about_me

I worked with Alex for more than a decade through various businesses, organizations and partnerships. We have worked together at Kamloops This Week, KTWDigital, and Aberdeen Publishing.

Alex has always been a dependable team member, consummate mentor, and a meticulous worker. He personally spent more than six months training me on the basics of web design and development. Together we developed the entirety of KTWDigital – a digital web design and marketing agency run under the umbrella of Kamloops This Week and Aberdeen Publishing. His knowledge and expertise are what made that project both possible and successful.

Alex’s skills were also a integral part of every newspaper office under Aberdeen Publishing, where Alex and I worked together. He maintained the office computers, networks, internal systems, design systems, digital infrastructure, and websites for more than 13 independent newspaper organizations. He was always calm, patient, and polite when working with other staff and customers, and always maintained a professional and easy-to-approach attitude.

My experience with Alex has shown me he is a consummate professional with a wide range of applicable skills. He has been a dependable colleague and important mentor to me since I began my career in design and marketing. His ability to adapt his knowledge to his environment and learn new skills we be invaluable to any organization.

I would, without hesitation, recommend Alex Johnston as a specular hire for any business seeking a professional with his diverse set of skills.

–Sean Graham, Web Developer / Designer

 

I have worked with Alex Johnston since February 2013. I had held the position of production manager and computer tech for Black Press and Aberdeen Publishing for approximately 20 years. I semi retired at the time Alex was hired on.

He was instrumental in setting up the websites and was network admin of over thirteen publications, as well as being the IT contact for all the publications.

As I worked for all the publications doing holiday relief and helping out when needed I found Alex to be both knowledgeable and willing to help whenever a problem arose. Alex also helped train me in some web-based work. He was always there whenever I had an issue or a question.

The position that he held evolved over time and he evolved with it. The systems that he set up for offsite backup and remote work were not only user friendly, but efficient as well.

I found Alex to be easy to work with, always willing to step in when there was a problem and I would highly recommend him for any position that he may apply for. I would not have been able to do the work I have done over the past 10 years without the help of Alex.

–Darla Gray, Production Manager_Retired

I was continuously impressed by the knowledge Alex brought to the table and his dedication to staying on top of the latest developments in the field. Alex combines sharp analysis skills with strong intuition, and I always knew I could rely on him to meet deadlines and exceed our expectations.

While Alex’s professional acumen was immensely valuable to The Columbia Valley Pioneer, he was also a wonderful team player. Optimistic, engaging, and easy to get along with, Alex was a true joy to have on staff and fostered many positive relationships within our company.

–Amanda Nason, Publisher/The Columbia Valley Pioneer

​Alex was initially employed to develop and manage consistent daily news websites across all of our locations. He also had to establish a wide area network to provide better security and connectivity between all of our locations. In addition he set up our own internal Cloud file system so that so that employees could access the server files from any location and provide real time backup for all the newspaper sites.

Over time he also took on the roles of managing IT support and network administration for the entire company which consisted of 107 employees at its peak (not including drivers and carriers who were not on the network). Alex also served as Project Manager of our digital division which was based in Kamloops within our largest operation – Kamloops This Week Newspaper. In this capacity he was responsible to supervise the development and hosting of more than 100 websites for commercial clients. This also involved the co-ordination and management of service providers.

During his time with Aberdeen we found Alex to be a willing, capable and co-operative employee who was well liked by his colleagues.

Alex’s employment with Aberdeen will cease because we have broken the company up and sold it in pieces to several different purchasers who have their own digital staff. He has helped us to guide this wind up to a successful conclusion and we really appreciate his steadfastness in difficult circumstances.

–Robert W. Doull, President/Aberdeen Publishing

I am writing this letter to highly recommend Mr. Alex Johnston, who has served as the IT professional at Merritt Herald for the past decade. In my capacity as Publisher at the Merritt Herald, I have had the privilege of working closely with Alex, and I am pleased to provide my unreserved endorsement of his skills, professionalism, and expertise.

Over the course of the past ten years, Alex has consistently demonstrated an unparalleled level of professionalism and technical proficiency. His dedication to his role as the IT specialist at Merritt Herald has been evident in every aspect of his work. He has proven time and again to be a reliable, detail-oriented, and proactive individual, always striving for excellence in his responsibilities.

Alex’s dedication to his work, combined with his unwavering professionalism, has made him an invaluable asset to Merritt Herald. His contributions have not only improved the reliability of the IT systems but have also enhanced the overall productivity and effectiveness of the
organization.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend Alex Johnston for any position that requires a highly skilled and dedicated IT professional. His technical expertise, professionalism, and commitment to excellence make him an exceptional candidate.

–Theresa Arnold, Publisher/Merritt Herald

I am writing to wholeheartedly recommend Alex as an exceptional candidate. Having worked closely with Alex for several years at KTWDigital, I am confident in his ability to excel in any professional setting.

Alex served as our Digital Operations Manager, and his impact on our team’s efficiency and collaborative spirit was remarkable. His exceptional organizational skills were evident in every aspect of his work. Alex has a keen ability to streamline workflows, ensuring that projects progressed seamlessly and deadlines were consistently met.

One of Alex’s standout qualities is his talent for fostering collaboration and effective communication among team members. Daily check-ins were not just routine updates but served as a forum for constructive discussions, idea sharing, and problem-solving. This collaborative atmosphere significantly contributed to our team’s success.

In addition to being well-organized and fostering collaboration, Alex possesses a rare skill set in providing clear and concise information about project statuses. His updates were not only timely but also instrumental in keeping the entire team on the same page. This clarity in communication greatly facilitated decision-making processes.

When it comes to troubleshooting technical issues, Alex’s proficiency is unparalleled. His ability to analyze and resolve complex problems was a testament to his technical expertise. This skill not only minimized downtime but also showcased his commitment to delivering high-quality results.

His organizational prowess, collaborative leadership, workflow optimization, clear communication, and technical troubleshooting skills make him an invaluable asset to any team. I am confident that he will bring the same dedication and excellence to any role he undertakes.

–Jackson Vander Wal, Web Designer/Developer

I’ve had the privilege of working with Alex for nearly a decade during my time at Kamloops This Week. During that time Alex has been an amazing asset to the company and always demonstrated an openness to listen to any technical problems – in which there were many. He was always patient dealing with members of the staff and helped diagnose and repair the problems that occurred. As one of the other few tech savvy people in the office, I learned a lot from Alex and always valued his knowledge and experience.

Alex was instrumental and irreplaceable during covid when the majority of our office took up remote working from home. He helped spearhead and implement the programs to aid reporters, sales reps and graphic designers reach the server so that we may communicate and share files. Even then he was quick to help and remote into our computers with the aid of Teamviewer to continue fixing our technical issues. Without him the newspaper would not have been able to get out as smoothly as it did.

I only wish I had the words to better describe how incredibly helpful Alex has been over the years. I will greatly miss not having his insight on hand in whatever career path that follows in the future.

–Lee Malbeuf, Production Manager