T.J. Cawthon has joined the Commonwealth as production manager.
Cawthon, 43, will oversee the newspaper’s printing and prepress departments.
He comes to the position with more than 20 years of experience in the printing industry, most of it with the Hattiesburg American.
He was press supervisor over the printing of USA Today until the newspaper’s parent company, Gannett Inc., closed the Hattiesburg plant in 2010 and moved that operation to The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson.
Since then, he was worked at another printing company, Signature Offset, and a Pepsi bottler, Wis-Pak, both in Hattiesburg.
“We’re thrilled to have someone of T.J.’s background join us,” said Commonwealth Editor and Publisher Tim Kalich.
“USA Today has very high quality standards, and T.J. has been drilled in that mind set. Although we feel we print a very attractive sheet, I wouldn’t be surprised if T.J. helps us kick that up another notch.”
Cawthon is moving to Greenwood from Petal. He and his wife, Darlene, have two school-age sons.
He replaces Ben Gilton, who had served as the newspaper's production manager for almost seven years until resigning last month to take a position in Pulaski, Tenn.
