Joe Michaud, the president of MaineToday.com, the Blethen Maine Newspapers' Web site, announced his resignation on Jan. 16. Michaud will be leaving in April to become a consultant.
In a memo to staff, Chuck Cochrane, Blethen Maine's publisher, praised Michaud as "the key architect in formulating our online strategy and guiding MaineToday's development from infancy to the successful online company it is today."
Michaud came to the Portland Press Herald in 1980 as an editor. He shifted to the Web side of the business in 1995, and was named MaineToday's president in 1999. According to Cochrane, he has a "well-deserved national reputation." But in recent months, much of MaineToday's content has been shifted to separate Web sites run by each of the company's newspapers. Moving most of the news and features elsewhere has left MaineToday's role in question.
Cochrane said the company's "Executive Council team is just beginning discussions about filling the big void that Joe's departure will create."
Al Diamon can be e-mailed at aldiamon@herniahill.net .
- Filed January 17, 2007
