Arkansas Democrat-Gazette names Thompson exec editor

The following excerpt was sent out from arkansasonline.com:

Lisa Thompson has been named the new executive editor of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Fayetteville.

She has been filling that position since Rusty Turner‘s retirement May 19.

Thompson came to The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas — which later became part of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette — as Sunday editor in 2002 and was promoted to managing editor in 2004. Her previous experience includes stints at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in both Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas, the Idaho Statesman in Boise and the Anchorage Times in Alaska. She holds a bachelor of arts in journalism with a minor in legal studies from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

“I am honored that Eliza and the rest of the management team at WEHCO have entrusted me with the responsibility to continue to make the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette the source for news and information in our circulation area,” Thompson said. “Rusty Turner was both an outstanding newspaper editor and a respected, active member of the Northwest Arkansas community. He will be a very hard act to follow.”

Under Thompson’s leadership, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on July 22 won the award for general excellence among the state’s larger daily newspapers at the Arkansas Press Association’s annual convention in Little Rock. The newspaper earned 15 first-place citations.