Citing "personal matters," Daily Advertiser Publisher Ali Zoibi now says Richard Roesgen will not replace him. Zoibi, who is retiring, announced last week that Roesgen would take over.
Gannett Blog reports Monday that a week after being named the new publisher of The Daily Advertiser and Daily World in Opelousas, Wisconsin's Richard Roesgen will not be coming to Lafayette because of undisclosed "personal matters." The blog, which is not associated with the newspaper giant, reports that current Publisher Ali Zoibi, who is retiring early to move closer to his ailing mother, notified employees in a memo this morning:
Dear Colleagues,
I've just learned this morning that due to unexpected personal matters Richard Roesgen will not be assuming the role of President and Publisher here in Lafayette and Opelousas.
This is a personal matter I trust we all will respect their privacy. As it happens several other qualified candidates surfaced after Richard was announced last Monday and senior management will be pursuing those discussions.
In the meantime we'll continue to do what we do best..deliver great local news to our community and produce great results for our advertisers.
All the best,
Ali
Roesgen, 50, is a newspaper executive from Fond du Lac, Wis. He was scheduled to take over March 19. It's unclear what the "personal matters" mean for his current job.
Word of Zoibi's departure came three days after the paper's executive editor, Brian Tolley, announced that he is moving to another Gannett paper, The Clarion-Ledger, in Jackson, Miss. Tolley will reunite with former Daily Advertiser President and Publisher Leslie Hurst, again serving as her executive editor. There has been no mention of Tolley's replacement.