Team – ANS Newspaper

Jerry Ballenger

Founder and CEO

American Newspaper Solutions, LLC - CarrierTrack® Technologies, LLC - ANS Delivery, LLC - Ballenger Distribution Solutions, LLC

An innovator and leader in the print media world for more than 40 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. Ballenger’s insight and desire to provide continual virtual audits was instrumental in the partnership with RouteSmart Technologies to provide newspapers with live turn-by-turn directions, both visual and audible including Customer Service alerts.

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 – American Newspaper Solutions, LLC

Rick has served in this role for the past 14 years. He brings 47 years of newspaper experience to the company with a primary focus on Newspaper Distribution, Logistics Planning and Software Development.

As part of the pioneering team at ANS, he and company have developed the premier Newspaper Distribution Software ecosystem that engages both the Mobile and Web environments, CarrierTrack®. He has led the expansion of the Company to become a leader in all aspects of both Paid and Non-Paid Distribution.

Epstein's innovations have revolutionized the newspaper industry, including innovating the use of warehouses as Distribution Centers, permitting the newspaper to seize efficiencies by creating the ability to pre-ship advance product without the need to add trucks for storage. He also invented the use material handling carts for the distribution of newspaper bundles and bagged papers. His multi-decade career with The Miami Herald, also included the introduction the newspaper's first alternate delivery program that enhanced revenue and produced significant process improvements. He was the first in the country to deliver weekly magazines alongside newspaper delivery.

Rick directed the Circulation Operation of The Plain Dealer as Vice-President. He led the team that developed a state-of-the-art Circulation System that was a decade ahead of any other competitive software package. He was also the Vice-President of The Washington Times before coming to ANS.

Epstein earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Miami, Florida. He also earned an Advanced Executive Certificate from the Newspaper Management Center of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Jeff Fasseel

President - CarrierTrack Technologies, LLC

A seasoned professional with more than 30 years experience, he leads the CarrierTrack Technologies team in development and overall growth strategy.

Fasseel’s team works closely with multiple business partners and industry leaders to bring the latest innovations to newspaper distribution as well as the parcel delivery and last mile industry. Fasseel's additional responsibilities include providing sales and customer service support for American Newspaper Solutions (ANS).

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.

Doug Maxwell

Vice President - American Newspapers Solutions, LLC

Doug Maxwell is the Vice President of Newspapers for American Newspaper Solutions, LLC where he has held this position for 1 year.

He brings more than 42 years of newspaper experience to the company with the primary focus on newspaper distribution, logistics, implementation of technology in the distribution operations & cost efficiencies. He has served in senior management roles in several daily newspapers until coming to ANS in 2009.

He plays an important role in launching of new distribution markets for ANS. Doug currently oversees the distribution markets for ANS offering his guidance & expertise to the market directors in their respective markets.

Doug serves as an executive member of the planning & implementation committee for new ANS markets. He has been involved in the testing of technology in the distribution arena, both for daily newspaper & TMC distribution.

Doug Keiles

Vice President - CarrierTrack Technologies, LLC

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

Michelle Sweeney

Director of System Develoment - CarrierTrack Technologies, LLC

Michelle brings more than 15 years experience to the CTT team. She has been key to designing and creating innovative reporting components to CarrierTrack®. Sweeney is the lead for CTT Internal Research Team, which is the heart beat of our technological innovation.

Sweeney’s additional responsibilities, providing customer support on all active projects, front line communication with American Newspaper Solutions (ANS). Distribution Staff, and primary support for ANS Operating Committee and its Officers.

Her professional experience includes 15 years of mapping and data analysis as well as 25 years in data-management. Sweeney possess extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office, multiple GIS platforms and other software systems.

Sweeney earned a Bachelor of Science from Western Michigan University and Masters Certification in Geographical Information Systems (GISc) from University of North Dakota.

Ernesto Grippa

Northeast Market Director - American Newspapers Solutions

Ernesto has been with American Newspaper Solution for more than 15 years. Ernesto, as the Northeast Market Director has helped ANS to build a strong presence in the New York and New Jersey markets.

Ernesto has also supervised the delivery of hundreds of thousands of doorhangers and product samples up and down the Northeast U.S. Prior to ANS, Ernesto had more 10 years of experience in management of more than 30 people, part of that role was to organized and distribute the product on time.

That experience helped Ernesto develop a very customer based attitude, his passion has been put to use managing some of ANS’s largest markets.

Ernesto attended the Unversity of Inca Garcilazo De La Vega, Lima, Peru where he studied Engineering Administration. He specialized in engineering drawing which has helped him in developing route associations and planning.

Glenn Murphy

Mid-Atlantic Director Market - American Newspapers Solutions

Glenn has more than 40 years of experience in the newspaper industry. The past 10 years Glenn has been with American Newspaper Solutions, LLC developing new markets for distribution, and helping to perfect our robust verification methods and innovative technologies.

Prior to ANS Glenn spent 28 years at The Washington Times, where over the years he held several positions within the Circulation Dept. Murphy managed and helped to enhance many newspaper technologies including “RouteSmart”, “Voice-Port”, “TeleDirect”, and “DTI”. He created a Quality Control Department that increased company revenue by 22% and customer retention by 25%. One of Murphy’s biggest accomplishments was developing and managing The Washington Times “Neighborhood Direct” advertising program where he brought in American Newspaper Solutions, LLC to handle all of the distribution using ANS’s rock solid distribution methods, and state of the art technology.

Prior to working at The Times Murphy worked in Circulation Sales with the Philadelphia Inquirer. Murphy has dedicated his entire career to the newspaper industry.

Diana Smith

Area Operations Manager - American Newspapers Solutions

Dianna Smith threw her first paper in 1977 as a teenager. She loved it then and has been involved ever since in some why. She started delivering an early morning route in 1990 while working on her BSBA at Southern Wesleyan University in Central South Carolina. Within a short time she was offered a District Manager position with the Anderson Independent-Mail.

In 2005, she was promoted to Senior Zone Manager.She left the paper in 2007 and started working as a contractor.

In 2014 she went to work for Gannett as a District Manager.

In 2019 she was offered a Circulation Manager position in the Anderson Market with ANS.

Scot Hall

Warehouse Lead - American Newspapers Solutions

Scot Hall, is currently the Warehouse Lead Supervisor at the ANS Greenville, South Carolina Home Delivery operation. He oversees the distribution to ANS Delivery Independent Contractors and Gannett Publishing Services Independent Haulers of the Greenville News and Third Party publications including USA Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal for the Greenville market. In addition, Scott is responsible for the transshipping of product to the ANS operation in Anderson, South Carolina.

Scott, started as an Independent contractor/carrier in 2000, delivering for 17+ years. In June 2017 began working for Gannett Publishing as an Operation Coordinator, and delivered many, many miles of newspapers for GPS. And in 2020, Scott became an employee of ANS when it assumed responsibility for the operation.

Crystal Loftis

TMC Distribution Manager - American Newspapers Solutions

Crystal has been with ANS for one year. During that year she has served as TMC assistant, administrative assistant and has just recently stepped into the role of Distribution Manager for our Greenville TMC operation.

Austin Goodsman

Distribution Manager - American Newspapers Solutions

Austin Goodsman is the Missouri Market Director and manages all operations of the ANS Springfield Mo. distribution. Austin has helped to develop a strong delivery team that services three different products in his market. Austin’s operation delivers TMC products for the Springfield News-Leader, Ozark News-Leader and Nixa News-Leader.

Austin brings unique skills from outside of the newspaper industry. Goodsman’s previous experience as an Executive Chef helped him develop extensive experience in managing personnel in a high stress environment.

American Newspaper Solutions