S-R names new design director

Newspaper designer Geoff Pinnock has been promoted to design director of The Spokesman-Review, Editor Steven A. Smith has announced.

Pinnock, 45, who has worked for The Spokesman-Review since 1992, replaces John Kafentzis, a 28-year veteran of the newspaper who is leaving to pursue a teaching career.

“Geoff Pinnock will have a tough act to follow, but we know he’s up to the task,” Managing Editor Gary Graham said. “Geoff is a problem-solver with solid credentials and the ability to make smart decisions under deadline pressure.”

In his 26-year career, Pinnock has worked for newspapers in Medford, Ore.; Anchorage; and Walnut Creek, Calif. At The Spokesman-Review, he has been a sports copy desk chief and a sports design editor. Last October, he moved from the sports department to the design department, where he assumed the role of Page One designer.

In his news position, he will supervise a staff of five page designers and artists.

“The Spokesman-Review has long been recognized as a fine newspaper and one of the best-designed newspapers in the business,” Pinnock said. “I’m looking forward to working with our talented staff and helping us move toward a higher level of excellence.”

Kafentzis, 50, has been design editor since last August. He has filled many positions in The Spokesman-Review newsroom, including reporter, copy editor, copy desk chief, news editor and Page One designer.

“John Kafentzis has been an integral part of our newsroom for almost three decades,” Graham said. “John is a creative and passionate journalist who has always put the readers’ interest first, and we’re going to miss his special skills every day. He leaves behind a newsroom of friends, a testament to his interpersonal skills and easy-going manner.”