BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Pam Siddall, an Alabama native who is publisher of The Wichita Eagle in Kansas, has been named publisher of The Birmingham News.
The News announced Monday that Siddall, 41, will assume the post vacated with the retirement in November of Victor Hanson III, the fourth generation of his family to guide the paper over the past century.
Siddall, who begins work at Alabama’s largest paper on Jan. 11, is a native of Phenix City. She served in financial and executive posts with two Georgia newspapers, the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer and The Macon Telegraph, before becoming president and publisher of the Eagle in November 2007.
“I am delighted Pam is joining our team,” said Ricky Mathews, president of Advance Alabama/Mississippi newspapers, which in Alabama includes The News, The Huntsville Times and the Press-Register in Mobile. “Her deep roots in Alabama will help her hit the ground running.”
“I am extremely excited about working with the team to embrace the transformation into a 24/7 multimedia organization,” Siddall said.
No replacement for Siddall was announced by the Eagle, which is in the McClatchy Co. news group. The Birmingham News is owned by Staten Island, N.Y.-based Advance Publications, Inc.