• by Tony Silber , March 24, 2022

Kalmbach Media, the Waukesha, Wisconsin-based enthusiast media publisher, this week named the media executive and Meredith Corp. veteran David Johnson to its board of directors.

Kalmbach publishes several brands, including Astronomy, Discover, Trains, and Model Railroader.

At Meredith (now called Dotdash Meredith), Johnson was senior vice president of corporate development. In that role, he was at the forefront of many of the company’s high-profile acquisitions and product launches, including Magnolia Journal, Eating Well, Allrecipes, Everyday with Rachael Ray, and Martha Stewart Living, among others. He also led the acquisition of digital assets, including the ecommerce platforms Qponix, ShopNation, Yawkey Media, and Selectable Media, as well as the marketing-service agencies Hyperfactory and Iris Worldwide.

“We are thrilled to add David, a business leader with a deep understanding of the corporate development and brand-growth strategy process, to our board,” Kalmbach Media CEO Dan Hickey said in a press release.

“I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with Dan and his team as they pursue opportunities such as the recent acquisition of Saturn Lounge, which will deepen engagement of their brands with their audiences, and also expand the ability of their marketing partners to connect in genuine and authentic ways with these customers,” Johnson said.