Sun-Times Media President and COO Rick Surkamer Elected to Lake Forest Graduate School of Management Board of Directors

Rick Surkamer, President and Chief Operating Officer of Sun-Times Media, LLC, was recently elected to the Board of Directors, by a unanimous vote, for the distinguished Lake Forest Graduate School of Management (LFGSM), a premier graduate business school offering one of the Chicago area's largest non-profit MBA programs.

Mr. Surkamer has been named to a three-year term for the 26-member Board, the school announced. Mr. Surkamer, 57, has been President and Chief Operating Officer of Sun-Times Media, which owns the Chicago Sun-Times and more than 100 print and online publications, since February 2009. He joined the Company in February 2007 as Vice President of Operations, and was named Chief Operating Officer in October 2007.

"We're delighted to welcome Rick to the Board," said LFGSM Board Chair Joan Bailar. "As an LFGSM Board member, he joins an esteemed group of high-ranking executives from major Chicago area businesses and organizations. And, the School will benefit tremendously from Rick's broad experience in publishing and his passion for mentoring others."

"I am honored to join LFGSM's Board and look forward to helping advance this extraordinary school's mission and its impressive track record of supporting Chicago's most successful companies," said Mr. Surkamer. "I am eager to support graduate-level business and leadership education, and am pleased to have this opportunity to contribute to the school, which was so helpful to me in my career."

Prior to joining Sun-Times Media, Mr. Surkamer was President and Chief Operating Officer of Rollex Corp., a manufacturer and distributor of building products based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, from 2003 to 2007. From 2002 to 2003, Mr. Surkamer was President of Graymills Corp., a manufacturer of print, packing and industrial fluid power products based in Chicago. Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officers for two Contract Assignments, WealthSense and Starbelly.com, with Venture Capital Investors in Chicago. Also, Mr. Surkamer was Senior Vice President of Global Marketing for Goss International, the world's leader in printing systems for newspapers, from April 1997 to January 1999.

Mr. Surkamer began his career in newspapers for the Chicago Tribune from 1986 to 1997 in a variety of capacities, including as Director of Manufacturing and Distribution, Director of Metro Circulation and Production Director.

Mr. Surkamer is an active alumnus of Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, where he received his MBA with honors in 1987. He also has completed the President and Publisher Development Program at Northwestern Kellogg-Medill Joint Venture. Mr. Surkamer currently serves on the Suburban Newspapers of America Board of Directors. A past chairman of the International Newspaper Group, Mr. Surkamer is also founding chair and member of the Economic Development Council of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. He is a long-time board member of NORBIC, now the Illinois Alliance for Manufacturing. About Sun-Times Media Sun-Times Media is dedicated to being the premier source of local news and information for the greater Chicago area. Its media properties serve more than 300 communities across the region and include the Chicago Sun-Times and Suntimes.com; seven suburban daily newspapers, including the Beacon-News (Aurora), Courier-News (Elgin), Herald-News (Joliet), Lake County News-Sun, Naperville Sun, Post-Tribune (Merrillville, Ind.) and the SouthtownStar; 39 weekly newspapers published by the Pioneer Press and 12 weekly Sun newspapers, as well as Web sites for those newspapers, centerstagechicago.com, RogerEbert.com and YourSeason.com. About Lake Forest Graduate School of Management Lake Forest Graduate School of Management (LFGSM) was founded in 1946 and has nearly 8,000 alumni. Its mission is to provide practical business education to experienced professionals, creating broader thinkers and stronger leaders. LFGSM's MBA program is offered at campuses in Chicago, Schaumburg, and Lake Forest, and on site at some of the area's leading companies. LFGSM is also home to Lake Forest Corporate Education (LFCE), which provides business leadership development programs regionally and globally. LFGSM is an independent, not-for-profit enterprise, is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, and is a member of the North Central Association. LFGSM is affiliated with leading companies, including Abbott Laboratories, Ace Hardware Corporation, Allstate Insurance Company, Brunswick Corporation, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Grainger, Hospira, HSBC, Komatsu America Corporation, Kraft Foods Inc., Motorola, Inc., Simonton Windows, True Value Company, Walgreens, and WMS Gaming. For more information, visit www.LFGSM.edu.