New ad director looks forward to becoming part of local Sierra Vista community
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SIERRA VISTA — A seasoned professional newspaper executive with experience in classified, display and online advertising has been hired as the advertising director of the Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review.
Becky Bjork began work Tuesday and will oversee the newspaper’s advertising sales staff.
Her work experience includes sales positions with the St. Petersburg Times in Florida; director of classified advertising and later regional director of advertising sales with Lee Enterprise newspapers; and advertising director of The Des Moines Register in Iowa.
“We’re tremendously excited to have someone of Becky’s caliber joining our management team,” said Publisher Phil Vega. “Her business acumen extends across the spectrum of advertising — from leadership, to program development, to online knowledge, to marketing, to business innovation.
“Having Becky lead our sales team will mean an advertising staff and newspaper that will be better equipped to serve our community of advertisers well into the future,” he said.
Of her move to the Herald/Review and Sierra Vista, she said, “I look forward to becoming part of the community. Newspapers play an important role in the local economy through news coverage and advertising in print and online. I am excited about working with the Herald’s team and local businesses to create ideas and campaigns to strengthen each business’ success in the Sierra Vista market.”
Bjork was born in Illinois and majored in business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She started as a newspaper advertising representative, but soon was promoted to sales management. She directed advertising sales departments, directed development of classified advertising strategy at Lee Enterprises, and eventually became a regional director of advertising sales and internet development with the River Valley Newspaper Group in La Crosse, Wis. —- a Lee Enterprise position she held for 10 years before taking over the reins as advertising director at The Des Moines Register.
Her husband, Tom, and daughter Emily will join her in Sierra Vista. On their initial visit to the area in October, the family mentioned how they liked the friendliness of the community and the beauty of the area. And, they said, they won’t miss shoveling snow this winter.