Kristin Woodwick began her new position as the general manager at the Faribault County Register on Monday, Aug. 5.

The new general manager/ad director at the Faribault County Register may be new to the position, but she certainly is not new to either the Blue Earth area community or the local newspaper.

Kristin Woodwick took over her new position at the newspaper officially on Monday, Aug. 5, replacing long-time publisher/general manager Lori Nauman, who retired.

Woodwick, who graduated from Blue Earth Area High School in 2001, was born and raised here and spent her whole life living in Blue Earth, except for a few years of going to college in Mankato.

“I graduated from South Central Technical College in Mankato with a degree in commercial art,” Woodwick says. “That is what graphic design was called back then.”

The last part of her college years were spent working at first Taylor Corporation and then Carlson Craft, both in Mankato.

“I was paid to work and I was getting college credits at the same time,” Woodwick explains.

In 2004 she met her husband to be, Travis Woodwick, and in 2006 they were married and living in Blue Earth.

“There weren’t a lot of commercial art or graphic design jobs in Blue Earth at the time,” she says. “So I took a job at Armon Decorating.”

However, she adds that she kept asking Lori Nauman at the Register if there were any graphic design jobs open.

“I think she got tired of me bugging her about it,” Woodwick says. “So, she created a job for me, as a graphic designer, but I had to also do ad sales half of the time.”

It sounded like a good deal so she told Lori Nauman she would take it.

“That was in February of 2007 and I have been here ever since,” Woodwick says. “I really liked doing graphic design, but it turned out I really enjoyed the ad sales, too. I liked talking to people and being out in the community.”

It also turned out, over time, that Woodwick learned all the aspects of the newspaper business and enjoyed all of it.

“I really look forward to going to work each day,” she says. “I have no complaints, I really do like my job.”

Woodwick also finds time to be active in several community groups. She is currently the chairperson of the Women of Worth, taking over the position when Sonja Willmert retired.

“I have been busy coordinating that group and getting ready for our annual Women’s Expo in November,” she says.

Woodwick is also the Blue Earth Area Chamber of Commerce president this year.

When she does find some free time she likes to read, crochet, do crafts and sometimes visit area breweries with her husband, Travis, who is the After Market sales manager at the Kibble Equipment John Deere dealership in Blue Earth, where he has worked for 16 years.

“Plus, we go to a lot of our kids’ sporting events,” Woodwick says. And, there are a lot to go to with three children.

Aubrey is 15 and is in cross country and track at Blue Earth Area. Leila is 13 and is in basketball and track. And Hazel is 8 and is in dance.

While her life is pretty busy already, Woodwick is excited about this new step in her career.

“I have been working with Lori for some time now and she has taught me a lot,” Woodwick says. “But there has been a lot to learn.”

She adds that this new job as the general manager was never her goal when she first started working at the Register. But now, she is ready to embrace it.