Schneps Communications announced Wednesday with great pride that it will relaunch the print edition of the Long Island Press as a monthly news and lifestyle publication on Sept. 1, 2017.
The company is also excited to announce that John Kominicki has been hired as the new publisher and executive editor of the Press. In addition, Joanna Austin has been named associate publisher/senior vice president. The two join Timothy Bolger, a longtime Press reporter who was recently promoted to editor in chief, in preparing for the relaunch.
“We are thrilled to have put together a power team to relaunch the beloved Long Island Press brand as a monthly publication alongside its award-winning website, LongIslandPress.com,” Victoria Schneps, who co-owns Schneps Communications with her son, Joshua Schneps, said on behalf of the company.
Kominicki is a veteran journalist who has worked as a reporter and editor at a variety of weeklies, dailies and niche publications, including Europe-based Stars & Stripes, USA Today, The New York Times and the Dallas Morning News. More recently, he served 15 years as publisher of Long Island Business News and as the head of national editorial operations for LIBN’s then-corporate parent, the 60-paper Dolan Media chain. Since then, he has been the founding publisher and editor of Innovate Long Island, a digital and events platform focused on the region’s entrepreneur and research sectors.
“I’m looking forward to helping bring a beloved name and a fresh voice to Long Island readers—and I can’t wait to see the Press name in ink again,” Kominicki said.
As for Austin, she has more than two decades of experience building brands, businesses and teams that drive performance. Her well-rounded experience in sales, marketing, business development and publicity comes from working with some of the globe’s premier companies, among them: John Barrett, L’Oreal USA, Procter & Gamble; Marchesa, Oscar de la Renta, Patek Philippe;, Neiman Marcus Group, Saks Fifth Avenue; Microsoft and VISA. In 2007, Joanna co-founded and served as the President of Le Métier de Beauté, a luxury beauty company dedicated to superior craftsmanship, performance and quality. That same year, she founded Tenoh8* Consulting, Inc., a business development consultancy focused on the growth of independent companies and emerging and established brands seeking additional market and mindshare.
“I am thrilled to join the dynamic team charged with reviving such a treasured publication as the Long Island Press,” Austin said. “This is an opportunity to focus my energy and take the business forward in new and exciting directions and connecting readers with everything Long Island has to offer.”
Bayside-based Schneps Communications acquired the publication in April from Morey Publishing, which revived the title in 2003, decades after the original daily Long Island Press went out of business in 1977. Schneps Communications also owns eight websites and 22 other print publications in Queens and Brooklyn, including the Queens Courier, Home Reporter, Brooklyn Spectator, the Spanish language paper el Correo and Brownstoner, a real estate website that recently launched its debut magazine. The Star Network is Schneps Communications’ event division hosting the largest business to business events on Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island.
The Press is interested in original story pitches from freelance journalists on the topics of news, wine, health, real estate and fashion. They can email pitches to tbolger@longislandpress.com
