Some words from NNA's Tonda Rush

Nov 29, 2023

Dear NNA Member,

It was with a mix of excitement and sorrow that I informed NNA’s Board of Directors this fall that the time for the next step in my retirement has come. NNA will engage a new public policy manager and continue next year with a new governance structure under NNA Chair John Galer, publisher of The Journal-News in Hillsboro, Illinois, and Public Policy Oversight Chair Brett Wesner, president of Wesner Publications, Cordell, Oklahoma, to oversee its lobbyists and coalitions.

Serving NNA as its chief public policy and postal person for three decades has been like getting a doctorate in the workings of American democracy. The importance of newspapers in helping our nation to function has never been greater, and it was my privilege to be a part of making that equation work since 1992.

We had some wonderful victories — from obtaining the new postal sampling privilege last year to helping newspapers avoid junk fax penalties in the 90s and newsprint tariffs a decade ago, as well as preserving foreclosure public notice in the aughts — that simply would not have happened if there had not been a determined and effective organization like NNA.

As American PressWorks’ management company and later through our Six Ideas public policy consultancy, Carol Pierce and I — with our terrific staff team — helped the NNA to reorganize four times as the industry changed. Most recently, we assisted in helping the NNA Foundation step in as the chief program sponsor for community newspapers.

Now, after a satisfying and wonderful career, I am ready to step back and let another generation guide this venerable organization. We have strong boards guiding both the NNA and NNAF and the new Public Policy Oversight Committee to keep our initiatives on track.

For the months ahead, I will continue behind-the-scenes as a lawyer and consultant to help the boards when needed.

Carol and I began in 1992 and 1993 respectively as NNA’s management team and we got to explore a bunch of new ideas for NNA programs, take NNA to the White House several times, institute the Newspaper Leadership Council and install NNA members in the President’s Information Infrastructure Council.

Working with Max Heath, our much-missed friend and postal guru, we kept USPS safe for community newspapers during times of great change. Carol and I still have a few ideas — though maybe not as many as six of them these days — to help the NNAF and we are looking forward to having some breathing space to explore them with Lynne Lance, NNA’s talented executive director.

It has been a great run and a thrill to work with so many insightful and committed newspaper people.