Tom Yunt

Tom Yunt is currently President & COO of Woodward Communications, Inc., a Dubuque, Iowa-based ESOP multi-media company that includes newspaper, shoppers, weeklies, radio stations, and commercial printing properties in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Tom Yunt, a native of Frankfort, Kentucky, graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1977 with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communications (Advertising) and a minor in Art. Mr. Yunt began his newspaper career while at Western selling advertising for the College Heights Herald. After graduating, Tom began his career as Advertising Manager for the Harpeth Herald, a newly founded weekly newspaper in the affluent Brentwood suburb of Nashville, Tennessee. In March 1978, Mr. Yunt joined the Nashville Banner and The Tennessean, a Gannett JOA Operation, as Advertising Account Executive. He was promoted to Zoned Edition Account Supervisor in 1979 and to Suburban Advertising Account Supervisor the following year. In 1983, Gannett promoted him to Retail Advertising Manager at the Lafayette, Indiana Journal and Courier. In June of 1984 he received a similar promotion as Retail Advertising Manager of the Reno, Nevada Gazette Journal. Mr. Yunt left the Gannett Company in 1985 and moved to Dubuque, Iowa to join the family-owned Telegraph Herald as Advertising Director. He held that position from August 1985 until September 1990. In September 1990, Mr. Yunt was recruited to join The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News, the 26th largest newspaper operation, as Retail Advertising Manager and was promoted to Advertising Director prior to rejoining the Telegraph Herald as Publisher in February of 1993. Mr. Yunt was promoted to Vice-President of Woodward Communications, Inc. in May 1994 and Vice President/Newspapers in January 1998. Mr. Yunt was named Senior Vice President for Woodward Communications in June 2000 and named to the Woodward Communications, Inc. Board of Directors in May 2001. Mr. Yunt was named President and COO of Woodward December 1, 2003.

Mr. Yunt has been very involved in the newspaper industry. Mr. Yunt is past-President (2000-01) of the Iowa Newspaper Association (INA) and continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the Iowa Newspaper Foundation (INF). Mr. Yunt also served a six-year Board of Directors term for the Inland Press Association and continues to participate regularly as an Inland trainer and presenter. In addition to his national affiliations, he has been active in ad clubs across the country. While serving with Indianapolis Newspapers, he was a Board Member of the Advertising Club of Indianapolis, the oldest ad club in the U.S., of which he was selected "Advertising Man of the Year" in 1992.

Mr. Yunt received the 2001 College Heights Herald award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism from Western Kentucky University’s Department of Student Publications. Tom is a December 1977 graduate of Western Kentucky University.

In February 2002, Tom received the Iowa Newspaper Association 2002 Master Editor-Publisher Award, the association’s most prestigious award. The award winners are chosen from previous Master Editor-Publisher award winners and presented to Iowa publishing executives who have been determined by their peers to have “worked hard, lived honorably, thought soundly, influenced unselfishly and is entitled to the highest honors of the profession.” In February 2004, Tom received the Iowa Newspaper Association 2004 Distinguished Service Award.

In February 2005 Mr. Yunt received the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Silver Medal Award from the Advertising Club of Dubuque for his outstanding contributions to advertising and furthering the industry’s standards, creative excellence and responsibility in the areas of social concern.

In addition to his daily responsibilities, Mr. Yunt is also active on the newspaper and media industry lecture circuit. To date he has conducted programs for the American Press Institute, Inland Press Association, Newspaper Association of America (NAA), as well as the Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania Press Associations.

Mr. Yunt currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Iowa Newspaper Foundation (INF), is a past board member for the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce (2 terms) and past-president of the Dubuque YM-YWCA.