Longtime Anna Maria Island Sun employees Bob Alexander (general manager, classified ads and distribution) and John Reitz (accounting and finances) are the new owners of Longboard Communications and the Anna Maria Island Sun.
As the new owners, they’ve named longtime Sun reporter Joe Hendricks to serve as The Sun’s next editor. Joe will also continue serving as a full-time reporter, covering the cities of Anna Maria and Holmes Beach and beyond while working in unison with the editorial staff that includes Bradenton Beach and Cortez reporter Leslie Lake, columnists Louise Bolger (Castles in the Sand) and Rusty Chinnis (Reel Time), regular contributor Capt. Rick Grassett and award-winning cartoonist Steve Borggren.
Ricardo Fonesca and Elaine Stroili will continue providing their talents to the Sun’s graphics and advertising departments; and Ricardo will continue laying out the weekly print issues he’s expertly crafted for many years.
Tony McNulty and Brian Smith will continue assisting Bob with the weekly distribution of the Sun’s print issues.
Advertising Director Shona Otto will continue working with the Island’s business owners and business community, and Leslie Ketchum will continue providing her accounting and financial expertise.
We also look forward to the new Sun website currently being developed and soon to be launched by Sande Caplin & Associates.
The Sun ownership, management and staff thank all the advertisers, readers and supporters who’ve been with us during The Sun’s first 25 years. We now plunge into our 26th year with the same unwavering commitment to the fact-based, community-focused reporting and newspaper services envisioned and championed by our founders and former owners, Mike and Maggie Field (Maggie passed away in 2019).
