Published: October 06, 2008 11:28 pm      

Ex-Independent publisher to oversee Pocono paper

Campbell Hall, N.Y. — Joe Vanderhoof, president of the Hudson Valley Media Group and publisher of the Middletown, N.Y., Times Herald-Record, will also oversee the company’s media group in the Poconos.

Vanderhoof was named president of the Pocono Mountain Media Group and publisher of The Pocono Record. Both media groups are divisions of Ottaway Newspapers Inc., the community newspaper arm of Dow Jones, a division of News Corp.

“We believe that Joe is uniquely suited to lead in Pocono — especially given that he’s done the job before,” said Andrew Langhoff, president and CEO of Ottaway.

Before taking the reins in Middletown, Vanderhoof was publisher at the Stroudsburg, Pa.-based Pocono Record. The Pocono position has been vacant since Jim Maxwell left the company in early July.

In his dual role, Vanderhoof will spend time in Middletown and Stroudsburg. Langhoff said Vanderhoof has been charged with streamlining both media groups.

Vanderhoof is a graduate of Russell High School. While still a student, he worked at The Independent in the mail room. He worked various jobs at this newspaper and, after graduating from college, went on to become controller and then general manager.

He left to be publisher in Mankato, Minn., before returning to Ashland as publisher in 1998. He remained with Ottaway when The Independent was purchased by Community Newspapers Holding Inc. in 2002.

He is married to the former Jane Broughton and they have two children, Gaby and Nikolas.