Gerald Johnson, most recently the executive director of local advertising and digital services for The Houston Chronicle, has been named the new director of Texas Student Media. His appointment begins July 21, 2014.
Texas Student Media (TSM) is composed of The Daily Texan, Texas Travesty magazine, the Cactus yearbook, KVRX 91.7 FM and Texas Student Television (TSTV). On July 1, TSM will officially transfer from the Division of Student Affairs and be housed in the Moody College of Communication.
Johnson has more than 15 years of experience leading business development and sales initiatives for The Houston Chronicle and Hearst Media. Most recently, he led three business development teams representing $12 million in annual revenues at The Houston Chronicle. He also created and redeveloped niche publications that have generated more than $2 million company-wide.
“I am thrilled to be part of the Texas Student Media team,” Johnson said. “In this rapidly changing environment for all media, I especially look forward to working alongside the student staff. The means by which we will consume media in the future will be created, modeled and adapted by this generation.”
At The Houston Chronicle, Johnson also has served as general manager of advertising and digital services; local majors and digital services manager; business development manager; director of major accounts; and manager of major accounts.
He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Montana.
“Gerald Johnson is an accomplished business development leader with a proven track record of financial success at a major media corporation,” said Moody College of Communication Dean Roderick P. Hart. “But most importantly, he is deeply committed to independent student media on campus and a firm believer in the young people who will enable Texas Student Media to thrive.”