The EMG Board of Directors has selected Eric Henry as the new publisher and executive director, and he officially begins on Oct. 2.
Henry spent the first 15 years of his career working in different departments of community newspapers and publications such as editorial, sales, production, distribution and management. 
For the last 15 years, Henry has been a significant part of business-to-business media marketing through online and digital sales, product and audience development, marketing, operations, planning and analysis.
Henry started his reporting career as an undergraduate student reporter at the Kansas State Collegian.
“I loved being in the college newsroom environment back when I was in school,” Henry said. “It’s really stuck with me. I like the energy and the creative ideas and the commitment to independent student-run journalism.”
Henry said he is very passionate about the role that the EMG and all independent college publications play in society today, and his goal is to maintain the independence that the EMG has long held.
“My goal for my time here is to continue to make that independent student-led media group possible and to help it thrive,” Henry said. “So that it changes with the times that we find new, creative, innovative ways to be better at what we do.”
Lois Davis, incoming board chair and head of the search committee, had expressed that there were five factors the search committee was looking for in an ideal candidate for the publisher and executive director position.
First, someone who was passionate and had deep experience with journalism. Second, someone who was passionate about college media and the importance of students working in college journalism. Third, someone with a vision for the future. Fourth, someone who was a good fit for the culture of the EMG, Eugene and the university. Fifth, someone who understands the state of journalism today and where they perceive it is going.
“I think we all were immediately struck by what Eric would bring to the EMG,” Davis said. “Every time I talked to him I was just more excited about his potential and he was more excited, which told me a lot about him.”
According to Davis, Henry made an impression on the search committee and board of directors that showed the position was more than just a job to him, but also a passion.
Henry and Davis both mentioned that Henry’s career path became clear to him once he began undergraduate reporting for the Collegian.
“When I was talking about this position to Lois and the board, I told them how within the first hour that I spent with people at my college newspaper, I knew I wanted to do everything I could to make sure I get to hang out with these people all the time,” Henry said. “And it’s been that way my whole career.”
The EMG’s current publisher and President, Bill Kunerth, worked with Henry back in the mid-1990s in Lake Tahoe, Cali., for the Tahoe World newspaper.
According to Kunerth, they won the First Place General Excellence Award for Best Weekly Newspaper in the state of California while competing against newspapers three times their size.
“During that time, I was so impressed with Eric’s journalistic chops along with him just being a natural leader, motivator, team player and innovator,” Kunerth said. “During my four decades working in the journalism profession, I’ve always put Eric near the top of my favorite people to have worked with.”
Kunerth believes that Henry has a lot of abilities in the fact that he is very creative, analytical, high energy and enthusiastic, and his desire to “get things done” really stood out to the Board of Directors and Kunerth.
According to Kunerth, one of the things that the EMG has to improve on is having a greater online and digital presence, and Henry’s experience with B2B Media will serve the EMG well in that department of development.
According to Davis, another factor that the board of directors was searching for was someone who had financial experience raising money for a newsroom and publication.
Henry stated that he has had experience with newspapers in the past that needed extra funding and was successful in providing that.
“Throughout my career, I was publisher of small papers for a while and there’s always been financial challenges for newspapers,” Henry said. “A big part of my job has been managing the financial parts and working with all the creative people on staff to refine our processes.”
Henry said he has followed and admired the work EMG has done in the last five years and is looking forward to extending the business and creative ideas.
“The work that the EMG has done in the last five years or so is nothing short of remarkable,” Henry said. “The stability that you all have been able to find along with the growth and transitioning of new ideas is pretty special and I am looking forward to being a part of it.”