Enquirer's Buchanan to retire; Green returns as publisher

Enquirer publisher Margaret Buchanan announced her retirement Wednesday and said former Enquirer reporter and editor Rick Green will succeed her.

Green will take over in March as president and publisher of The Enquirer and regional president of Gannett's 10 other Ohio newspapers.

Green is currently president and publisher of The Des Moines Register and a regional president. He was editor and vice president there before being named publisher in 2013.

Born and raised in Ohio, Green said the chance to return home to lead The Enquirer was irresistible. He worked at The Enquirer for 16 years as a reporter, suburban bureau chief, business editor and assistant managing editor.

His goal, he said, is to build on the talent already in the building and tell stories that make a difference in the community.

"I remember that spirit of collaboration, that feeling that we're all in this together," Green said of his previous time at The Enquirer. "That's the atmosphere I thrive in. That's what we're going to continue to do."

Green, who is married and has five children, started his journalism career as a high school sophomore at the Coshocton Tribune. He also has been a reporter in Chillicothe and editor of The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, California. He graduated with a journalism degree from Ohio University.

"Rick is an energetic, innovative and hard-working leader who has done great things as publisher in Des Moines," said Robert Dickey, president of Gannett's U.S. Community Publishing. "We look forward to Rick continuing his success and building upon the great work that Margaret has done in Cincinnati."

Buchanan grew up in Cincinnati, graduating from Sycamore High School and the University of Cincinnati. She joined Gannett in 1986 at The Enquirer, as special assistant to the publisher. She has been president and publisher of The Enquirer since 2003 and later served as a Gannett group vice president and regional president. She was named Gannett's U.S. Community Publishing division's top publisher for 2008.

Both Buchanan and Green led their organizations through a tumultuous time in the industry.

News organizations across the country have endured declining circulation and staff cuts as readers moved to online news sources and away from traditional print products.

Both Buchanan and Green developed significant digital products and coverage techniques during this period and shifted resources to additional watchdog and storytelling content.

Both newsrooms conducted a dramatic restructuring late last year to focus more resources on the digital operation.

"I felt it was a good time to retire because I'd set up the organization for the next five years," she said.

Buchanan is a business and civic leader in Cincinnati. She is a member of the Cincinnati Business Committee. She is on the boards of Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC), the Marvin Lewis Community Fund and Neediest Kids of All. In 2007, she chaired the Fine Arts Fund. She is chair of the board of UC Health.

She previously led marketing and advertising at the Rockford (Ill.) Register Star. She was president and publisher of the Star-Gazette in Elmira, NY, in 1996 and The Idaho Statesman in Boise in 1999. Two years later she added the group vice president title to her publisher role, overseeing several other newspapers.

"Margaret is deeply respected in her community and has led her teams successfully through many transitions," Dickey said. "During her distinguished 29 years at Gannett, Margaret continually found new ways to serve her advertisers and reach new audiences. She has played a key role within USCP for decades and we wish her nothing but the best as she starts her next chapter."

Buchanan said she now will focus on her work with UC Health and expects to remain active in the community. After almost three decades with Gannett, Buchanan said she'll take some time to figure out what comes next.

"I'm going to look forward to seeing what all the possibilities are," she said. "It's really the first time in my life I've had the chance to step back and say, 'What do I want to do with my life?' I look forward to seeing how it all plays out."