Hagadone Directories' founder Jim Hail retires

COEUR d'ALENE - The regional king of directories can finally direct his attention away from work.

Jim Hail, president and co-owner of Hagadone Directories, Inc., stepped down from his position Friday and into retirement. Kimberly Maksen replaces him as publisher of the directories.

Hail founded HDI in Coeur d'Alene in 1987. Today HDI has offices and employees in California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. HDI publishes regional telephone directories offering print, online and mobile versions and today serves over 1 million consumers and approximately 40,000 businesses.

"It has been a privilege and honor to have had the very special opportunity to partner with Duane Hagadone and Brad Hagadone in the directory business," Hail said. "I am proud to have taken an idea and breathed life into it, creating jobs and opportunities for employees, helping small business owners prosper with an advertising product that is free of charge, easy to use and offers the greatest return on investment of any other ad medium."

Hail has served on the board of directors of the Association of Directory Publishers (ADP) for 13 years, including four years as chairman of the board. Founded in 1898, ADP is the nation's oldest and largest trade association serving the directory industry. In 2011 Hail was honored with the ADP's highest honor - The Wil Lewis Award - in "recognition of and appreciation for a lifetime of outstanding service and exemplary leadership to the directory publishing industry."

Hail served the United Way of Kootenai County board and was twice elected board chair. He is a past board member of the Coeur d'Alene Symphony. Hail served on the TESH board of directors for 12 years, including two separate terms as chairman of the board. He is currently president of the Eleventh Street Dock Owners Association in Coeur d'Alene. Hail and his wife Joy make their home in Coeur d'Alene.

Hail began his newspaper career in the early 1970s after dropping out of college and has been with Hagadone Corporation since April 1, 1984. Prior to founding HDI, Hail served as editor for Hagadone Newspapers North Idaho Publishing Group, advertising director of the Coeur d'Alene Press, and later, publisher of the Coeur d'Alene Press.