DeNardo Consulting Group

Larry Barrett has experience as a management consultant, industrial engineer, and manager.  For Mazda Motor of America, he managed the national parts distribution center, responsible for distribution to dealers in all 50 states, as well as a $23 million inventory and $70 million in annual sales.  His consulting experience is broad, with industries ranging from newspapers, to food processing to high technology firms.  With newspapers, he has completed successful assignments at the Houston Chronicle, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Akron Beacon Journal, Cedar Rapids Gazette, 21st Century Newspapers, and Los Angeles Times. Barrett holds a bachelors degree and conducted graduate studies at California State University, Long Beach and resides in western Kentucky.

Rich Cunningham has over 35 years of experience in methods/systems analysis, systems management, sales & marketing, and consulting with over 25 of those years in the newspaper industry.  Rich has held responsible positions with Honeywell, Questor and the Arizona Republic prior to consulting.  Consulting assignments have included The Florida Times Union, St. Augustine Record, Savannah Morning News, Grand Rapids Press, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Times-Shamrock Corporation.

Mike Maguire draws on more than 22 years of operational experience in the newspaper industry.  As Operations Director for the Lakeland (Florida) Ledger, Maguire was responsible for all information technology and production functions.  During the 1990s, Maguire led the implementation of complete pagination at The Ledger, and consulted throughout The New York Times Regional Newspaper Group on pagination projects. Maguire's newspaper career started in the newsroom, continuing to systems and production.

With DeNardo Consulting Group, he has worked with clients including Charleston Post & Courier, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Beaufort (SC) Gazette, Island Packet (Hilton Head, SC), Akron Beacon Journal, Cedar Rapids Gazette, San Francisco Chronicle, 21st Century Newspapers, Old Colony Memorial, Tampa Tribune, Winston-Salem Journal, Richmond Times-Dispatch and Kalamazoo Gazette.  Mike resides in Florida.

Ed Rosenthal draws on experience as both a consultant and senior executive.  Consulting clients include Denver Newspaper Agency, ARCO, Georgia Pacific, Eastman Kodak, Hatteras Yacht and Schlumberger.  He is well versed in ISO9000, total quality management, and supply chain management. At American Express, Ed was Director, Performance Engineering, responsible for a 55 person staff involved in all phases of this Fortune 500 company.  Newspaper clients include the Birmingham News, Sumter Item, The Oregonian, San Francisco Chronicle and Denver Newspaper Agency.  Rosenthal possesses a degree in Economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and resides in Arizona.

Robert E. Wood's consulting expertise draws on successful experience as a publisher, marketer and leading financial journalist.  As Publishing Director of Modern Maturity, Wood led the magazine to exceptional revenue growth as its circulation rose from under 9 million to more than 22 million.  As a CEO, he managed the turnaround of Information Publishers, Inc., a Midwestern printing and community directory publishing company, and was President and Publisher of the daily Peninsula Times Tribune. Newspaper projects include the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Charleston Post & Courier, Denver Newspaper Agency, Akron Beacon Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He was Financial Editor and a member of the Editorial Board of the Los Angeles Times.   Wood has worked as a magazine marketing analyst and a radio newscaster, sold broadcast advertising, and developed interactive media products.  Wood is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Business School, and a former telecommunications officer in the navy.  He resides in Southern California.

Rich Cox has served in top executive positions at the San Francisco Chronicle and Arizona Republic.  He started as a district manager in home delivery at the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky.  After several promotions, Rich took a position as Single Copy Manager at the Arizona Republic, rising to Circulation VP, and into general management as a Senior Vice President with responsibility over circulation, production, facilities and IT.  Rich accepted a similar position at the San Francisco Chronicle.  Since joining DeNardo Consulting Group, Rich has spearheaded initiatives with GateHouse media, Grand Rapids Press, Birmingham News and the Savannah Morning news.  He resides near Phoenix, Arizona.

Bill Diggins has over 30 years of experience in consulting and executive management, including extensive international experience in South America, Europe, and Asia. As International Manager with the Alexander Proudfoot Company, Bill managed 120 consultants across dozens of projects. He was also Senior Vice President of ACTV, a pioneering company in interactive television and online media. Bill's experience in the newspaper industry began in 1987, working for Mike DeNardo. He completed numerous projects in virtuously all areas of the business for clients that included the Los Angeles Times, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Sun Times, GateHouse Media New England, Times-Shamrock, Harrisburg Patriot-News, Times of Trenton, and the Sacramento Bee.  Bill graduated from Michigan State University and completed extensive graduate work at the Universities of London and Pittsburgh. He currently resides in Connecticut.

Charles W. Ritscher has extensive sales and marketing experience with daily newspapers. Most of his career was spent in New Jersey with the Asbury Park Press. The Press grew dramatically to become the second largest in the state with a daily circulation of over 165,000 and a Sunday circulation of over 230,000.

Ritscher served in various management positions in marketing and sales and became Vice President of Sales and Marketing in 1985. He was also a member of the corporate board of directors. In addition he served as President of Summerfield Operating Company which published weekly products, a shopper, operated a direct mail company and a travel agency. 

Ritscher worked for DCG for two years prior to becoming Director of Sales and Marketing at the Richmond Times-Dispatch. In 2007 he rejoined DCG as a consultant for sales and marketing. Clients include the Richmond Times Dispatch, Imperial Valley Press, Associated Desert Shoppers, Danville Advocate, Winchester Sun, Augusta Chronicle, Savannah Morning News, Holland Sentinel, Scranton Times and other Shamrock Communication properties plus the daily and weekly properties owned by GateHouse Communications in New England.

Ritscher holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Monmouth University where he served as Chairman of the Board of Visitors, Chairman of the Business School Council and later as a member of the Board of Trustees. He resides in Richmond, Virginia.

Behzad Tabatabai has consulted with numerous newspapers to improve ad building, prepress and creative departments.  Behzad served as operations and training director for AdOut, supervising over 150 graphic artists preparing all ads for the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News. Behzad graduated from UCLA and resides in Southern California.

Gene Walls has experience as a newspaper executive, as well as a consultant to commercial printing and newspaper operations.  Gene served as operations director for the Charleston Post & Courier, leading the restructuring of production operations.  Commercial printing engagements included several international assignments.  Gene has over 20 years consulting experience with numerous clients.  After graduating from Central Missouri State University, Gene began his career with General Motors, starting as a production supervisor, then as a labor relations staffer, leading to plant superintendent.

Newspaper clients include Houston Chronicle, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Fayetteville Observer, GateHouse Media, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Times-Shamrock, Savannah Morning News and Florida Times-Union.  Gene resides in South Carolina.

Don Whitworth has extensive background in newspaper advertising sales, marketing and general management.  Whitworth's career started at the Tampa Tribune and continued with the New York Times Company's regional newspaper group where he rose through the advertising ranks to become publisher, first at the Wilmington (NC) Star-News and then at The (Lakeland, FL) Ledger. Consulting assignments include; Akron Beacon Journal, The Gazette, and 21st Century Newspapers. Don resides in central Florida.