After a seven-year absence from Las Cruces, Belinda Mills is returning to the newspaper world of the Mesilla Valley, with a lot of experience under her belt and a lot of excitement in her heart.
Mills, the former regional advertising director at the Las Cruces Sun-News, spent the past seven years in executive positions at newspapers in California, Texas and Arizona and is “ready to come back home … I feel that I have been on a seven-year journey preparing for this role.”
Mills has been named Southwest Regional Group Publisher for the Osteen Media Group. She will oversee all aspects of OMG’s New Mexico holdings, including the Bulletin and Desert Exposure, as well as future expansion efforts.
“I consider Las Cruces my home,” Mills said. “I have deep connection to this area and the people here. My daughter, Whitley, and grandchildren are here and my two younger children, Cameron and Cassidy, went to Mayfield High School.”
Mills grew up on a ranch/farm in rural West Texas. It was there she developed a passion for the written word.
“We were very isolated and there wasn’t much entertainment, so I became an avid reader and started writing,” she said. “I wrote my first newspaper article as the 4-H Club reporter in the fifth grade.”
Her professional life began in the newsroom – reporting, taking photos and working in the darkroom. In her mid-20s she became editor of a small weekly newspaper in central Texas.
Eventually, Mills shifted to the advertising side of the business and rose through the ranks, building experience in both print and digital media.
Bulletin Editor and Publisher Richard Coltharp remains at the newspaper. He will continue to oversee the editorial elements of the Bulletin and special publications.
“I have great respect for Richard and look forward to working with him to serve the businesses, readers and communities of Southern New Mexico,” Mills said.
“I know Belinda to be extremely community-minded, especially when it comes to Las Cruces,” Coltharp said. “She is also very savvy regarding newspapers and marketing. She will be a natural fit here at the Las Cruces Bulletin.”
"We're excited to welcome Belinda back to Las Cruces as the Southwest Regional Publisher of our New Mexico operations. Belinda brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to our market, and we’re fortunate enough to have her playing for our team this time around” said Julie Osteen, CEO of Osteen Media Group. “We are committed to partnering with the community to bring economic opportunity and growth through local journalism, digital and print advertising and special events support. Belinda’s track record for success makes her the perfect leader for the Las Cruces region.”
