- John Gottschalk
John Gottschalk is the retired
chief executive officer and publisher of theOmaha World-Herald and the currentnational president of the Boy Scouts of America .Early life
Gottschalk grew up in
Rushville, Nebraska . He was a Boy Scout from 1951 to 1958, earning Life Scout.cite news|url=http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1208&u_sid=10169566|title=Gottschalk's leadership visible in wide range of issues|last=King|first=Larry|coauthors=Jordon, Steve|date=2007-10-08|work=Omaha World-Herald|accessdate=2008-05-23] cite news|url=http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10341526|title=Gottschalk named president of Boy Scouts of America
last=O'Brien|first=Maggie|date=2008-05-23|publisher=Omaha World-Herald|accessdate=2008-05-23] His grandfather, Bill Barnes founded the weekly newspaper Sheridan County Star. Gottschalk's father became owner and publisher of the Star, and young Gottschalk began working for the Star. He attended theUniversity of Nebraska and majored in political science and journalism. He was the president ofPhi Gamma Delta .Gottschalk then purchased the Sidney Telegraph. He was the mayor of
Sidney, Nebraska from 1972 to 1975.World-Herald
Gottschalk sold the Telegraph in 1974 and began working for the World-Herald in 1975 as an assistant to the president. He became a vice president and board member in 1980, president in 1985 and CEO and publisher in 1989.
During Gottschalk's tenure, the World-Herald Corporation expanded to include four daily newspapers, 21 weekly community newspapers, direct marketing and product fulfillment companies and minority ownership in the largest election-services company.
Gottschalk retired as CEO and publisher of the World-Herald on
January 1 ,2008 but remained the corporate chairman.cite news|url=http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1208&u_sid=10168348|title=World-Herald publisher John Gottschalk to step aside|date=2007-10-27|work=Omaha World-Herald|accessdate=2008-05-23]Community service
Gottschalk has been active in the
Boy Scouts of America , and received theSilver Beaver Award ,Silver Antelope Award and the James E. West Award. He is also a member of the 1910 Society and the Founders Circle. He received the nationalSilver Buffalo Award in 2002.cite journal|last=Halter|first=Jon C.|date=September 2002|title=Celebration and Challenge|journal=Scouting|publisher=Boy Scouts of America|url=http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0209/a-cele.html|accessdate=2008-05-23] He served as the chairman for the Mid-America Council from 1994 to 1995, the president of the Central Region, the national chairman for the2001 National Scout Jamboree and the national executive vice president of the BSA from 2006 to 2008. [cite news|url=http://www.scoutingnews.org/2006/06/21/mid-america-council-receives-national-awards-area-leaders-selected-to-key-scouting-roles/|title=Mid-America Council receives national awards, area leaders selected to key scouting roles|last=Kriskey|first=Mary Beth|work=Scouting News|accessdate=2008-05-23] Gottschalk was selected as the national president of the BSA onMay 23 ,2008 .He has served on the boards of the
Joslyn Art Museum , theHenry Doorly Zoo ,Creighton University , the Kiewit Institute, the Omaha Symphony and the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation and served as chairman of Omaha Performing Arts.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.