Heidi Wright, COO of EO Media Group and publisher of The Bulletin in Bend, Oregon, was elected president of America's Newspapers Monday afternoon during the Senior Leadership Conference.

In her remarks to the membership, Wright pointed out that, as an industry, "we are stronger together." She said that part of building that strength depends on gatherings like the Senior Leadership Conference, where industry executives network, learn and catch up with each other.

"There is good energy here (and in the industry) right now," Wright said. "It’s a great opportunity to change the narrative and take action that will impact our future."

In addition to Wright, the following officers were elected for 2023-24:

• Vice President: Leonard Woolsey, president of Southern Newspapers and president and publisher of The Daily News, Galveston, Texas
• Treasurer: Matt McMillan, CEO, Press Publications, White Bear Lake, Minnesota

Cameron Nutting Williams, chief revenue officer of Ogden Newspapers, becomes immediate past president.

Board of Directors

Three industry executives were elected to second three-year terms on the board of directors:

• Matthew Gray, senior vice president and general counsel, Community Newspaper Holdings
• Camille Olson, partner, Seyfarth Shaw
• Tim Prince, senior vice president, Boone Newsmedia

Five additional industry executives were elected to initial terms on the board:

• Daisy Donald, principal, head of Americas, FT Strategies
• Patrick Dorsey, publisher of the Santa Fe New Mexican
• Jeremy Gulban, CEO of CherryRoad Media
• Susan Patterson Plank, vice president of public notice and strategic transformation, USA TODAY Network
• Zachary Richner, director of Richner Communications

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Get to know the new president of America's Newspapers! Read this profile of Heidi Wright

Jeremy Halbreich honored with 2023 Frank W. Mayborn Leadership Award from America's Newspapers

Jeremy Halbreich, chairman and CEO of AIM Media Management, was honored with the Frank W. Mayborn Leadership Award on Monday during the Senior Leadership Conference of America's Newspapers.

The award was presented by Cameron Nutting Williams, president of America's Newspapers and chief revenue officer of Ogden Newspapers, who said Halbreich's wisdom, guidance and professionalism contributed greatly to the formation of America's Newspapers.

Williams said, "I heard about Jeremy before I met him. It is so rarely the case, but everything I had heard, that Jeremy was one of the most thoughtful, intelligent and strategic leaders in our industry, was proven correct and — at the same time — not remotely adequate. Jeremy's professional accomplishments speak for themselves. He has left his mark on our business across the country. In addition to being a force in business."

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Leonard Woolsey honored in Chicago as E&P’s 2023 Publisher of the Year

Editor & Publisher Magazine (E&P) has selected as their 2023 Publisher of the Year Leonard Woolsey, president of Southern Newspapers and publisher of the company’s Galveston County Daily News. Monday’s announcement was made live at the America’s Newspapers’ Senior Leadership Conference in Chicago. Woolsey was among numerous reader-generated nominees evaluated by a committee of E&P’s editorial department.

Mike Blinder, E&P publisher, took to the stage during a lunchtime awards program, knowing that Woolsey was in the audience of 150 plus media executives and revealed the selection by presenting a large mock-up poster depicting Woolsey on the magazine’s November 2023 cover.

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Top honors in Carmage Walls Commentary Prize go to writers from Wichita, Pittsfield, Oklahoma City and Austin

With an expanded contest this year, America's Newspapers awarded honors for both editorial writing and column writing on Monday, with top honors going to staff members from The Wichita (Kansas) Eagle; The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, Massachusetts; The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City; and the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman.

The prize is named for the late Benjamin Carmage Walls whose newspaper career spanned seven decades. Walls primarily owned community newspapers and advocated strong, courageous and positive editorial page leadership.

Awards for editorial writing and column writing were presented in two circulation breakouts: under 35,000 circulation and over 35,000.

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Alan Fisco wins Distinguished Service Award

The Inland Press Foundation has named Alan Fisco, an executive with long experience at The Seattle Times Company, the winner of the 2023 Inland Foundation Distinguished Service Award.

Fisco received the award at the annual meeting of America’s Newspapers on Oct. 9 in Chicago.

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Executive Development participants wrap up 2023 year at Senior Leadership Conference

The closing sessions of the 2023 Executive Development Program hosted by America's Newspapers, and funded in part by the Inland Press Foundation, were held Sunday,Oct. 8, in Chicago — just prior to the Senior Leadership Conference.

Pictured here are: (front row - left to right) Nicole Miller, publisher, Summit Daily News; Heather Kantrud, general manager, Fergus Falls Daily Journal; Britni Tomcho, director, subscriber products and experience, WEHCO Media; Todd Tanaka, director, consumer revenue, Oahu Publications, Inc.; Chantel Soranaka, senior sales & marketing manager, Honolulu Star-Advertiser; and Aaron Rother, regional digital sales director, APG Media of East Central Minnesota. (back row - left to right): Jeremy Cooley, general manager - Utah APG Utah; Nate Peterson, director of content and audience growth, Vail Daily; Ben Childers, regional digital director, APG Media of Southern Wisconsin; Alycia McCloud, marketing team manager, Sierra Vista Herald; and Chris Brumfield, business operations manager, Denton Record-Chronicle.

Applications for the 2024 Executive Development program will be available soon.

Seyfarth Shaw's webinar on Oct. 17 will explore the current legal landscape

Tuesday, October 17

Noon-1 p.m. EDT | 11 a.m.-Noon CDT |

10-11 a.m. MDT | 9-10 a.m. PDT

The Supreme Court’s recent decisions in the Students for Fair Admissions cases, involving the admissions practices in the education context, raises important questions in the employment context. Simultaneously, organizations are facing increasing scrutiny and questions from various stakeholders regarding their diversity initiatives. Many organizations are using this as an opportunity to evaluate their own diversity programs, including those that apply to suppliers. 

Join us for this important webinar where we will explore the current landscape and legal implications in the Post-Students for Fair Admissions landscape.

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