinois Press Association.

Gaier left the Chippewa Valley when he headed to college in 1985. The chance to come back to the area Gaier still calls home was too good to pass up. He likes what he has seen so far. In a time when many newspapers have seen their ties to the people they serve fray, the Leader-Telegram and the local community have stayed connected.

"We're still a part of the fabric of this community," he said, adding that it reminds him of the days in Chippewa Falls when the paper was "a super important part of the community."

The industry has definitely changed over the decades, but Gaier said readers need to know his commitment to a strong print edition is as real as ever, even as the importance of digital delivery grows.

After all, when you grew up in the industry and have returned home for the first time in a few decades, some things always stay the same.