Suzanne Schlicht is the new chief operating officer of The World Company.

The appointment was announced Friday by Dolph C. Simons Jr., company president, following the close of the sale of the company’s Sunflower Broadband division to Knology of Kansas Inc.

Schlicht, who has been acting general manager of the company since May, succeeds Patrick Knorr in a management reorganization that follows the sale of the broadband operation. Knorr temporarily will remain with the company in a consulting capacity.

Schlicht will have responsibilities for all facets of the company operations, and also for WorldWest Limited Liability Company, which publishes newspapers in Steamboat Springs and Craig, Colo., and Payson, Ariz. Her total responsibilities will encompass the Journal-World, its commercial printing, weekly newspapers and magazines, its digital operations, plus Mediaphormedia LLC, its commercial software division, and other offshoots such as StoryMarket LLC, a new venture that enables Internet content transactions for buyers and sellers.

“The company is fortunate to have an individual such as Suzanne move into this important position,” Simons said. “She has a proven record of excellence and leadership, and we are confident she will do a first-class job in helping transition the Journal-World and our other business entities into the new age of information technology and delivery.

“It’s an exciting time and we look forward to our continued development of new software and techniques to allow us to provide the best possible news and advertising services for those in the areas of Kansas, Colorado and Arizona that we serve.

“I also want to thank Patrick Knorr for his leadership and vision during his tenure as COO of our company, and to acknowledge and thank current World Company employees for their commitment and hard work. We have an excellent group of individuals engaged in our various enterprises,” Simons said.

Said Schlicht: “It is an exciting time to lead The World Company, which has both deep roots in the core components of the newspaper business and long branches reaching toward the future through its digital and mobile platforms.

“I’m looking forward to spending time in Lawrence, where I am reminded of my hometown of Lincoln, Neb.,” she added.

Schlicht will continue to be headquartered in Steamboat Springs, where she has managed the WorldWest properties. She was the Colorado Press Association’s Newspaper Person of the Year in 2006, and is a past president of the association. She has been active in Rotary and is the immediate past president of the Steamboat Springs club. She also was the club’s Rotarian of the Year in 2006-2007.

She and her husband, Hal, have two children.