Executive Assistant to the Publisher Debbie Wagner

Debbie Wagner has been with The Advocate-Messenger since October, 1995. Debbie has been the executive assistant to two publishers, Mary Schurz and currently Scott Schurz, Jr. Prior to working with Schurz Communications, Debbie worked with Deco Art, Inc. in Stanford, Ky. as the human resources manager. Debbie is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Danville and has served as a key volunteer with the Great American Brass Band Festival. Debbie and her husband, Carl, have two sons and live in Danville..
Email debbiew@amnews.com

Regional Advertising Director Brad Toy

Brad is the regional advertising manager for Advocate Communication, Inc. and started in April 2008. He worked for CNHI for 10 years in Morehead and Ashland, Ky. and was publisher at The Frankfort Times in Frankfort, Ind. Brad has a BBA in Marketing from Morehead University and is a native of Mount Sterling, Ky. Brad and his wife, Sandy, have one son, Zachary, and live in Mount Sterling. Brad enjoys playing golf and is a member of the Central Kentucky Umpires Association.
Email btoy@amnews.com

Advertising Manager Jerry Dunn

January 2009 begins the 42nd consecutive year of advertising for Jerry Dunn, Advertising Manager for The Advocate-Messenger and The Interior Journal. Jerry is married to the former Kay Morgan of Danville, and they are members of First Christian Church. In September 1967, Jerry returned from Fort Dix , N.J., after serving on active duty with the Army to continue his advertising career with The Advocate-Messenger. In September 1981, he was promoted to national advertising manager and on Sept. 8, 2007, he was promoted to the advertising manager for The Advocate-Messenger and The Interior Journal. Advertising has changed tremendously since 1962, from a flat bed press to offset, from a manual typewriter to a computer, and now with our digital media you can read our news, weather, sports plus advertising from anywhere in the world.
Email jerry@amnews.com

Advertising Sales Representative Mary Gilliland

Mary Gilliland has been an advertising representative for The Advocate-Messenger and the Bluegrass Area Newspaper Group since June 2006. Mary is a graduate of Campbellsville University, Campbellsville, KY, with a degree in communications, PR emphasis and a minor in marketing. A Danville native and graduate of Boyle County High School, she lives in Danville with her daughter Raegan and son Trey.
Email mgilliland@amnews.com

Advertising Sales Representative Geri Price

Geri Price had been with The Advocate Messenger since November 2007. She started as an advertising assistant and has been an advertising representative since June 2008. She lives in her hometown of Lancaster with her husband and two daughters.
Email gprice@amnews.com

Advertising Sales Representative Belinda Karnes

Belinda Karnes has been with The Advocate-Messenger since March 2009. Prior to her employment with The Advocate-Messenger, Belinda was Supplier Development Coordinator for Trim Masters, Inc. General Offices and Technical Center in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, where she worked for sixteen years. Belinda currently lives in Moreland with her husband, Bryan. She enjoys traveling, fishing, and playing piano.
Email bkarnes@amnews.com

Advertising Assistant Lorie Baugh

Lorie Baugh has been with The Advocate-Messenger since May 2008. She is the advertising assistant for the advertising department. She lives in Stanford with her husband, Gary. Her hobbies are reading, shopping and spending time with her family.
Email lbaugh@amnews.com

Executive Editor John Nelson

John A. Nelson is executive editor of Advocate Communications Inc., a group of Central Kentucky newspapers owned by Schurz Communications Inc. of South Bend, Ind. He serves as managing editor of The Advocate-Messenger in Danville and provides administrative support to editors at the company's newspapers in Nicholasville, Stanford and Winchester. He also serves as general manager at The Interior Journal in Stanford. Nelson was the editor of two weeklies before joining The Advocate in 1997. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Eastern Kentucky University, where he serves on the advisory boards of both the Department of Mass Communications and the Eastern Progress, the student newspaper. He was president of the Kentucky Press Association in 2004, and served two terms as president of the Bluegrass Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists in 2006-07..
Email johnn@amnews.com

Staff Writer Herb Brock

Herb Brock has been with The Advocate-Messenger since September 1979. He has been a staff writer and editorial page columnist since that time. He has won some 60 first-, second- and third-place Kentucky Press Association awards and received the 2008 "Best in the Business Readers' Choice Award" as a newspaper columnist. Prior to coming to The Advocate-Messenger, he served for five years as news editor of The Cynthiana Democrat weekly newspaper and was public information staff member and supervisor for the Kentucky Justice Cabinet. He is a 1966 honor graduate of Lake Forest (Ill.) High School and a 1971 honor graduate of Georgetown (Ky.) College. He is married to Jerry Logan Cruse Brock, he and Jerry have one son, David Matthew Brock. David currently is a staff writer at The Advocate-Messenger. Herb and Jerry have two cats, Butch and Madeleine, who live with them in their Danville home..
Email herb@amnews.com

Page Designer Kasey Doyle

Kasey Doyle is a page designer and copyeditor for The Advocate-Messenger. She is responsible for designing the front page, sports, some feature pages and special sections. She is a 2001 graduate of Fleming County High School and a 2005 graduate of Eastern Kentucky University. In her spare time, Kasey enjoys watching and discussing films, discovering new bands, cooking and reading. She also enjoys playing "Rock Band" with her three younger siblings, and has found she can really rock out the drums. (She thinks that might be her true calling...) If she wasn't designing newspapers, Kasey would be a special-effects makeup artist for horror films. She lives in Danville with her cat, Kiki, and attends Indian Hills Christian Church.
Email kdoyle@amnews.com

Assistant Managing Editor Vicki Stevens

Vicki started at The Advocate-Messenger in 1979 and credits the newspaper with helping her meet her husband. She was a reporter sent out to cover the Garrard County Tobacco Festival, and he was the tobacco-spitting champion. The rest is history. She and Phillip have two daughters, Sarah and Shannon, and live on a farm near Preachersville in Lincoln County. They are active in Grace Fellowship Church in Stanford and Gideons International. Vicki is a graduate of Memorial High School and Campbellsville College (now Campbellsville University). She was a reporter, copy editor and city editor before becoming the newspaper's assistant managing editor.
Email vicki@amnews.com

Staff Writer Todd Kleffman

Todd Kleffman is on his second go-round at The Advocate, having first worked at the newspaper from 1984-88 and returning in 2004. He currently covers the courts and Lincoln and Casey counties, and serves as editor for the Sunday paper, so he's always around on Saturday. Kleffman left the Chicago area just in time to attend Casey County High School. He worked at a long-gone record store in Danville called the Haberhashery while attending college and graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a journalism degree. Between stints at The Advocate, Kleffman worked as a reporter and editor at papers in California, Tennessee and Alabama. He also waited on a few tables here and there along the way. Kleffman lives on the family farm in Casey County with his two kids, Keaton and Kindle, and a golden named Mojito. He likes the outdoorsy life, chess, taking pictures, road trips and rock n roll.
Email tkleffman@amnews.com

Features Editor Jennifer Brummett

Jennifer Brummett is the features editor and primary arts and entertainment writer for The Advocate-Messenger, where she has been employed since 1993. A 1993 graduate of Centre College, Brummett is married and has one son.
Email jenb@amnews.com

Page Designer Stephanie Schell

Stephanie Schell has been with The Advocate-Messenger since January, 2006. She began as a staff writer covering Lincoln County, as well as various circulation-wide beats including education, agriculture, business and industry. In spring, 2008, she became a page designer, and page editor and writer of the Business and Sunday pages. Stephanie is a 2000 graduate of Bath County High School, Owingsville, Ky., and 2005 graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Ky. She lives in Lancaster with her two dogs, Chi Chi and Marley, and two cats, Boober and Oobie. Besides hanging out with her animaly, Stephanie enjoys photography, music, exercising, dancing, trying out new recipes and eating.
Email sschell@amnews.com

Page Designer Bobbie Curd

Bobbie Curd began her employment with the Advocate-Messenger in September of 2004 as a staff writer for the Garrard County beat. Three years later, she began covering Boyle County/Danville, and in late 2008 became a copy editor and page designer. Bobbie studied communications at the University of Kentucky and worked for the college for six years. She relocated to Milwaukee for a short stint, but returned home after her first niece was born. Before coming to The Advocate-Messenger, she worked for the corporate office of an oil company, took a brief career hiatus and toured Mexico, and worked as a corporate recruiter for an international company's Lexington branch. Although she first thought she "wanted out of corporate life," working for The Advocate-Messenger has shown her that believing in what you do can make all the difference in the world.
Email bcurd@amnews.com

Staff Writer David Brock

David Brock was raised in Danville, where he returned after graduating from the University of Kentucky. He currently covers Danville city government and police news, Mercer County and education for the Advocate. Yes, Herb is his dad.
Email dbrock@amnews.com

Section Editor Jennifer Johnson

Jennifer W. Johnson has worked at The Advocate-Messenger since 1995. She is is editor of the Real Estate section, Religion pages, Looking Back page, Advice page, Bulletin Board page, Pet/Farm page and Keepsakes page. She also is a staff writer and compiles the daily obituaries.
Email jenj@amnews.com

Staff Writer Ben Kleppinger

Ben Kleppinger graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in May 2009 with a bachelor's in journalism and a minor in English. At Eastern, he served as a writer, photographer, columnist, designer and editor for his college newspaper, the Eastern Progress. He has also served as a videographer for the Lexington Herald-Leader and Mission Discovery, an international Christian mission organization based near Nashville, Tenn. He is originally from Berea. He currently covers Garrard County for the Advocate-Messenger.
Email bkleppinger@amnews.com

Staff Writer Susie Laun

Susie Laun graduated with a journalism degree from Western Kentucky University in 2009. She is from Shepherdsville, Ky., and moved to Danville to cover education and Mercer County.
Email slaun@amnews.com

Photographer Clay Jackson

Clay Jackson has been with the Advocate Messenger since 2001 as the chief photographer. Jackson attended Western Kentucky University and graduated with a degree in photojournalism. He is originally from Roswell, Ga., and is married to Lesley Wolfgang and has a dog named Casey. Jackson is a runner and occasionally paints when he has spare time.
Email clay@amnews.com

Sports Editor Larry Vaught

Larry is a 1970 Danville High School graduate and 1974 University of Kentucky graduate. He started at The Advocate-Messenger on a full-time basis in January of 1975. He has been president of the Kentucky Sports Writers Association and third vice-president of the national Associated Press Sports Editors Association. He has been named Kentucky Sportswriter of the Year four times. Larry is married and has a daughter and a son, and one grandson.
Email larry@amnews.com

Assistant Sports Editor Hal Morris

Assistant sports editor Hal Morris has been with the Advocate since November 2004. He began his newspaper career in August of 1996 at The Oldham Era in La Grange serving as a general assignment reporter-photographer. In June 2000, he went to work as the assistant sported editor at The Sandusky (Ohio) Register before returning to his home state. Hal is a 1990 graduate of Harrison County High School in Cynthiana and a 1996 graduate of Morehead State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and history. He lives in Lexington with his wife, Lissa, and their son, Sam. Hal enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, arguing the finer points of why his musical tastes are superior and yelling at the TV while the news is on.
Email hmorris@amnews.com

Sports Writer Mike Marsee

Mike Marsee has been with The Advocate since 1990, first working as a news and sports reporter and exclusively as a sports writer since 1992. He previously worked as sports editor of the Times-Tribune of Corbin after graduating from Eastern Kentucky University, where he worked on the student newspaper as sports editor for two years and editor-in-chief for one year. He grew up in Annville and first wrote sports as a stringer for The Jackson County Sun while still in high school.
Email marsee@amnews.com

Digital Media Manager John Preston

John Preston is the digital media manager for the The Advocate-Messenger, The Winchester Sun, The Jessamine Journal, and The Interior Journal. He was born and raised just 20 minutes from Danville in nearby Harrodsburg, Kentucky. John joined Schurz after a seven-year stint as the news director for WBKO-TV in Bowling Green, Ky. There he managed one of the most successful small market television news operations in the country. Prior to that, John worked as a producer for America's Health Network, WOFL-TV in Orlando, WLEX-TV in Lexington, and WTVQ-TV in Lexington. He enjoys reading, writing, golfing, and crappie fishing in his spare time. John and his wife, Lynn, have their hands full right now with their son Jake.
Email jpreston@amnews.com

Digital Media Ad Rep Jessica R. Johnson

Jessica R. Johnson has been with The Advocate Messenger since October 2008. She is the digital media sales representative for Danville and the surrounding five counties. Jessica is a 2003 graduate of Boyle County High School, Danville, Ky.; and a 2008 graduate of The University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. She and her husband Jesse Johnson reside in Junction City. Besides selling, Jessica enjoys singing, scrapbooking, shopping, running, spending time with her family as well as participating in outdoor sports and hunting with her husband.
Email jjohnson@amnews.com

Web Content Producer Emily Toadvine

Emily Toadvine is a Web content producer for Advocate Communications. She formerly was features editor at The Advocate where she has been employed since 1985. She and her husband Dennis and their children live in Forkland.
Email emily@amnews.com

Webmaster Gary Moyers

Gary Moyers has been with The Advocate for more than six years, the past three in digital media, and was named Webmaster for the four Schurz Kentucky properties in 2007. He has spent nearly 30 years in the journalism profession, beginning as a sportswriter in his hometown of Bowling Green, Ky. Gary lives in Harrodsburg with his wife, Debbie, and daughter, Stephanie, and plays golf in his spare time.
Email gmoyers@amnews.com

Commercial Printing Manager Mike Elliott

Mike Elliott has been with The Advocate-Messenger since 1978. He served as advertising director from 1981 to 2007. Elliott's current duties as commercial printing manager include oversight of newspaper printing plants in Danville and Winchester. The commercial printing department also operates a sheet fed department at the Danville location for the printing of full color brochures, booklets, auction handbills etc. Mike lives in Mercer County.
Email mike@amnews.com

Controller Renita Cox

Renita Cox is the controller for the Kentucky Advocate Print group. She began working for The Advocate-Messenger in July 2001. Prior to this she worked at Matsushita (Panasonic) in Danville for 15 years in the accounting department. She is married to Billy Cox and lives in Junction City. She has two sons, one step-son and three grandchildren.
Email rcox@amnews.com

Circulation Director Jill Sinkclear

Jill Sinkclear, circulation director, has been with The Advocate-Messenger since August 2005. She came to central Kentucky from Hannibal, MO. She has been in the newspaper business since 1989. Jill lives in Danville with her three dogs, Ashley, Bella and Zoey. She has two daughters, Shauna Sinkclear of Danville and Rissa Sinkclear of Kansas City, MO. Her hobbies are sewing, crocheting, home improvement projects and shopping.
Email jsinkclear@amnews.com

NIE Coordinator Candi Campbell

Candi Campbell has been the Newspaper in Education coordinator for The Advocate-Messenger since June 2007. She works to provide area classrooms with free/sponsored newspapers and other educational material. She also hosts student tours of The Advocate office and occasionally visits schools for classroom presentations. Campbell is a 2003 graduate of Burgin Independent School. She is a 2007 graduate of Campbellsville University where she majored in mass communication with an emphasis is public relations. Candi enjoys traveling, watching movies, cooking, arts & crafts, and spending time with her husband Jackie, their family and friends.
Email ccampbell@amnews.com

Marketing Director Lori Yankey

Lori Yankey has been with The Advocate-Messenger since 1985. She began as a district manager for six years, circulation billing and accounting for four years, sales and single copy manager for 12 years, all with The Advocate circulation department. In September 2007, Lori became marketing manager for Advocate Communications, Inc. Lori is a 1981 graduate of Boyle County High School and attended Cumberland College. She lives in Danville. She is also a Kentucky High School Athletic Association Basketball Official in the 12th Region. Lori enjoys sports, listening to music and being outdoors.
Email lori@amnews.com

Press Foreman Troy Maddox

Troy Maddox has been with the Advocate since 1981.Troy spent his entire career working with the newspaper printing press. Troy and his wife Rita have two children.
Email troym@amnews.com