SEATTLE — Publisher Frank Blethen has named Gary Smith the new vice president of advertising at The Seattle Times.

The Omak native comes to us with decades of experience in news media, most recently at The News & Observer newspaper in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., where he was vice president of advertising. Prior to working for the News & Observer, Smith worked at The News Tribune in Tacoma for 13 years.

As part of transitioning from a traditional print business model to a hybrid of digital and print, The Seattle Times continues to retool senior management teams with innovative leaders who understand the changing behaviors of media consumption.

Bold new leadership was brought to the newsroom this year (Don Shelton, executive editor) and to the technology department last year (Carey Butler, chief technology officer). In the same vein, Smith will lay the groundwork for the future of advertising at The Seattle Times.

Smith has a Computer Science degree from Eastern Washington University and has been described as “a computer/data guy who learned to sell.”

“Gary is not a one-trick pony” said Blethen in a companywide announcement.  “He gets digital and he gets print.  Maximizing both is essential.”

Smith began his new role January 3.