David Collins new publisher of the Pierre (S.D.) Capital Journal

    David Collins of Huron (S.D.) has been named the new publisher of the Pierre (S.D.) Capital Journal newspaper operation. He officially takes over on March 10.

    Collins, 50, has been the marketing and circulation director at the Huron Plainsman since 2002. In that role, he also oversaw distribution for the Brookings (S.D.) daily, two weeklies and two total-market publications. Paid circulation for the 6-day Plainsman grew by more than 10% during his tenure. Advertising grew as well, consistently exceeding expectations.

    Collins is a Huron native. He returned to the community as a single father after having lived on the west coast.

    His newspaper career includes circulation management responsibilities at the Los Angeles Times, as well as similar circulation duties at two other newspapers in the Los Angeles area. He also was a circulation distribution manager at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

    Collins also managed his family’s multi-million dollar service business for about a decade in the Los Angeles area.

    While in Huron, he was active in civic affairs, holding board positions with the Sertoma Club and the local Humane Society. He enjoys golf and motorcycles.

    “I am extremely pleased to join the Capital Journal and Wick Communications,” Collins said. “Pierre is a wonderful community, it has the benefits and excitement of being the state capital and the newspaper appears poised to grow to benefit local residents and businesses.”

    The Capital Journal has been part of Wick Communications since 2005. Wick’s home office is in Sierra Vista, AZ. The company operates in a dozen states and includes 12 daily newspapers, about twice that many non-daily publications and numerous web sites. Collins succeeds Russ Cannon, who transferred with Wick to a newspaper in New Mexico last month.