Cheryl Lynette Nealey, controller of Clarity Media Group, parent of The Washington Examiner and washing
tonexaminer.com, died of cancer Tuesday in Denver. She was 46.
Nealey in 2004 was the second hire for the Denver company, which also owns examiner.com, The San Francisco Examiner and The Weekly Standard.
Ryan McKibben, Clarity president, said Nealey’s “relentless and unswerving attention to detail, professionalism, energy and stamina, and the confidence I gained in her when we were colleagues at the Denver Post, where I was publisher, made her an easy choice” for the key controller position.
Nealey was a key player in developing the business plan, budget and organizational structure of all three Clarity component companies. She worked to integrate the new newspapers into the finance system, determine benefits and manage accounting staff. She was responsible for all financial, administrative, human resources and benefits duties in addition to financial operations and reporting.
Nealey, born in 1963, was the daughter of George and Beth Nealey. She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Metropolitan State College in Denver and a second bachelor’s degree in business administration with a human resources emphasis at the University of Colorado at Denver.
Nealey began working at the Denver Post in 1988 in the information services department and advanced through positions of increasing responsibility to become, in 2001, director of finance for the Denver Newspaper Agency, the company that operated the Post and the Rocky Mountain News.
She served briefly as an officer of GlobeVest Foundation Inc. before returning to the newspaper business with the formation of Clarity Media Group.
“Newspapering was her love and as much avocation as vocation,” recalled Fritz Anderson, Clarity chief operating officer. “She will be greatly missed by all of us who have enjoyed her calm and determined leadership, steady guidance, expert advice, friendship, and the mighty laugh and wonderful smile.”
Anderson, who worked with Nealey at both Clarity and the Denver Post, said, “Cheryl was the go-to person when you wanted something to be completed and done correctly. She was a very detailed and meticulous person, able to see the big picture but not let details fall by the wayside. Her leadership style was strong but fair. She was a natural leader, and her colleagues respected and admired her dedication.”
Nealey was a member of International Newspaper Financial Executives and the National Association of Multicultural Media Executives.
