Jackson Free Press

Earlier this month, the Old Capitol Inn played host to a retirement party for Stuart Kellogg, former president and general manager of news channel WAPT-TV, who held his post for 24 years and two months before his Dec. 31 retirement. Michael Neelly took over as WAPT's new president on Jan. 1.

Kellogg, 60, was born in Utica, N.Y., and moved through various cities in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio with his family growing up. He first became interested in the news as a child.

"I loved the news because I loved the idea of telling stories, and growing up, I could see that television was a great medium for that," Kellogg said. "It's the mix of the visual, sound and good writing that I feel gives television news the most impact."

Kellogg attended Syracuse University, where he received a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism in 1977. He later attended Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, where he received a master's degree in Christian studies in 2006.

During his junior and senior years at Syracuse, Kellogg got a job as a news director for news station WIXT. Over the course of his news career, Kellogg says he worked as everything from a weatherman, a reporter, an on-air personality, a news manager and "just about any news job you could think of" at seven different news stations across the country, the last being KXAS in Dallas before he moved to Jackson to work for WAPT in November 1991.

In his 24 years of managing WAPT, Kellogg said his favorite part of the job was watching the growth and increasing confidence of his employees over time. Kellogg told the employees attending his retirement party how proud he was of all of them and the work they've done to build the station up over the years.

"The retirement party was the most emotional I've ever been in a work situation," Kellogg said. "I was so honored that so many came and expressed their appreciation; it was a very special night for me. I told them that night how grateful I was, that I'd had a great run and seen a lot of community on display during my time at WAPT. I've been leading a group of fine employees who have done a lot to achieve my vision for the station, to serve our viewers, get people watching and keep them there. We've done a lot to strengthen the community in Jackson, and I think it's turned out really well."

Kellogg's wife, Beth Kellogg, is a retired schoolteacher who last taught English at Rosa Scott School in Madison. She also operates an organization called Creative Partners Speakers' Bureau, which helps professional speakers arrange appearances at conventions and other events. The Kelloggs have two grown children—son named Matthew and daughter Allison.