Newsmakers

Promotions, new hires and other staff changes at Texas newspapers reported in the April 2023 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

Bay City Tribune staff changes announced

BAY CITY – Several changes have been announced at the Bay City Tribune.

Brittany Price has assumed the role of general manager, responsible for business operations and community engagement.

Ashley Brooking becomes managing editor, expanding on the skills she has been using in the months since former managing editor Jimmy Galvan began working remotely.

Jennifer Matura, who has been juggling several responsibilities for the Tribune, will have the dual role of circulation director and composing chief.

Kylun Mitchell has joined the staff as advertising sales representative, and Dena Matthews will continue part-time work in classified sales with expanded hours.

In addition, the Tribune joined a partnership with The Facts of Brazoria County for sports content for coverage of Van Vleck and Bay City teams. Facts Sports Editor Jake Dowling will lead that coverage, in partnership with Brooking.

“The Bay City Tribune has at its core a team of exceptional leaders, and I’m thrilled to be able to leverage their talents into roles that will allow them and the paper to grow,” said Yvonne Mintz, vice president of content and ethics for Southern Newspapers, Inc., parent company of the Tribune. Mintz is also publisher of The Facts.

“Our two papers are close geographically, and it makes sense to leverage that to partnerships within our staffs,” Mintz said.

“Make no mistake, though, the Bay City Tribune has been and will remain a local newspaper with that core team in Bay City leading the way. In fact, we look forward to them getting more involved in the community than ever before.”

Price has been with the Bay City Tribune for five years, joining the staff as a part-time business assistant. She came to Bay City from Deer Park and has an 11 year-old daughter.

A native of Bay City, Brooking joined the newspaper staff in November 2021 and has been contributing to the news operations since March 2022.

She graduated from Bay City High School and studied psychology at the University of Houston.

She and her husband, Michael Brooking, recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary.

With a total of 14 years over two stints with the Tribune, Matura hired on as composing manager, and for the last two years has also taken on the duties of circulation manager and other roles. She has two daughters.

Matthews said the newspaper business has been in her blood since she started with The Bay City Tribune after high school.

She has been employed with Southern Newspapers Inc. for more than 45 years with The Facts in Clute and The Bay City Tribune, where she currently works in classified sales.

A native of Matagorda County, she graduated from Van Vleck High School. She has two children and four grandchildren.

Mitchell brings experience in banking, sales and account management. Raised in Bay City and Midfield, he is a graduate of Tidehaven High School.

He and his wife Victoria adopted their 11-year-old daughter this year.

Mitchell is a board and cast member of Community Actors of South Texas (CAST).

ASHLEY KENJURA

Brenham Banner-Press

BRENHAM – Ashley Kenjura has joined the staff of the Brenham Banner-Press in advertising sales.

Publisher Jeff Parra announced the appointment, noting that Kenjura has people skills honed through years of experience in the food service industry, including with Chili’s in Brenham.

She joins The Banner-Press advertising staff consisting of Ad Manager Helen Nowicki, Dave Exter and Leticia Grimaldo.

A native of Oregon, Kenjura lived in Washington and Colorado in addition to Texas, settling in the Lone Star State permanently in 2020. She is married to Brenham firefighter Darreck Kenjura.

After meeting people through the restaurant industry Kenjura said she can build on those relationships and create new ones in advertising sales.