Erwin Potts

{{Short description|American businessman}}

Erwin Potts (April 20, 1932 – May 18, 2017) was the first non-McClatchy family member CEO of the McClatchy Company from 1989 to 1996.{{cite web|url=http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov03/potts112103.html|title=McClatchy gives $40,000 to Carolina for scholarship honoring Potts, former CEO|last=Covert|first=Juanita|date=November 21, 2003|publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|accessdate=May 20, 2017}}

Potts was born in Pineville, North Carolina, attended Mars Hill College and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina.

Between 1958 and 1970, he was a reporter, city editor and assistant manager at the Miami Herald. He was general manager of the Tallahassee Democrat, The Charlotte Observer and The Charlotte News.

In 1989 he became president of McClatchy and in 1996 became CEO. He was chairman when he retired in 2001.{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=287995&privcapId=3711165&previousCapId=3711165&previousTitle=McClatchy%20Newspapers,%20Inc|title=Erwin Potts: Executive Profile & Biography|website=Bloomberg|accessdate=March 5, 2012}}{{dead link|date=April 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Potts died due to complications from an accident sustained at his home in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on May 18, 2017.{{Cite news|url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article151729342.html|title=Erwin Potts, former Observer GM and McClatchy Co. chairman, dies at 85|last=Locke|first=Cathy|date=May 20, 2017|work=The Charlotte Observer|access-date=May 20, 2017|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/obituaries/article151451657.html|title=Erwin Potts, former journalist and chairman of McClatchy Co., dies at 85|last=Locke|first=Cathy|date=May 18, 2017|work=The Sacramento Bee|access-date=May 20, 2017|language=en}}