Schmall goes to The Rake, Garrett to Pacific Sun
A domino drop of changes at AAN papers has resulted in two homecomings for alt-weekly veterans.
Scott Hassenflu, who was most recently sales and marketing director at the San Francisco Bay Guardian, has been named publisher of the Sacramento News & Review, where he was sales manager in the mid-1990’s.
Hassenflu replaces Dave Schmall, who left to become associate publisher of the new Minneapolis monthly city magazine, The Rake, founded by Tom Bartel and Kristin Henning. Bartel and Henning also founded City Pages (Twin Cities), an AAN paper where Schmall worked as advertising director before going to Sacramento.
Former City Pages Editor Steve Perry will also join his former colleagues, working as a contributing editor and frequent writer for The Rake, which began publication in late February.
“We are glad that both Dave and Steve have committed to join us in our new venture,” Bartel says. “They are both very talented people, who will help us provide more complete service to our readers and advertisers.”
In Sacramento, News & Review President/CEO Jeff von Kaenel announced today that Hassenflu has been named publisher of the 13-year-old alternative weekly serving California’s capital.
“I had the privilege to work with Scott in the mid-1990’s, when he took our revenues from flat to a 30 percent growth rate in Sacramento,” von Kaenel says. “He was a creative and energetic sales manager, introducing the Summer Guide, Winter Guide, and our dining guide. Scott will make a difference not only to our bottom line, but also to the overall organization. I’m thrilled to have a chance to work with him again.”
A 15-year veteran of the alternative press, Hassenflu was instrumental in the growth of the Dallas Observer, where he worked from 1985 to 1992 as an account executive, sales manager, advertising director and sales and marketing director. He was sales manager in Sacramento from 1995 to 1996.
“I am very excited about returning to the News & Review as publisher,” Hassenflu says. “I am fortunate to be returning to work with many of the same people that are still there and am looking forward to this new step in my career. Sacramento is a rapidly growing market, and my goal is to work with the sales divisions to grow the News & Review to the next level.”
Hassenflu’s first day as publisher in Sacramento will be April 8.
In other West Coast AAN news, Pacific Sun has hired Terry Garrett, former publisher of the Weekly Planet in Tampa, as sales director.
John Ferri is a freelance writer based in Tacoma, Wash.
