The Argus welcomes new leader

WESTERN TREASURE VALLEY

Brad Bailey is the new publisher of The Argus Observer in Ontario, and its sister publication, the Independent-Enterprise in Payette, which now prints inside the Argus.

This month, he will celebrate 29 years in newspapering.

Before taking the opportunity to come to Ontario, his most recent assignment was as general manager for three newspapers in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area.

Prior to that, Bailey was publisher for the Press-Republican in an area of upper New York and before that, worked at the Pocono Record in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania as an ad director and associate publisher.

Bailey graduated from Penn State University with a degree in advertising and from there went directly into his first job in newspapers for the Daily Item in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, where he stayed for more than 17 years.

“I’m humbled and thrilled to be joining the teams at The Argus Observer and Independent-Enterprise,” Bailey says. “When I visited the area, I immediately got the sense of their commitment to the surrounding communities.”

While leaving family and friends on the East Coast felt like a tough decision, he says “the opportunity to lead a group like this made the choice an easy one.”

“My coworkers share a deep sense of responsibility to a profession that plays an important role in society, maybe as important as ever,” Bailey says.

As with all businesses, newspapers are facing challenges. However, Bailey says the future is still bright and the core mission is not changing.

“That is to be the keepers of the public trust, the historical record of our communities, and to be the number one source of news and shopping information for our readers,” Bailey says.

Francis Wick, CEO of Wick Communications, says the company is honored to have someone with Bailey’s experience lead the company.

“He will be a wonderful contributor to the community and stand for the principles that showcase the community newspaper as an educator and leader in where the community will go.”

In his free time, Bailey is an avid reader and enjoys a variety of creative pursuits. He is an active writer of correspondence through U.S. Postal Service, and a fan of sports, including baseball, football and boxing.