By the Missoulian
MISSOULA – Mike Gulledge was named publisher of The Missoulian and Ravalli Republic Wednesday as a part of a regional management restructuring. Gulledge also serves as the publisher of The Billings Gazette and is an operating vice president for the Missoulian’s parent company, Lee Enterprises.
The move is part of a trend in Lee that includes regional restructuring of some operational aspects of the business, especially in markets that have similarities or are located near each other, while maintaining intense focus on local news and advertising. Butte and Helena, also part of Lee Enterprises, have a regional publisher, Tyler Miller.
Former Missoulian Publisher Mark Heintzelman has left the company.
Gulledge has served as the publisher of The Gazette for 17 years, and has a home on Flathead Lake.
“Mike is an accomplished executive and seasoned publisher. He’ll be a great asset to the Missoulian staff and the Missoula community,” said Kevin Mowbray, president and CEO of Lee. “He brings a high level of energy and experience to this new role.”
Gulledge serves on several boards with statewide reach, including the chairman of the Montana Meth Project and as a member of the Rocky Mountain College Board of Directors.
“The Missoulian has a deep, rich history of providing excellent content, and I look forward to building on our successful platform in the region and meeting the future needs of readers and advertisers,” Gulledge said. “This is a community that takes a deep interest in its newspaper and we love covering it.”
Gulledge has been with Lee since 1982 and has been promoted to a number of leadership roles before being named publisher of the Herald & Review in Decatur, Illinois in 1998. Gulledge has been a vice president with Lee since 2005. In that role he has oversight of properties in Butte, Helena, Rapid City, South Dakota; Albany, Corvallis and Coos Bay, Oregon; Sioux City, Iowa; Flagstaff, Arizona; Park Hills, Missouri; Longview, Washington; and Napa, Santa Maria and Hanford, California.
Gulledge is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He and his wife, Susan, live in Billings. Their son, Michael, is a student at Gonzaga University.
