Arkansas Business Publishing Group of Little Rock announced Wednesday that Mitch Bettis, regional publisher for publicly traded GateHouse Media of Fairport, N.Y., will join the company as general manager of ABPG and publisher of Arkansas Business newspaper.
“We’re so happy to have Mitch Bettis join the state’s leading niche publishing company,” Olivia Farrell, ABPG chairman and CEO, said. “With experience on all sides of the business -- editorial, sales, print, digital -- Mitch is a great fit. I know our team can’t wait to start working with him.”
Bettis, who begins his duties at ABPG on Feb. 25, brings more than 29 years of experience in management and publishing to his new role at Arkansas’ leading niche publishing group. At ABPG, he’ll manage the daily operations of a company that produces 20 weekly, monthly, semiannual and annual titles, as well as contract publications and websites.
Bettis will also be publisher of Arkansas Business, founded in 1984. Arkansas Business covers business news in Arkansas in a weekly print newspaper and on a daily website, ArkansasBusiness.com.
"I'm excited about joining ABPG," Bettis said. "The company is known for its portfolio of quality print and digital products, and I look forward to being a part of the team."
Since 2011, Bettis has overseen GateHouse Media’s 19 print and digital products in 10 communities in Arkansas and northern Louisiana. In that role, he led the publishing, editorial and sales efforts of more than 100 staff members.
From 2009-2011, he was general manager of GateHouse’s Lake Media operations in central Missouri, leading sales and operations for 26 print and digital publications.
A 1990 graduate of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Bettis received a master of science degree in 1992 and a doctor of education degree in 1994 from Oklahoma State University. From 2007-2009, he was an assistant professor of mass communication at Ouachita Baptist University, teaching courses in public relations, advertising, multimedia communication, news and photojournalism.
Since 2001, Bettis and his wife, Meg, have been the owners of Freeman Publications Inc., which produces a weekly newspaper for northwest Colorado, the Rio Blanco Herald Times, and a hunting magazine.
Bettis and his wife have three children, Jackson, 10; Addy, 5; and Elli, 2.
ABPG is a niche publishing group with a Web development company, FLEX360. ABPG produces 20 publications, including magazines and websites.
Its products include Arkansas Business; Little Rock Family, a monthly parenting magazine launched in 1994; and Little Rock Soirée, a monthly magazine covering nonprofits, fashion, food and events in Little Rock launched in 2002.
Other publications include Arkansas Bride, Guest Guide to Greater Little Rock, Arkansas Next: A Guide to Life After High School and InArkansas.com.
