LOCAL MEDIA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, LMA Board / Senior Advertising Director, Seattle Times
- Senior Director of Advertising for the Seattle Times
Amber Aldrich is the Senior Director of Advertising for The Seattle Times. She leads sales and operations for Seattle Times advertising and oversees in-house agencies for content and digital managed services. Prior to The Seattle Times, she was the Advertising Director at the Bellingham Herald. Before her 17 years in media sales leadership, Amber was a journalist for newspapers in Salem, OR and Lawrence, KS.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Senior Executive
- Director, LMF Board / CEO, Adcellerant
Berry is an accomplished senior executive, entrepreneur, consultant, and board member with over 17 years of success in marketing, advertising, and technology. His broad areas of expertise include radio, TV, broadcast, video, digital, online, and mobile advertising; search engine marketing (SEM); social media and email marketing; new business development; sales management; and people development.
Berry has held leadership positions at AdCellerant (Co-Founder/CEO, 5 years); Affinity Express; AdTaxi; Digital First Media; Clarity Media Group; The Denver Post; and Schurz Communications. He has been responsible for co-founding AdCellerant, a leading digital advertising and technology company, leveraging award-winning proprietary ad software platform that delivers digital marketing plans based on campaign industry and objectives, creating operational efficiencies and revenues. In its first 4 years, the company experienced over 4,000 percent growth.
Having passionately dedicated her 25+ year career to helping local and niche media thrive, Brooke Warner is an award-winning Internet pioneer and media transformation thought leader always on the lookout for trends and market opportunities to build revenue models, and create significant audience wins. She's worked in markets of all sizes, rolled up her sleeves with individual SMBs in leadership roles, been instrumental to the success of a handful of early-stage start-ups, and has had the distinct pleasure of working strategically with some major brands such as Red Bull, Adidas, and Shark Week for Discovery. She has ecommerce experience with Amazon sales optimization and advertising, and has been a prolific content producer of every type including news, online media, television programming, OTT, and feature films. A communications and political science major, she recently earned a digital transformation certificate from Cambridge University. Warner's core belief is that local media health and community health are integral to one another.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Treasurer
- CEO for Graham Media Group
- First Vice Chair, LMA Board
Catherine Badalamente is the Incoming CEO for Graham Media Group. In her current role, Badalamente oversees digital sales, content, and technology for GMG.
Badalamente has been at the forefront of the changing television landscape and transition to new media throughout her career.
Badalamente serves as the chairperson for the National Association of Broadcasters Digital Officer Committee. She also serves on the boards of the Local Media Association, StormPins and Videolicious.
Badalamente is a graduate of John Carroll University with a B.A. in Communications.
Job Titles:
- Director
- First Vice Chair, LMF Board / General Manager, WRAL Digital Solutions and Capitol B Creative Studios
- General Manager for WRAL Digital Solutions
Chris is the General Manager for WRAL Digital Solutions and Capitol B Creative Studios, responsible for overseeing Capitol Broadcasting Company's digital revenue and agency strategies.
In his role, he has the pleasure of leading award-winning teams, which have worked with over 1000 clients on their digital advertising and marketing strategies, and continue to innovate at the intersection of technology, local media and advertising.
In addition to his work at CBC, he currently serves on the Local Media Foundation Board and has spoken at industry conferences on topics ranging from leadership and organizational realignment to digital marketing.
Outside of the office, Chris proud Tar Heel who is active in his church, is way too invested in the success of the Carolina Panthers and enjoys traveling with his wife Kristina and two daughters Peyton and Lola.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager, News Is Out
- Writer and Entertainment Critic
Piccoli (she/her) is a writer and entertainment critic who has written for sites including NBC News, The Mary Sue, Decider and Curve; and was a longtime writer and staff editor for what was once the most popular website for queer women's pop culture. While there, she hosted the podcast "Let's Process," which had more than 250,000 downloads. She's the former managing editor of the Bella Media Channel, a vertical of Bella Books Publishing that focuses on queer entertainment and pop culture. Dana is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Queer Media Matters.
In 2019, Dana wrote her first fiction novel, a romance titled "Savor the Moment," published by Bella. In addition, Dana spent two years working with Olivia Travel as a social media strategist and content developer, and traveling with the lesbian-owned company. Dana is also experienced in marketing agency work, crafting successful campaigns for businesses in several industries. Dana was named one of Advocate Magazine's 2019 Champions of Pride and one of Curve Magazine's 2017's Pridelist for her work in LGBTQ+ media. When she isn't writing, you can find her moderating panels and hosting events for the LGBTQ+ community.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, LMA Board / Senior Vice President, Underwriting, Product and Partnerships, Connecticut Public
- Senior Vice President, Underwriting, Product
Deanna Fox serves as Senior Vice President, Underwriting, Product and Partnerships at Connecticut Public overseeing underwriting sales, commercial partnerships as well the development of commercial digital products.
Previously, she was Senior Vice President, Sales for The Philadelphia Inquirer where she oversaw the advertising sales teams for both local and national sales as well as programmatic revenue and events.
Deanna has worked for over 20 years with local media organizations, focusing on digital products and innovation. She has held positions throughout the United States including with Gannett, where she was one of the first digital leaders for a local market. She also oversaw sales for Advance Communications, Digital First Media and Calkins Media, where she helped launch the first streaming channel for a local print media organization in the U.S.
She serves on the Community and Communications board of the Derry Township School district and volunteers with Cocoa Packs, fighting childhood hunger.
Deanna embarked on her media career after attending Whitworth College in Spokane, WA and majoring in Accounting. She is a Washington State native and the daughter of wheat and cattle farmers. She and her husband Joe have 1 daughter and 2 sons.
Job Titles:
- Director, Local News Resource Center
Job Titles:
- Director
- CEO of the Daily Memphian
- Director, LMA Board / CEO, the Daily Memphian
Eric Barnes is CEO of The Daily Memphian, an online daily news source in Memphis that launched in September 2018. Additionally, for 10 years, he's hosted Behind the Headlines on Memphis' PBS station, a weekly news show focused on local government, business and the community. Since 2019, he's hosted The Sidebar, a podcast on The Daily Memphian (and radio show on local radio station WYXR) that focuses on arts, culture and everything in between.
Barnes, who is also publisher of a group of community newspapers in Tennessee, is a former president of the Tennessee Press Association and current president of the American Court & Commercial Newspapers.
Barnes is the author of four novels, including The City Where We Once Lived, Above the Ether and Something Pretty, Something Beautiful, Something Beautiful and has also had more than 40 short stories published in journals and anthologies including the Best American series.
Job Titles:
- First Vice Chair
- Secretary, LMF Board / Managing Editor for Digital, Times Union
Erica Smith has worked in local news media for more than 20 years, and now oversees digital content strategy and products at the Times Union in Albany, New York. She joined the Times Union in March 2020 (just as COVID-19 shutdowns began) after working in print and digital media in Virginia, Missouri, Indiana and Washington.
Erica is interested in media innovation and digital transformation, and earned her master's degree in entrepreneurial technology in 2018. That same year, she was honored as LMA's Local Media Digital News Innovator of the Year. Erica is now a HearstLab Scout, assisting in the evaluation process for potential HearstLab investments and advising teams.
Job Titles:
- Immediate past Chair
- Chairman, LMF Board / CEO, Borrell Associates
Gordon Borrell is a sought-after speaker for conferences and company meetings and is the local media industry's leading analyst. He is ranked in the top 2% among Gerson Lehrman Group's 150,000 consultants worldwide and is quoted frequently in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Ad Age, Forbes and other publications. He has appeared on CNN and other TV and radio programs discussing trends and forecasts for local media. Prior to starting Borrell Associates, Gordon was vice president for new media for Landmark Communications, where he worked for 22 years. He started his career as a reporter and editor for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1989 he began pioneering interactive ventures and helped establish the first TV, newspaper, cable and network TV websites. Mr. Borrell conceptualized and helped create InfiNet, an Internet access and hosting company later split up and sold to Earthlink and to Gannett Co. He chaired the Local Media Association from 2015-2017 and was president of the Newspaper Association of America's New Media Federation in 2000. He is married, has five children, and lives in Portsmouth, Virginia, where he has been active on boards and organizations supporting public education and community sports.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, LMF Board / Founder / Managing Partner, Tasaka Digital
Job Titles:
- Director, Accounting and Finance
Job Titles:
- First Vice Chair
- Second Vice Chair
- Director, LMA Board / Publisher, the Atlanta Voice
Janis L. Ware a native Atlantan, she graduated from historic Booker T. Washington High School and was one of the first African American females to graduate from the University of Georgia's prestigious Terry College of Business. She recently earned a MBA in Project Management from American InterContinental University and completed NeighborWork's Achieving Excellence Program facilitated by Harvard University in 2012.
Additionally, a multi talented and dynamic entrepreneur, Janis is the Publisher of The Atlanta Voice Newspaper that has served the Atlanta community since 1966 that provides news and information on matters of concern to the African American community. Janis began working for the paper after college and took over the organization after the death of her father, J. Lowell Ware in 1991. The Atlanta Voice has transitioned to online coverage, electronic distribution and digital content production. The Atlanta Voice has served Metropolitan Atlanta for over 56 years.
Those who know Janis Ware know of her passion for community economic development. As the Executive Director of SUMMECH Development Corporation, a position she has held since 1991, she is recognized throughout the Atlanta housing community as one of the first urban pioneers willing to make a difference by building affordable homes for first time homebuyers in the Mechanicsville neighborhood. Under her direction, the organization has developed more than 1700 housing units independently and in partnership with for-profit developers. Janis Ware exemplifies humility and outstanding leadership in every role she performs. Understanding the importance of public/private relationships, Ms. Ware has established many viable partnerships and collaborations among the civic, business, housing and residential communities. She has received numerous honors and awards for her initiatives and efforts that have helped to transform the community and set an example for others who will follow her.
Janis L. Ware currently serves as the First Vice Chair of the National Newspaper Publishers Association and Treasury of Local Media Association, Chairman of the Board of Southside Medical Center, Chairman of Metropolitan Atlanta Land Bank Authority and serves on the board of Atlanta Technical College.
She has served in numerous leadership positions including Board Chair of the Atlanta Housing Authority; the Empire Real Estate Board; the City of Atlanta's Beltway Steering Committee; the City of Atlanta's Zoning Task Force; and a Board Member of the Atlanta Business League. Ms. Ware has been honored with numerous recognitions including: one of the Atlanta Business League's 100 Most Influential Women, Who's Who in Black Atlanta, Atlanta Magazine's Women Making Their Mark Award, and was most recently inducted into the Atlanta Business League's Hall of Fame.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, LMA Board / Head of Innovation, McClatchy
Job Titles:
- Director
- Digital Marketing Leader
- Director, LMA Board
Jodelle Bailey is an experienced digital marketing leader with over 15 years of experience. She helps broadcast sales teams navigate the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing. Bailey is responsible for working with markets across the country to help them achieve their digital strategies and monetary goals. She is a digital evangelist inside and outside the company.
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- Director, LMA Board / Publisher / Owner, the Sacramento Observer
With an understanding of how to combine editorial excellence with new media style, Lawrence (Larry) C. Lee is leading The OBSERVER Media Group into the 21 st century as a powerful multi-media voice for the African American consumer. Lee - who has a lifelong career in ethnic media and marketing - inherited an admirable sense of quality, community, commendable work ethic, and dedication to excellence from his late parents, Dr. William H. Lee and Kathryn C. Lee, founders of the award-winning OBSERVER Newspapers. The OBSERVER has been regarded as "the most honored Black newspaper in America," having received more than 700 awards for journalism excellence and community service.
Larry, 47, previously served as a director on the following boards: The Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce and Nehemiah Corporation of America (where he served as board Chair of both), the Wells Fargo Community Advisory Board, the Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Sacramento, the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the CARES Strategic Initiative for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention Steering Committee, and the Christian Brothers Alumni Association Board.
Job Titles:
- Director of Strategic Initiatives and Member Services
Estes is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Member Services for the Local Media Association. She works closely on all of LMA's initiatives, members and the R&D community.
Lindsey has been with LMA for 9 years. Previously she worked at Catholic Relief Services in their Major Donors department. Her career began at the Newspaper Association of America (Now NMA) where she worked for 5 years with small market newspapers and the association's events.
Lindsey lives in Bel Air, MD. When she's not working, she is spending time with her husband and three kids driving them all over town to sports and activities.
Job Titles:
- Director
- First Vice Chair
- Heartland Media As Chief Digital Officer
- Second Vice Chair, LMA Board and Director, LMF Board / Chief Digital Officer, Heartland Media, LLC
Lisa Bishop joined Heartland Media as Chief Digital Officer in October 2015. Bishop is a digital monetization and product specialist who has led transformational change in the local media industry for the past 17 years.
In her role at Heartland, Bishop oversees all digital operations, strategy, monetization and business development of audience and revenue for the growing station group. Bishop led the launch of PulseLocal Marketing, Heartland's digital agency in the spring of 2016 offering solutions such as: responsive web site development, social media management, reputation management, database and email marketing, and search engine marketing.
Prior to her time at Heartland, Bishop conceived and executed the formulation of Gray Digital Media in 2002 under the leadership of then COO Bob Prather. As the VP of Digital Media, she was the catalyst to a culture transformation of Gray's local television stations and the creation of their local digital properties by transforming a traditional media distribution company to focus on content gathering and syndication across multiple digital platforms. Bishop was responsible all digital initiatives including web, mobile, online operations, business development and revenue and monetization strategies. She also led the efforts to build out a fully supported digital agency, LocalX Marketing.
In the early 2000's - Lisa led the first interactive team for Benedek Broadcasting, Benedek Interactive Media (BIM), from 2000-2002, bringing many local TV stations online for the first time.
In addition to broadcast experience, Bishop also served as a sports correspondent for Chicago's local newspaper The Daily Herald, covering local high school sports. In 1998 she served as Sports Information Director Assistant for Montreat College where she brought the college's sports coverage online for the first time with the development of their Web site. She also wrote sports articles for a small local newspaper in North Carolina, the Black Mountain News.
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Montreat College in North Carolina. Additionally, she has earned a Masters of Business Administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management.
She lives in the Charlotte area with her husband and their two children.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Immediate past Chair, LMF Board / Publisher, Record - Journal
- Publisher and EVP of the Record
Liz White is the publisher and EVP of the Record-Journal in Meriden, CT and she is the 5th generation of the family business. The Record-Journal is over 150 years old but has evolved into a cutting edge business, and the company has been recognized nationally twice by Editor & Publisher Magazine as one of 10 Newspapers That Do It Right, including in March of 2021.
Liz is excited for the opportunities for growth and innovation in the future as the company evolves in a quickly changing environment. She has an MBA from Yale, a BS from Boston College and has been recognized previously by Editor & Publisher Magazine as one of The 25 Under 35 in the industry and by the Hartford Business Journal as one of The 40 Under 40. She is also served eight years on the board of the Meriden-New Britain-Berlin YMCA board of directors, including three as president.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- Treasurer
- Secretary, LMA Board President and Publisher, the Post and Courier
Pamela (P.J.) Browning became Senior Vice President with Evening Post Industries and President of Evening Post Industries Newspaper Division in July of 2013. She is also President and Publisher of The Post and Courier in Charleston.
Prior to Charleston she was President and Publisher of The Sun News in Myrtle Beach, and President and Publisher at The Telegraph in Macon, GA, both owned by The McClatchy Company. During her time with The Sun News, Browning guided the newspaper in a highly competitive market in which tourism plays a pivotal role. She also did extensive work bringing the newspaper into the digital era. Under her leadership, Macon became one of the top newspapers in terms of re-engineering operations and innovative use of the internet. Before arriving in Macon, P.J. served as President and Publisher of the Centre Daily Times in State College, PA, a Knight-Ridder owned newspaper. Her first role as Publisher was at the Sentinel in Carlisle, PA.
While attending college, P.J. began her career at the News-Leader in Springfield, MO in 1984. Journalism bound with sites on attending law school, ink soon got in her blood and plans changed. P.J. worked in advertising at the News-Leader through graduation and was later promoted to a variety of positions through her 12 years at the paper before being promoted to the Advertising Director in Fort Collins, CO. Her newspaper advertising career later took her to Grand Rapids, MI and Asheville, N.C.
She is a graduate of Missouri State University with a bachelor of science in marketing.
P.J. is married to Kerry Browning and they have three grown children, Casey, Kylie and Cody. They are also proud grandparents of four. P.J. is a resident of Mt. Pleasant.
Browning currently serves on the Trident Technical College Board of Trustees. Browning also served as President of 2018-2019 Southern Newspaper Publishers Association; and Vice President of 2018-2019 S.C. Press Association.
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- Director, LMA Board / SVP Transformation & Strategy, Torstar Corporation
- Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff at Torstar Corporation
Pam Laycock is Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff at Torstar Corporation, where she is working with the leadership team to transform the organization for future growth and industry leadership. She has multi-disciplinary in the areas of strategy, transformation, change management, digital, new business development, brand and direct-to-consumer marketing, product management, and general management, working in both the book publishing and news media sectors and on the Canadian, US and UK businesses.
Pam sits on the Board of Directors and Strategy Committee of the Girl Guides of Canada. She also sits on the board of directors for the North American Local Media Association. She was previously vice chair of the Toronto Public Library Foundation board and has previously sat on the boards of CAA South Central Ontario, Shop.ca, Olive Media and Workopolis. Pam holds the ICD.D certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors. She sits on the Executive Council for the Ontario Chapter of the ICD. Pam has also been appointed to the Canadian Board Diversity Council's Diversity 50.
Pam has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto. She is actively involved with the Schulich School of Business where she is an Executive in Residence, Chair of the Schulich Toronto Alumni Council, and Instructor in leadership for the Executive MBA program. She is also the recipient of the Alumni Recognition Award for Outstanding Contribution to the School.
Job Titles:
- Director, Business Strategy and Partnerships
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, LMA Board / Sr. Director of Digital Strategy & Operations Sales & Marketing, Gannett
- Vice President of Data Products at Gannett
Rich Hoover is Vice President of Data Products at Gannett. Prior to his current role at Gannett, Rich managed the digital advertising revenue and operations strategy for GateHouse Media. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and an Executive MBA from Binghamton University.
Robert Walker-Smith is an accomplished sales executive with a strong background in audio, digital and print solutions. He previously served as general sales manager for Beasley Media Group, where he managed sales teams to drive revenue growth across audio, digital, events and social in Central and Coastal Carolina; and digital sales manager for Urban One, where he was managed sales teams in Charlotte and Raleigh to drive double-digit digital revenue growth and new business acquisition. He also served with Thryv, Vivial and Haines Local Search.
Job Titles:
- Founder and CEO of Strategy Hound
Sam is the founder and CEO of Strategy Hound, LLC, a culture, communication and strategic media management company based in Colorado. She provides leadership development and coaching for high-level managers, guides leadership teams toward strategic alignment and creating North Star visions and assists businesses of all sizes in aligning talent, resources and culture to drive desired operational outcomes.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, LMF Board / Consultant
- Media Executive
Samantha Johnston was the General Manager for Colorado Mountain News Media's western Colorado mountain operations and Publisher of The Aspen Times. In her role at Swift Communications, she oversaw all day-to-day operations for a seven-day-a-week newspaper a
Samantha Johnston is an experienced media executive with a proven track record of building the kind of company culture and climate that drives business results. She has more than 20 years of media management experience with a specialty in sales management and talent development, organizational change, philanthropic fundraising and consumer revenue, leadership mentoring and development and strategic alignment.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, LMF Board / Founder, Black Girl Media
Job Titles:
- Director
- Founder
- Officer
- Director, LMA Board / Founder and Client Success Officer, Dream Local Digital
Shannon Kinney is Founder and Client Success Officer at Dream Local Digital. Shannon has over 20 years of experience in the development of successful Internet products, online sales and marketing strategies. She has worked on the teams developing successful Internet brands such as cars.com, careerbuilder.com, Knight Ridder Digital and over 60 online media properties for newspapers all over the U.S. and Canada. Prior to that, she spent over 10 years in media sales and sales management in Maine. She is an experienced speaker, trainer, advisor and consultant, and has worked with small and large companies alike, and has served more than 41,000 small businesses in online marketing workshops. She has been recognized as a Woman to Watch by Maine Biz, and as a Local Digital Innovator by the Local Media Association.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, LMA Board Director, Business Development, Sophi.Io at the Globe and Mail
Sonali Verma works with newsrooms all over the world to help them transform their business models and embrace a data-driven culture. She has been at The Globe and Mail since 2008. As the editor managing digital production and audience engagement teams, she led a mind shift in getting journalists to understand how data could make them more effective in attracting and retaining subscribers, while staying true to their mission to build a better Canada.
She also collaborated with The Globe's data science team on an analytics project that evolved into an artificial-intelligence and machine-learning platform called Sophi.io, which is now used by publishers on five continents. She has been Sophi's senior product manager and director of customer success, and also oversaw marketing efforts that won several international awards. Her current role as Director, Business Development entails working closely with media organizations to help them build sustainable reader revenue by using automation, prediction and optimization technology, without alienating their newsrooms.
She was previously the editor of Globe Investor, an editor at Bloomberg News, a senior producer at CNBC and one of 10 young journalists chosen worldwide for the coveted Reuters Trainee program.
Job Titles:
- Director
- CEO and Publisher of the Defender Media Group
- Director, LMA Board / CEO, Defender Media Group
Sonny Messiah-Jiles is the CEO and Publisher of the Defender Media Group, Houston's leading Black Information Source. The media group includes the Defender newspaper, the website www.defendernetwork.com and social media platforms. She has been at the helm of the company since 1981 when she purchased the newspaper at age 27.
Messiah Jiles served as the chairperson of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (The Black Press of America), a federation of African-American newspapers across the country and currently serves on both the NNPA board and NNPA Fund board. She also served as the National Alumni Chair for the Houston Alumni Organization (University of Houston). Currently, Messiah-Jiles serves as Vice President and Director of Grand Slam, a marketing/investment consulting firm and is on the advisory board of KIPP Houston. Her professional activities include being the first African-American female board member of the Greater Houston Partnership, and she currently serves on the M.D. Anderson Board of Visitors. She has served on the Advisory Board of J.P. Morgan Chase-Houston, United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast, Center for Houston's Future, NAACP-Houston, JobPlus, Hester House, March of Dimes Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, American Diabetes Association, and American Leadership Forum.
Messiah-Jiles has received many awards including the Houston Association of Black Journalists Trailblazer Award, Phenomenal Woman Award, NNPA Publisher of the Year, American Civil Liberties Freedom of Speech Award, YWCA Outstanding Woman of the Year, Jaycees "Outstanding Texan", "Women on the Move", UH Distinguished Alumni Service Award and the National Dental Association Civil Rights Award. She has been named by EBONY Magazine as one of the100 most influential Black Americans. She and her husband were awarded the "Community Service Award" by the University of Houston Downtown. In December 2008, Messiah-Jiles was inducted into the Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce Inaugural Hall of Fame along with former first lady Barbara Bush and eight other women. In 2019, Messiah-Jiles received the highest honors of the CaryAKid Award from the Children's Museum in Houston and the Dorothy Height Award from the YWCA.
Messiah-Jiles received an undergraduate degree from the Universityof Houston and did postgraduate work at Texas Southern University and Rice University.
Prior to purchasing the Defender, Sonny worked as a radio news reporter, a television talk show host, and an advertising account executive at the Houston Chronicle and Majic 102-KMJQ.
Messiah-Jiles is married to Jodie Lee Jiles, who works in commercial real estate. They have two sons, Jodie and Clyde. She is a native of McNair/Baytown, Texas.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, LMF Board / Senior Director, Brand Agency & Sales Strategy, Graham Media Group
- Senior Director, Brand Agency and Sales
Stephanie Slagle is the Senior Director, Brand Agency and Sales Strategy for Graham Media Group. In her role, Slagle is responsible for multiplatform revenue, driving digital confidence and driving digital talent at Graham Media Group's local media hubs.
Stephanie has over 20 years of media experience with companies such as Dispatch Broadcast Group, Lin Media, and Sinclair Broadcasting Group. She has established a well-earned a reputation for her knowledge and passion for cutting edge concepts in the digital space.
Slagle has a passion for mentoring talented future leaders. She helped launch and she served as the president for Columbus Women in Digital, where she helped many women begin their digital careers.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, LMF Board President, RTM360°
- President of RTM360
Tanisha Leonard is the president of RTM360°, a cultural marketing firm that creates unique communications programs geared towards the African American community. In addition to the day-to-day management of RTM360° Tanisha is a key member of the executive team for RTM360's parent company, Real Times Media, driving business growth via the development of custom marketing programs and partnership opportunities related to its six flagship brands- Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine, the Atlanta Daily World, Who's Who In Black, the Chicago Defender, the Michigan Chronicle, and the New Pittsburgh Courier.
Tanisha has a wide array of experience in managing marketing, strategic planning, and creative development processes as well as extensive experience in event production, corporate communications and media relations.
Prior to joining RTM360° and Real Times Media, Tanisha was the director of communications for the nation's number one video network at the gas pump, Gas Station TV. Previous to that role, she was marketing manager for third-party logistics provider, NLM where she developed and implemented marketing strategies for the $300 million expedited freight manager. Before joining NLM, she held positions of increasing responsibility at several large promotions, PR and advertising agencies.
Tanisha holds a bachelor's degree in advertising from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich.
Job Titles:
- Director, Journalism Funding Initiatives
- LMA 's Director of Journalism Funding Initiatives
Terese is LMA's Director of Journalism Funding Initiatives and focuses on community support for journalism and fiscal sponsorships.
She brings over 15 years of experience working in fundraising, stewardship, and prospect development to the LMA team. She recently served as senior associate director of donor relations for Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, where she was involved in a fundraising campaign that generated more than $250 million and engaged more than 10,000 donors.
Terese has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Villanova University and a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from Loyola University Chicago. She is based in the Chicago suburbs.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, LMA Board / Senior Manager, Engagement and Retention, Star Tribune Media Company
- Senior Manager of Retention and Engagement for Star Tribune
Toby Collodora is the senior manager of retention and engagement for Star Tribune in Minneapolis, where she leads retention strategy and subscriber engagement efforts.
Prior to joining Star Tribune in 2019, Toby was the vice president of digital content strategy for Cordillera Digital, a division of Cordillera Communications. While at Cordillera, she helped newsrooms and marketing departments create and execute strategy on all digital platforms and consulted with sales teams on content-driven initiatives.
Toby began her career on the assignment desk at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis. She moved to digital in 2004, where she helped merge the company's television and radio websites. As social media and mobile emerged, she helped establish WCCO's presence in those spaces.
Toby is a graduate of the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, with a B.A. in broadcast journalism. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and daughter.
Job Titles:
- Chief Digital Officer
- Director
- Director, LMA Board / Chief Digital Officer, Beasley Media Group
As Chief Digital Officer, Todd Handy is responsible for leading the Beasley Media Group's digital efforts and has been at the forefront of the digital media space for more than a decade, having spent 6 years in local media responsible for sales, advertising strategy & products, ad operations & analytics, programmatic sales and native advertising. He has also led publisher development, implementation and customer success for an AdTech video startup, as well as worked with blue-chip digital pureplays in display, audio, video, mobile, performance marketing & retargeting and affiliate sales.
A Utah native, Handy most recently held executive positions with several innovative companies, including serving as Vice President of Digital Media & Ad Tech at MarketStar, VP of Publisher Development at Tout and VP of Advertising Strategy & Products at Deseret Digital Media. In addition, he has served on various sales and digital marketing advisory boards as well as the Executive Committee of the Local Media Consortium and the Local Media Association's Chief Digital Club. In addition, he is currently a member of the Dream Local Digital Board of Directors.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Director, LMA Board / General Manager / Suburban Group, Shaw Media
- Vice President of Shaw Media
Tom Shaw is Vice President of Shaw Media, and Chief Product Officer. Previous to Shaw Media, Tom was in local radio and television advertising sales. He has a journalism degree from Colorado State University, and an MBA from University of Colorado at Denver.
Job Titles:
- Immediate past Chair
- Chairman, LMA Board Treasurer, LMF Board
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, LMA Board / Managing Editor, WBEZ / Chicago Public Media
- Vice Chair of UGA 's Alumni Board for the Grady College of Journalism
- WBEZ / Chicago Public Media in 2019 As Managing Editor
Tracy Brown joined WBEZ / Chicago Public Media in 2019 as managing editor after spending more than 25 years in newspapers. As WBEZ's Managing Editor, she leads the station's news operation of more than 40 editors, reporters and producers for both online and broadcast. Tracy oversees editorial decisions regarding enterprise, investigations, daily news and special projects.
Before WBEZ, Tracy spent 12 years at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after starting as entertainment editor and moving up through roles including features editor, education editor, Page 1 editor and deputy managing editor over print and then digital. At the AJC, she helped launch the award-winning narrative series, Personal Journeys. She also served as co-chair of Cox Media Group's Diversity & Inclusion Council.
For more than a decade, she worked at The Dallas Morning News in Texas, in addition to stints at the St. Petersburg Times in Florida and The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C.
A graduate of the University of Georgia, Tracy is vice chair of UGA's alumni board for the Grady College of Journalism. She is a personal mentor to more than a half-dozen students and young journalists. She has one daughter, and in her free time enjoys theater and travelling abroad with friends. She is also closing in on her bucket-list goal of visiting all 50 states.