Business

Birge joins Hendersonville Lightning

Ruth Burge

By Lightning Reports, Published: April 17, 2015

Ruth Birge, a former publisher of the Times-News and recently retired executive director of the Henderson County United Way, is joining the Hendersonville Lightning in a sales, marketing and circulation role.

Birge, who came to Hendersonville in 2002 from the Lakeland (Fla.) Ledger, has 22 years experience in the newspaper business in advertising, circulation and production.
“I could not be more excited to have Ruth coming aboard in this great enterprise called the Lightning,” said Bill Moss, the founder and publisher of the weekly newspaper. Moss and Birge worked together at the Times-News from 2002 until Birge retired from the daily in December 2008. Moss founded the Lightning in April 2012.
Birge will advise the Lightning on strategies for growth of circulation in home delivery and single-copy sales and will work with Advertising Director Paula Roberts on sales and marketing strategies and special projects.
“You’ll see her, too, out in the community doing what she also does so well — serving as an ambassador, in this case for us,” Moss said.
At Lakeland and The Signal in Santa Clarita, Calif., Birge worked as classified and retail sales representative, retail advertising manager, special projects manager for revenue and commercial print manager. Birge and her late husband owned a newspaper vending machine sales and service company.
A native of Indiana, she is a graduate of Indiana University Kelly School of Business, majoring in Advertising and Marketing.
“I look forward to being a part of the award-winning Lightning,” Birge said.” Local news is important and the Lightning does it so well. It’s exciting to be a part of this growing resource.”