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Picht named bureau chief in Minn., Neb., Dakotas

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The Associated Press Updated 2:51 PM Wednesday, February 8, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS — Randy Picht, newspaper product manager for The Associated Press, has been named chief of bureau for a new Midwest territory that includes Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Kate Lee Butler, vice president for U.S. Newspaper Markets, said Wednesday that Picht will be responsible for leading business development and account management in the area, ensuring AP meets the market needs of members and customers. He will be based in Minneapolis.

"Randy Picht brings to this job a record of developing new products and services, and helping AP members innovate to build readership and revenue as news consumption patterns evolve across digital platforms. He understands the needs of our members and customers, especially in our key area of state news," Butler said.

Picht, 52, began his AP career in Albany, N.Y., in 1983 and worked in bureaus in Rochester, N.Y., St. Louis, and Kansas City, Mo., before transferring to New York as business news editor in 1997. He was appointed director of the cooperative's stock market tables operation in 2000.

In 2003, Picht was named to lead Capitolwire, an Internet start-up business purchased by the AP. He was appointed chief of bureau for Missouri and Kansas in 2005 before taking on a series of special assignments for the AP beginning in 2008.

Those projects included leading a team to develop tools and training programs so users of the AP Exchange content portal can build custom wires and surface content for niche publications and digital products. He also coordinated efforts to move AP's daily newspapers from satellite to online delivery and working on the development, launch and first phase of the Member Choice product suite.

A native of Deer Park, N.Y., Picht graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He is married and has four children.

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February 08, 2012 07:44 PM EST

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