Gene Fowler Jr., 45, has been named vice president and group publisher of Mountain Times Publications, which includes The Mountain Times, Watauga Democrat, Blowing Rocket, Ashe Mountain Times, The  Avery Journal-Times and the magazine All About Women of the High Country.

He comes to Boone from Elizabeth City, N.C., where for the last seven years he worked as director of sales and marketing of The Daily Advance, in addition to overseeing the total operations of several other newspapers. 

He has been employed with Cox Newspapers, headquartered in Atlanta, for the last 12 years.  
Fowler assumed his new position this week, succeeding Bruce Morrison, who is retiring.

“We are proud and thrilled that Gene Fowler has agreed to return to the High Country to become the next leader of Mountain Times Publications. Gene was born into a newspaper family in Western North Carolina and was brought up loving everything about newspapering and the wonderful things running a good newspaper can mean for a community.

“His career took off at an early age and he soon became respected and sought after as a high-energy, high-achieving leader who cares deeply about the needs of his readers and advertisers, and who does whatever it takes to serve those  needs,” Jones added. “Coming to the High Country is like coming home for him.

Fowler’s newspaper career began at The McDowell News in Marion, N.C. and includes service with Jackson Publishing in southeast Ohio, The Island Packet in Hilton Head, S.C., The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction, Colorado and The Austin American-Statesman in Austin, Texas.

He was raised in a newspaper family. His father, Gene Fowler, was a longtime owner/publisher of The McDowell News in Marion, North Carolina.

Fowler has served as paperboy, pressman, darkroom tech, sports editor, sales representative, classified manager, director of sales and marketing, and general manager in his newspaper career.

He has been married to his wife, Erin, for 20 years and they have six children — Trey, 18, a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Austin, 16; Olivia, 13; Grace, 10; Mitchell, 5; and Annie, 3.

Fowler attended Appalachian State University.

“I look forward to reacquainting myself with the area and getting the family moved and involved in life in Boone. It’s the most exciting opportunity of my life and I am looking forward to being a part of this growing and dynamic area,” Fowler said.

“I believe in my heart that Gene and his family will be a great fit in the High Country and that people here will love him,” Jones said.