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About Us
Kidsville News, Inc. is a fun, educational resource for children grades K-6th grade, parents and teachers. With nationwide circulation of over 1,250,000, Kidsville News is sweeping the country. For more information, contact us at kvnews@kidsvillenews.com.
Kidsville News, Inc. Staff
Bill Bowman, Chief Executive Officer
Originally from Pittsburgh, Bill came to Fayetteville, North Carolina, as a soldier at Fort Bragg in 1969. He loves living in the south (and the fact that it doesn't snow here in April) and decided to make Fayetteville his home.
Without any previous experience in the newspaper industry, Bill became a newspaper publisher. His background and education focused on business, sales and marketing. He left a successful, nine year career with the Pitney Bowes Corporation to start Cumberland County's first free community newspaper, Up & Coming Weekly in 1996. Two years later, Bill and then young newspaper editor Joy Kirkpatrick brought the Raleigh, NC-based Kidsville News! to the community. Today, Up & Coming Weekly is enjoying its eleventh year and Kidsville News!, Cumberland Co. edition, is in its ninth year. In 2005, Bill purchased Kidsville News Incorporated and has since expanded the publication nation-wide. It is Bill's vision to provide publications locally and nationwide that impact, enhance and promote a community's unique "quality of life." Bill believes that building better communities for future generations should be everyone's top priority and the work has just begun!
Bill credits the success of his publications to having enough common sense to hire intelligent and hard working people. During the past decade, he has studied and learned the newspaper industry to become a highly respected media and marketing authority. Bill currently serves as director on several local, state and national boards. He is the 2005 board Chairman of Cumberland County United Way and is currently serving on the boards of the N.C. Press Association, Independent Free Papers of America, and Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association. He was recently appointed to the faculty of the Association of Free Community Papers newly formed Leadership Institute.
Bill and his wife Merrilyn have a 24 year-old son, Grady McLeod Bowman. Grady graduated in 2005 from the North Carolina School of the Arts and now lives in New York City. A lifelong singer, dancer and actor, Grady's big break came when he landed a role (at the age of 9!) in the now classic Tom Hank's film "Forrest Gump." Grady is headed for the bright lights of Broadway in 2007 he was recently cast in the new Broadway show "The Pirate Queen," which will preview in Chicago in 2006.
Bill's favorite colors are white and blue and his hobby is riding his pearl white Harley Davidson motorcycle across country. The longer the trip, the better. Bill is also a nationally ranked billiard player. Obviously, these are two traits that reflect an ill spent childhood! He claims that both hobbies are his only effective forms of rest and relaxation. As a child, his favorite TV show was the Mickey Mouse Club, especially the episodes of Spin and Marty. As an adult, Seinfield and Curb Your Enthusiasm speak volumes of his personality.
Merrilyn Bowman, Chief Financial Officer
Merrilyn Bowman was born in Kyoto, Japan and wound up in Fayetteville married to Bill Bowman. As CFO for Kidsville News, Incorporated, Merrilyn is responsible for financial planning and implementation, and the monumental task of keeping up with Bill's expenses as he travels the country promoting Kidsville News! (and riding his Harley).
Merrilyn recently retired from a 30 year career with the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension Service. She is excited about joining Kidsville News, Inc. now it really is a "family" publication and watching the publication grow. She is also extremely proud of her two sons, Leonard, 40, and Grady, 24. She has one grandson, Nicholas, who is 11 years old and one of her favorite people!
Merrilyn's favorite color is green and her favorite thing to do on a sunny Saturday afternoon is to read a good mystery novel!
Joy Kirkpatrick, National Editor, Kidsville News Inc.
A native of Fayetteville, NC, Joy is the National Editor of Kidsville News! As editor, she is the one that creates the newspaper that you read and enjoy each month. She works with educators, children and parents all over the country to decide what to write about for each issue. She researches all the subjects, organizes the profiles, creates the puzzles all to come up with a monthly fun, educational, learning resource for teachers, parents and children in grades K through 6th.
At the young age of 23, Joy was the very first editor and general manager of what is now Fayetteville, NC's only weekly community newspaper, Up & Coming Weekly. She was responsible for its design, success and development. In 1998, she and publisher Bill Bowman launched Cumberland County's first issue of Kidsville News! Now, after eight years of publishing and a staple in Cumberland County classrooms, Joy's Kidsville News! publication is the model and standard followed by newspaper publishers nationwide as Kidsville News! In Education spreads across the country.
Joy has also worked for two award-winning southeastern advertising agencies providing production management and copy writing. Locally, she is very active in her hometown community and has served on various boards, organizations and committees. In 2005 she was President of the region's largest and most successful outdoor event, The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. She is a founding board member of the Literacy Connection of Cumberland County.
Joy often gets ideas for articles from her 5 year-old son, who is always asking questions. When she is not working on Kidsville News!, Joy likes to spend time with her family and pets. Her favorite game to play with Cadoc, and husband Kirk, is Hi-Ho! Cherry-O.
Jack Stultz, National Market Development Manager
Jack Stultz joined Kidsville News! in November 2005 as an independent market
development representative for Western North Carolina and the state of South Carolina.
On February 1, 2006, he accepted the position of National Market Development Manager
for Kidsville News, Inc.
Jack attended Appalachian State University where he studied business administration.
He worked in sales and marketing for the industrial packaging industry for 15 years and
spent 12 years in the furniture industry.
Jack met Bill Bowman in Southern Pines at Sandhills Community College in June
1971. Bill moved to Jacks hometown of Fayetteville, NC during the 70s, and although
Jack moved to the western part of the state, the two managed to stay in touch through
family and friends for the next 30 years. Kidsville News! brought Bill and Jack back
together in November, 2005 and the rest is history. Jack has had a lifetime passion for
supporting literacy and education, especially for children and says that Kidsville News! has been an incredible experience. "Working with newspaper publishers from around the country who support this significant educational and literacy initiative has been a pleasant, rewarding and unique experience," says Jack.
Originally from Terra Haute, Indiana, Jack has a twin sister Jeannie. He is married to Trish Stultz, who works with the Humane Society of Catawba County, and has a daughter, Rosalie DeFini. Jacks hobbies include golf, boating, Kidsville News! and enjoying the beach with his three dogs.
Dan Nelson, Illustrator/Artist, creator of "Truman"
Dan is originally from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, but his childhood was spent almost entirely in Michigan. Dan is the artistic force behind the covers of Kidsville News! He developed the look of Truman and created 24 covers when Kidsville News was just getting started back in 1994.
More than just artistically talented, Dan has been a writer, a youth pastor, a track coach, a worship leader, and a street performer (art and music!). He has a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts and a "Master of Divinity" from seminary.
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