Associate publisher Bretzius leaving Havelock News

Havelock News Associate Publisher Hunter Bretzius has been named editor of The Gazette, a Freedom Communications, Inc. newspaper in Gastonia. She will leave her post at the Havelock News Aug. 31.

Bretzius, who has been with Freedom Communications since 1989, previously worked at The Gazette, a daily newspaper with a circulation of 32,000. During her eight years as creative director at the Gazette, she supervised the newspaper’s graphics department.

Bretzius and her husband, Jim, left the Gazette in 1998 when Freedom purchased the Havelock News. She was editor before moving up to associate publisher in 2004.

While at the Havelock paper, her staff consistently received more North Carolina Press Association news and photojournalism awards than any other newspaper in its circulation category. The newspaper has also received a number of awards for its involvement in the community.

“We have been fortunate to benefit from Hunter’s knowledge and talents for almost 10 years in eastern North Carolina,” said Vernon DeBolt, president of Freedom ENC. “Under her leadership, the Havelock News has grown to be considered the best weekly of its size in the state.

“The Havelock News has been built on a solid foundation of commitment to providing news and information to the Havelock community,” he added. “Freedom ENC and the staff at the Havelock News are certainly capable of continuing the Havelock News’ tradition of serving Havelock readers, advertisers and now our Web site audience.”

DeBolt said the search for a replacement is under way.

“Jim and I have thoroughly enjoyed living and working here,” Bretzius said. “We’ve made some wonderful friends and had some great experiences in this beautiful area. It’s been a pleasure to get to know the military community as well as our civilian readership.”

Bretzius is a North Carolina native who graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she majored in journalism and studio art. She earned a Master’s of Fine Arts in painting from UNC-Greensboro in 1981. She serves on the board of directors of the North Carolina Press Association, the Eastern North Carolina Press Association and the UNC-G Alumni Association.

In Havelock, she was on the board of Craven Community College Foundation and the Coastal Carolina Aviation Heritage Foundation and a past member of the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Coastal Carolina.

Her husband, Jim, is the previous publisher of the Havelock News. He retired from Freedom ENC in October 2005 after more than 40 years in the newspaper industry. He was recently president of the Havelock Chamber of Commerce and the chairman of the United Way of Coastal Carolina, Inc.

Gastonia, located near Charlotte, has a population of 66,000, while Gaston County's population is about 190,000.