Agile Geo Data

About American Newspaper Solutions

• Jerry Ballenger

  CEO of ANS Holdings Email Jerry Ballenger

  Jerry Ballenger is the Founder and President of American Newspaper Solutions (ANS). An innovator and leader in the print media world for more than 35 years, his entrepreneurial talents and skills have made a positive impact on the media industry in an ever-changing marketplace. Ballenger's expertise and leadership allowed media companies to expand product offerings, create market dominance and develop technology applications specific to the print distribution discipline.

  With ANS, he has led the company to a market leadership role in providing distribution and GPS tracking systems for the newspaper industry in many major markets across the U.S.

  Prior to the creation of ANS, Ballenger was Founder and President of a Midwest United States newspaper network consisting of 130 daily and weekly newspapers. He also served as Vice President and General Manager of a 36-chain daily and weekly newspaper operation in Michigan.

  Ballenger earned a degree in Business Administration and Accounting from Indiana State University.

• Rick Epstein

  President – ANS/Agile Geo Data Email Rick Epstein

  Rick Epstein is the President of American Newspaper Solutions (ANS). He brings 40 years of newspaper experience to the company, with a primary focus in newspaper circulation.

  Epstein's innovations have revolutionized the newspaper industry, including the use of warehouses as Distribution Centers, permitting the newspaper run in a straight press configuration and creating the ability to pre-ship advance product without the need to add trucks for storage. He also introduced the use of carts for the distribution of newspapers, a first in the industry. In a multi-decade career with The Miami Herald, Epstein introduced the newspaper's first alternate delivery paradigm that enhanced revenue and produced significant process improvements.

  Epstein's industry accomplishments also include the implementation of The Washington Times' first electronic edition and he established the publication's leadership role in its Newspapers in Education initiative.

  In addition to his role at ANS, Epstein also serves as President of Agile Geo Data, a sister company of ANS that provides innovative patent pending technology applications for circulation and distribution needs of the newspaper industry.

• Richard DeCook

  Chief Financial Officer Email Richard DeCook

  Richard DeCook is the Chief Financial Officer for American Newspaper Solutions (ANS). A senior financial executive with a global perspective, a hands-on approach and strong financial skills, he brings more than 40 years of experience to ANS.

  Prior to joining ANS, DeCook was a partner/owner in two start-up companies. He also served as Vice President-Chief Financial Officer for a prominent national newspaper holding company, with $130 million in revenue and 1,200 employees.

  His financial career includes financial officer positions with major New York Stock Exchange corporations in the electronics, security and plastics industries. DeCook also spent twelve years with a Big 8 CPA firm.

  DeCook earned a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan. He is a licensed CPA in the State of Michigan.

• Maggie Thomas

  Vice President/Controller Email Maggie Thomas

  Maggie Thomas is the Vice President/Controller for American Newspaper Solutions (ANS). A seasoned finance professional, she brings more than 20 years experience to ANS.

  In her role with ANS, Thomas manages all accounting and finance operations and oversees the company's budget process. She also leads the human resources team and the payroll department.

  Her professional experience includes the development and implementation of statistical tools that led to improved management of call center costs and alignment of organizational needs and goals. Thomas possesses extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office, MAS200, plus working knowledge of Worldspan, Sabre and numerous other software packages.

  Prior to joining ANS, she served as a Finance/Operations specialist with a prominent travel firm. She also worked as an accountant with a national nonprofit organization.

• Clint Velthuysen

  Manager Database & Systems Email Clint Velthuysen

  Clint Velthuysen is the Manager of Databases and Systems for American Newspaper Solutions (ANS). A technology professional with nearly 20 years industry experience, he supports all computer operations for ANS and coordinates the creation of routes for the company's newspaper clients.

  Velthuysen's many responsibilities with ANS include the configuration of firewalls, routers and servers to create a secure technology work environment. He has strong database support and GIS mapping responsibilities and his expertise has streamlined weekly processing database tasks leading to an increase in productivity and accuracy.

  Prior to joining ANS, he served as a Network Administrator, System Analyst and Controller for technology firms in metropolitan Detroit.

  Velthuysen is certified in numerous versions of Microsoft Windows and has significant software experience, including MS SQL Server and LINUX. He earned a Masters degree in Information Systems and a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix.

• Jeff Fasseel

  Vice President of Sales Email Jeff Fasseel

  Jeff Fasseel is Vice President – Sales for American Newspaper Solutions (ANS). A seasoned professional with more than 25 years experience, he leads the ANS team in developing overall sales strategy for the company.

  Fasseel's additional responsibilities include providing customer support on all active projects and coordinating poly/fulfillment programs.

  Prior to joining ANS, Fasseel served as a Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a major chain of more than 200 newspapers, where he maintained double digit growth rates year over year for five consecutive years. He also led the launch of the ADS weekly advertisement bag in the Detroit market.

  Fasseel also served as Vice President – Sales for a prominent coupon company with a focus on the movie and entertainment business.

  Fasseel earned an Associates of Applied Science degree from Ferris State University.