Local Media Consortium Announces 2017 Executive Board, Expands from 8 to 10 Members to Keep Pace with Growth

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Nov 15, 2016, 08:00 ET

SARASOTA, Fla., Nov. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Local Media Consortium (LMC), a strategic partnership of leading local media companies, today announced its re-elected and newly elected Executive Board leadership for 2017, expanding the board from eight to 10 members in response to the organization's current and anticipated growth. All terms take effect January 1, 2017.

"In the three short years since its launch, the Local Media Consortium has grown from representing 32 member companies to more than 70, and we project membership to exceed 80 companies in 2017," said Rusty Coats, Executive Director of the LMC. "The Executive Board has done an admirable amount of work to forge new partnerships, explore new development opportunities and facilitate new ways for our members to work together. I look forward to working with both new and returning board members, whose expertise is uniquely suited to help us expand our footprint and provide new opportunities for local media companies in today's digital world."

Coats added that the LMC's growth stems from its ability to harness the power of the whole: "By banding members together, the LMC is able to provide local market media companies with the means to not only compete but flourish in the digital space."

The LMC board is made up of executive digital leadership from several of the member companies. Christian A. Hendricks, Vice President, Products, Marketing and Innovation for Sacramento, Calif.-based McClatchy; and Tom Sly, VP, Digital Revenue at The E. W. Scripps Company, which is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, are returning to the board for another two-year term. The LMC also welcomes four new board members: Emily Dresslar, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Calkins Digital; Eric Johnston, COO at Pioneer News Group; Thom Kastrup, BH Media; and Peter Newton, Gatehouse. Rounding out the now 10-committee board are James Green from Lee Enterprises, Chris Loretto from Digital First Media, Joseph Naylor with Cox Digital Media, and Sandusky Newspapers' Doug Phares, who each have a year left on their term.

The Local Media Consortium is a strategic partnership of leading local media companies focused on increasing member companies' share of digital revenue and audience by pursuing new relationships with a variety of technology companies and service providers. LMC membership spans more than 75 local media companies in top markets across the United States and Puerto Rico, and includes more than 1,600 publications. The LMC audience footprint currently spans 155 million unduplicated unique monthly visitors, and LMC member companies serve more than four billion page views to readers.

About the Local Media Consortium:

The LMC was founded in 2013 to address the needs of advertisers seeking to reach high-quality audiences on brand safe local digital properties at scale. In addition, the LMC provides members with access to leading technology and content solutions by fostering key partnerships with companies including Google, Monster, Yahoo and others. More information is available at www.localmediaconsortium.com.

SOURCE Local Media Consortium