Longtime publisher is moving on
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BY HEATHER A. RESZ
Frontiersman
Published on Saturday, October 1, 2011 10:22 PM AKDT
WASILLA — After nearly 14 years piloting the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman through interesting and sometimes contentious waters, Publisher Kari Sleight is moving on to other opportunities.
Sleight announced her decision to Frontiersman staff at a Wednesday afternoon meeting. She said although the choice to pursue new adventures was difficult, she and her husband, Fred, are excited to relocate to the Seattle area where they will be closer to family and other personal and professional opportunities.
“I have very much enjoyed my time in Alaska, the Valley and at the Frontiersman,” Sleight said. “I’ve had the privilege to work with so many talented and professional people, both in the community and at the newspaper, and I’ll miss them terribly.”
Her last day is Oct. 14 and no replacement has been named.
When Sleight started at the Frontiersman, the newspaper published twice a week, had only spot color on the front page and was printed in Anchorage.
Managing editor Heather A. Resz was the newspaper’s assistant editor when Sleight joined the staff as publisher.
“I was surprised when Kari called me last summer and asked if I’d come work for her as managing editor,” she said. “We’ve been a strong team for the past year and I’m sorry I won’t have more time to learn from her experience.”
Mark Kelsey was the Sports Editor from 1995 to 1997 and though he went on to other opportunities in Alaska and Outside, Sleight brought him back to Alaska to serve as managing editor from March 2005 to July 2007.
“Kari has a deep understanding of what it means to be a community newspaper,” Kelsey said. “Her civic-mindedness and sense of fairness were evident in every edition of the Frontiersman. I learned a lot from her. She led by example and made me a better journalist. It will be difficult to replace her.”
He was part of the team that helped Sleight prepare to print the first edition of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman at its new multi-million dollar printing plant in April 2005.
During Sleight’s watch, the Frontiersman also added a Sunday edition in August 2002 and began home delivery for the first time in the core areas of Palmer and Wasilla in April 2003.
Community member Bert Hall worked with Sleight on several community projects over the years.
“I’ve been impressed in recent years with the Frontiersman’s ability to cover the community and especially its concern for military and veterans affairs and its unmatched sports coverage,” said Hall, who also is member of the Alaska Veterans Advisory Council.
Sleight was quick to pass the praise on to her staff.
“The Frontiersman is an excellent community newspaper whose employees care deeply about the quality and content of the newspaper, and about the community in which they live, work and play,” she said. “They are the reason the newspaper is successful and I’m confident they will continue to print the quality newspaper our readers have come to expect.”
Sleight started with Wick Communications in April 1986 at the company’s Ontario, Ore. Location and was promoted to Publisher at the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman in November 1997.
In her time in the Mat-Su Valley, Sleight became a familiar face in the community as a founding member of the board for MASCOT from 1999 to 2001; a former United Way of Mat-Su board member; past-president and two-time campaign chair from 2001 to 2007; President of the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors from 1999 to 2001 and President in 2000; and an active member of Rotary International from 2001 to 2008.