Conference Presentations
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Presentation Materials
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5 Ways to Elevate Your Approach
Stephanie Downs is Senior Vice President and Partner at the Center for Sales Strategy, where she helps organizations improve sales performance through coaching, strategy, and process development. She joined the company in 2007 with extensive hands-on sales leadership experience from broadcast and media markets, and has since worked with sales teams across industries to strengthen talent and revenue outcomes. Downs holds multiple degrees from Georgia Southern University and contributes regularly to industry training and insights.
Creating an AI policy for the community newspaper
Austin Lewter is Director of the Texas Center for Community Journalism and an Instructor of Journalism and Broadcast at Tarleton State University, where he also advises the Texan News Service. With decades of experience leading community newspapers across North and East Texas and now as publisher of the Whitesboro News-Record, he works to strengthen local journalism and support rural newsrooms. He holds a BA from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and an MA from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Frugal Innovation: Cherry Road Media’s Journey to Financial Sustainability
Jeremy Gulban is CEO of CherryRoad Media and CherryRoad Technologies, a firm originally focused on IT solutions and now one of the fastest-growing local-news publishers in the U.S. Since founding CherryRoad Media in 2020, he's guided the company through the acquisition or relaunch of dozens of community newspapers across multiple states, aiming to revive coverage for underserved rural markets. A graduate of Drew University, Gulban combines his tech background with media-industry leadership to support small-town journalism.
Leadership & Connecting with the Next Generation of Journalists
Austin Lewter is Director of the Texas Center for Community Journalism and an Instructor of Journalism and Broadcast at Tarleton State University, where he also advises the Texan News Service. With decades of experience leading community newspapers across North and East Texas and now as publisher of the Whitesboro News-Record, he works to strengthen local journalism and support rural newsrooms. He holds a BA from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and an MA from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Postal
Matthew Paxton is publisher of The News-Gazette in Lexington, Virginia, along with its companion websites and niche print and digital publications. A fourth-generation newspaper publisher, he represents a longstanding family commitment to community journalism. Paxton is a past president of both the Virginia Press Association and the National Newspaper Association, and currently serves as chair of NNA’s Postal Committee and as a representative to the USPS Mailers' Technical Advisory Committee.
How to Build an Audience That Search Can’t Take Away
Cheryl Thompson-Morton is Head of Advisory Programs at the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, where she helps news organizations strengthen sustainability, operations, and audience strategy. She previously led the Black Media Initiative at CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, expanding training and support for Black-owned outlets. A summa-cum-laude graduate of Drexel University, Cheryl is widely recognized for her work advancing newsroom capacity, leadership development, and long-term growth in local media.
Fast & Easy Solutions for Content Monetization
Tom Sly is CEO and managing partner of Media Inno, a local media and digital innovation consultancy. He is an expert in CTV and multiplatform monetization. He writes the TV’s Multiplatform Transformation column for TVNewsCheck. Media Inno consults projects focused on addressable linear advertising, agentic AI media buying platforms, Google and The Local Media Associations Broadcast Transformation Lab, and Vistar Media/T-Mobile Advertising’s go-to-market strategy. He also serves as the Chairman of the Universal Addressable Alliance, a group of the largest local TV broadcast companies collaborating to deliver transparency in ad delivery for advertisers, and is an officer and advisor to CTV1, a broadcast TV technology company that provides deterministic ad delivery data for all forms of TV advertising.
Rise of Social Media
Todd Handy is Chief Revenue Officer of Disruptive Impact, a go-to-market and revenue strategy consultancy focused on helping local media organizations modernize and grow digital revenue. With deep experience across ad tech, SaaS, and media operations, he has led revenue, marketing, and customer success teams and advised publishers on first-party data strategy, recurring revenue design, packaging, and sales enablement. Todd works with media leaders to improve advertiser outcomes, increase retention, and build more durable, scalable revenue engines.
Gabby O’Keefe is the Director of Communications at the New York Press Association and New York Press Service, where she leads messaging and social strategy to elevate both organizations’ impact. With a background spanning state government, journalism, and media agency experience, she brings a dynamic perspective to modern-day communications and audience engagement.
Whale Hunting
Stephanie Downs is Senior Vice President and Partner at the Center for Sales Strategy, where she helps organizations improve sales performance through coaching, strategy, and process development. She joined the company in 2007 with extensive hands-on sales leadership experience from broadcast and media markets, and has since worked with sales teams across industries to strengthen talent and revenue outcomes. Downs holds multiple degrees from Georgia Southern University and contributes regularly to industry training and insights.
Zero-Party Data Playbook: Engagement Loops That Grow Audience and Revenue
Todd Handy is Chief Revenue Officer of Disruptive Impact, a go-to-market and revenue strategy consultancy focused on helping local media organizations modernize and grow digital revenue. With deep experience across ad tech, SaaS, and media operations, he has led revenue, marketing, and customer success teams and advised publishers on first-party data strategy, recurring revenue design, packaging, and sales enablement. Todd works with media leaders to improve advertiser outcomes, increase retention, and build more durable, scalable revenue engines.
Vodcast — “The Rhythm of Truth: Balancing News Frequency and Context in the AI Era”
Mike Blinder is Publisher of Editor & Publisher magazine and CEO of its parent company, The Curated Experiences Group. Editor & Publisher has served as a leading trade publication for the news media industry since the early 1900s. Blinder is also an experienced media consultant and author of the industry guide Survival Selling, and has spent decades helping news organizations adapt to digital change and new revenue strategies.
Native & Sponsored Content
Korena Keys is Founder and CEO of KeyMedia Solutions, a full-service digital marketing agency based in Sioux Falls, SD, serving clients across the U.S. Under her leadership since 2011, the firm has grown rapidly and earned recognition including a placement on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America. She is also a sought-after public speaker and marketing strategist, guiding businesses in digital advertising, brand growth, SEO and social media.
AI Powered Media Sales
Ryan Dohrn is an internationally recognized media sales trainer and industry speaker. Through his independent consulting work, he helps media companies strengthen revenue strategy, sales leadership, and client retention. A former media executive, Dohrn has trained thousands of advertising professionals across North America on practical, relationship-driven sales techniques. His sessions focus on actionable strategies that help publishers grow revenue, improve sales culture, and increase long-term advertiser value.
First-Party Data That Pays Off
David Grant is General Manager of Partnerships, Products, and Strategy for Blue Engine, where he works to support educational access and student success initiatives. His experience includes leadership roles focused on program development, partnership building, and organizational strategy. Grant's work centers on strengthening systems that expand opportunity and improve outcomes through collaborative, mission-driven approaches.
Beyond the Click: Reclaiming Authority in the Age of Generative AI
Sam Rahimi serves as VP of Earned and Owned Media at AdCellerant, where he works with media organizations to expand digital advertising capabilities and drive revenue growth. He partners with publishers to implement scalable digital solutions, including programmatic advertising, paid search, social, and targeted marketing strategies. Rahimi focuses on helping local media companies compete effectively in a rapidly evolving digital landscape by aligning technology, sales execution, and client strategy.
Investigative Reporting
Andrew Lehren is Director of Investigative Reporting at the CUNY Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. An award-winning investigative journalist, he has led reporting projects examining national security, government accountability, and public corruption. His work has appeared across major national and international news outlets and has contributed to collaborative investigations with broad public impact. At CUNY, he mentors emerging journalists and leads enterprise reporting initiatives focused on accountability and transparency.
Tools to Support Newsrooms
Jake Kara is a data journalist and software engineer at Big Local News at Stanford University. His work focuses on building tools and collaborative reporting systems that help local newsrooms analyze complex datasets and produce accountability journalism. Kara works at the intersection of investigative reporting and technology, developing software that supports scalable, public interest reporting initiatives across the country.
Where Does Your Journalism Land?
Carla Zanoni is Director of Engagement Journalism at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. She works at the intersection of journalism, media innovation, and digital strategy. Her experience spans newsroom leadership, audience development, and emerging media initiatives. Zanoni focuses on strengthening sustainable journalism models and preparing news organizations to adapt to evolving audience and technology trends.
Selling Digital Products Roundtable
Stephanie Karnik is the Manager of Strategic Advertising at Newsday Media Group. As one of the nation’s most dynamic media organizations, Newsday Media Group serves Long Island through its portfolio of digital & video products, print publications, NewsdayTV, branded content studio, events, and Newsday Productions Studios. With over 20 years of experience across digital and traditional media Stephanie drives growth by identifying market opportunities, shaping innovative strategies, and leading teams to deliver impactful, multi-platform campaigns. Stephanie is a proud graduate of St. John’s University in Queens. She lives in Bethpage on Long Island with her husband, Peter, their two young children, and their rescue dog, Cody.
Audience and Subscription Benchmarks
Arvid Tchivzhel brings his experience as Innovator in Digital Strategy & Revenue Management at Mather Economics. He works with media organizations to strengthen audience strategy, pricing models, and digital revenue growth. He partners with publishers to apply data analytics and economic modeling to subscription strategy, advertising optimization, and long-term financial planning. His work focuses on helping news organizations make informed, data-driven decisions that support sustainable business operations in a rapidly evolving media environment.
Using Video to Increase Audience Engagement
Josh Meltzer is an Associate Professor of Photo Arts and Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology where he works at the intersection of technology, media, and innovation. His work focuses on preparing students and professionals to navigate evolving digital landscapes through applied research, industry collaboration, and hands-on learning. Meltzer brings experience connecting academic expertise with real-world media and communications challenges.
Strategies to Drive Print Revenue
Todd Chamberlin is Executive Director of The Sopris Sun, a nonprofit community newspaper serving Colorado's Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valleys. Since taking the helm in 2020, he has led the paper’s business development, fundraising, and expansion — including launching a Spanish-language news insert and youth journalism program. A Colorado native with a background in ecommerce and media strategy, Chamberlin blends entrepreneurial experience and community journalism to strengthen local news in rural and mountain communities.
The Power of Local Journalism in State Government
Mary Beth Walsh has represented the 112th Assembly District since 2016 and was appointed Assembly Minority Leader Pro Tempore in 2025. A practicing attorney for 30+ years, she's recognized for pragmatic, bipartisan work on the Judiciary and Ways & Means committees and for community-focused initiatives across Saratoga, Schenectady, and Fulton counties. She also champions women's leadership in public service.
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