Chappell elected president as TPA celebrates 145th convention

Past presidents congratulate Lisa Chappell as she accepts the president’s gavel.

DENTON – Lisa Chappell accepted the gavel of the Texas Press Association presidency during the recent TPA Convention and Trade Show.

For 2025, the traditional passing of the gavel from past presidents included Mary Judson, who served from 1990-91; Larry Jackson, 1998-99; Phil Major, 2007-08; Russel Skiles, 2012-2013; Greg Shrader, 2013-2014; Randy Mankin, 2014-15; Patrick Canty, 2017-18; Laurie Ezzell-Brown, 2018-2020; Ramona Ferguson, 2020-21; Jim Bardwell, 2021-22; Leonard Woolsey, 2022-23, Ken Cooke, 2023-24; and immediate past president Bill Patterson.

Chappell, regional executive for Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc., serves as publisher of the Greenville Herald-Banner and sister papers Gainesville Daily Register, Royse City Herald-Banner, Rockwall County Herald Banner, Weatherford Democrat and Cleburne Times Review in Texas. Oklahoma CNHI papers under her watch are The Ada News, The Duncan Banner, Pauls Valley Democrat, McAlester News-Capital and Woodward News.

Chappell started her newspaper career more than 20 years ago as a sales representative for the Greenville Herald Banner. She was named publisher in 2007 and eventually took on that role at other CNHI papers in North Texas. A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Chappell studied at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee.

Chappell encouraged TPA members to continue to work together both to solve problems for the industry and to help each other with  issues they have in common. Her column on page 2 of this edition explains more of her vision for TPA.

Patterson has retired from the newspaper his family formerly owned, the Denton Record-Chronicle. In 2023 the Record-Chronicle merged with KERA, North Texas’ source for PBS and NPR programming, in an arrangement facilitated by the National Trust for Local News.

Patterson’s family owned the newspaper for 77 of its 119 years. The paper was founded in 1903. The Cross-Patterson family acquired the newspaper in 1945. Bill Patterson succeeded his father as publisher in 1999. The same year, his parents, the late Fred William and Patsy Cross Patterson, sold the newspaper to A.H. Belo Corp. In 2017, Bill Patterson bought the newspaper back from the corporation. He has been a leader in combining print and digital publishing to deliver local news to the Denton area.

Other officers elected and installed at the convention include First Vice President Yvonne Mintz, Clute, The Facts; Second Vice President Roger Estlack, The Clarendon Enterprise; and Treasurer Kelli Barnes, Livingston, Polk County Enterprise. Due to immediate past president Patterson’s retirement from the Denton Record Chronicle, Chappell will serve as chairman as well as president.

Elected to new three-year terms on the TPA board for the 2025-26 term were Jim Moser, Moser Community Media; and Tania French, Port Lavaca Wave. Other directors elected earlier still serving their terms are Lange Svehlak, Athens Daily Review; Kelli Barnes, Livingston, Polk County Enterprise; Neice Bell, New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung; and Ana Cosino-Mize, Navasota Examiner.

The passing of the gavel ceremony and Texas Better Newspaper Contest awards presentation capped three days of activities in the 2025 TPA Convention and Trade Show at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center.

TRADE SHOW

Dozens of vendors displayed products and services at the annual TPA Trade Show, where the annual silent auction was also a draw. Bids totaled thousands for the Texas Newspaper Foundation and its support of the Texas Center for Community Journalism. A major feature at the show was a Peterbilt Model 579 UltraLoft rig, an example of the models manufactured in Denton. The rig’s display was compliments of the PACCAR Peterbilt Motor Co.

INDUSTRY SESSIONS

In addition to networking opportunities and visiting with vendors at the trade show, the convention included roundtable discussions on revenue ideas and government transparency, informative speakers on topics such as AI in the newsroom, new ways of funding newspaper businesses, the importance of local news and the future of water policy in Texas.

Peter Baniak, vice president for news with McClatchy, discussed use of AI in the newsroom for tasks such as collating sports statistics and other information published in agate, workflow tasks like transcription of government meetings and proofreading tools. These functions can help reporters write better stories.

Rob Curley, executive editor of The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, and known for his work in hyperlocal convergence journalism, discussed expanding the non-profit model for supporting local news to have access to funding options. He covered alternatives such as philanthropy from foundations, businesses and individuals, tax-deductible membership programs and other community contributions.

Earlier this year, owners of the Spokane newspaper, the Cowles family, donated the newspaper and a $2 million matching grant to the Comma community journalism lab, which would become the owners of The Spokesman-Review, contingent upon the community matching the $2 million financial gift within the next 12 months. Curley noted the key to successful fundraising is hyper local news the community wants to invest in.

Jamese Branch, development specialist at Poynter Institute and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, discussed trends in local journalism.

Attorney Don Richards reviewed the legal rights of reports and newspapers in a lively program that prompted discussions about copyright, access and government transparency issues.

Senator Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, discussed the $20 billion plan to invest in the state’s water infrastructure. The statewide water development plan will go before the voters in November as a proposed constitutional amendment.

TPA joined the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas in sponsoring an Open Government Seminar held Thursday afternoon before the main events. First Amendment Attorney Tom Williams of the FOIFT board and Haynes and Boone and Tamara Smith of the Texas Attorney General’s office were speakers.

RECOGNITIONS

The Texas Newspaper Foundation inducted Laurie Brown in the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame and TPA honored five with Golden 50 Awards, including Ruthann Brockway, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Robert Cessna, Bryan, The Eagle; Rick Craig, The Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel; Clyde King, Rosenberg, Fort Bend Herald; and Candace Velvin, Texas Press Association.

SPONSORS

Patterson cited the convention sponsors and encouraged members to thank them for their support. Platinum Sponsors included eType Services, who sponsored the trade show; AEP Texas, sponsor of the contest luncheon Saturday; and University of North Texas Libraries, the UNT Digital Newspaper Program, the Cathy Nelson Hartman Portal to Texas History Endowment and the Mayborn School of Journalism, sponsors of the dinner event. Gold Sponsors were Ad Messenger by Optimum Media, Advantage Newspaper Consultants, BLOX Digital, Smartico and Texas 2036. Silver Sponsors are Bluefin Technology Partners and Metro Creative Graphics.