Nationwide Search Underway for next CEO of Non-Profit Dedicated to Protecting Local News
(January 29)—After four years at the helm, Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro, who co-founded The National Trust for Local News and built it into the largest nonprofit newspaper company in the country, announced she is stepping down as CEO.
"We have built something extraordinary together, demonstrating that a new model of stewardship is possible - one that honors both preservation and innovation while proving that local journalism remains vital to our communities," Hansen Shapiro said. "I am deeply grateful to our team, partners and supporters who helped bring this vision to life and I look forward to continuing to support local journalism and championing its future in new ways."
“Starting from just a big idea, Elizabeth has grown the National Trust into a $50 million enterprise with over 500 employees and 65 local newspapers across three states,” said Marc Hand, co-founder and National Trust board chair. “Recognizing that it’s the right moment to transition to new leadership is further evidence of Elizabeth’s extraordinary skills as a visionary and entrepreneur.”
A nationwide search for the National Trust’s next CEO is underway as the organization continues its pathbreaking work to protect and transform local news. The National Trust will be led in the interim by an operating committee that includes Board Treasurer Keith Mestrich, a financial services executive and former CEO of Amalgamated Bank, and Board Chair Marc Hand, the CEO of Public Media Venture Group. Hansen Shapiro will serve as a strategic advisor to the National Trust throughout the transition.
Today, National Trust newspapers are the primary source of local news for more than five million Americans. The organization is building a scalable, sustainable model for local news in rural places and small cities.
During Hansen Shapiro’s tenure, the Trust raised $37 million in philanthropic funding for local news and acquired more than 60 newspapers in Colorado, Maine, and Georgia. Last year, the Trust also started a brand-new newspaper, The Macon Melody, in Georgia and established The Trust Press, a first-in-the-nation community printing press aimed at addressing skyrocketing costs for Colorado media organizations.
About the National Trust for Local News
Founded in 2021, the National Trust for Local News is a nonprofit newspaper company dedicated to protecting and sustaining community news. Today, the National Trust owns and operates 65 newspapers across Maine, Colorado, and Georgia – critical sources of community news that serve nearly 40 counties and some five million people.
Its mission is to prevent the spread of news deserts and reconnect people to the places they live. NTLN publishes sustainable community newspapers that safeguard the public trust, elevate facts, empower communities with solutions, and foster a strong sense of place.
For more information about the Trust, its newspapers, its supporters, and its mission to save local news, please visit nationaltrustforlocalnews.org.
