Robinson to assume publisher role at The Daily News, Galveston

Staff report  from the Galveston Daily News

After more than a decade at the helm of The Daily News, Leonard Woolsey will retire from day-to-day duties as publisher Jan. 1, handing the reins of the state’s oldest newspaper to Michelle Robinson, general manager and chief revenue officer.

Robinson will be the first woman to serve as publisher of The Daily News in its 183-year history.

Woolsey will continue as president of Southern Newspapers Inc., the parent company of The Daily News.

“I am deeply grateful for Leonard’s stewardship as publisher of The Daily News for the past 10 years,” Lissa Walls Cribb, owner of Southern Newspapers, said. “The Daily News and Southern Newspapers are fortunate he will continue in his role as president of Southern.”

Robinson, a 19-year veteran of the media industry, joined The Daily News in 2022 and was promoted to general manager July 1.

“Michelle is visionary,” Woolsey said. “She sees the community and The Daily News with a unique sense of excitement, energy and leadership. She seems to wake up and ask herself how can she make those and the world around her better. I have complete trust in her ability to navigate and lead The Daily News and this community forward.”

Walls Cribb echoed that sentiment.

“Michelle is uniquely qualified to lead The Daily News during this exciting and challenging time,” she said. “Her passion for and dedication to serving its readers and advertisers is an inspiration to her colleagues. “I look forward to this next chapter in the long history of The Daily News.”

Robinson in her former roles led development of a full-service digital agency for The Daily News and Southern Newspapers, as well as a recent historical video series, The 1900 Great Storm Chronicles.

“I am a newbie in this business, having been in media for just 20 years, but I am learning every day and I love the challenges and opportunities that it presents,” Robinson said.

“There is a saying that when you get ink in your veins, you will never get it out. That’s what happened to me with my first job in newspapers.

“I first came to Galveston on a business trip with a prior employer about eight years ago to learn about how The Galveston County Daily News operates Coast Monthly magazine. It was then that I first met Leonard Woolsey.

“We clicked right away and I knew at that moment that I wanted to work for him some day. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to come here three years ago. I have loved learning from him and growing to be better.

“I have very large Vans to fill and I want to make him proud,” she said, referring to Woolsey’s favorite footwear.

“What this company stands for is everything I believe in, and I look forward to continuing the newspaper’s legacy in our community.”

Woolsey came to The Daily News in 2014 and in 2020 assumed the president’s role for Southern, a family-owned company operating 10 newspapers and media companies across Texas.

“The Daily News is, with out a doubt, the greatest professional experience of my life,” Woolsey said.

“To carry forward the tradition of local journalism with the state’s oldest newspaper is an honor I will forever hold dear,” he added.

“The Daily News is so much more than a newspaper — it is a living breathing part of Texas history. And as you quickly learn, it is impossible to tell the story of Texas without referencing The Daily News. Pretty darn humbling to play what I consider a small part of one of the biggest journalism stories in Texas history.”

Woolsey and his wife have no plans to leave the island community.

“When we first arrived here in 2014, after decades of our career taking us around the country, we looked at each other and realized we were finally home,” Woolsey said. “And we plan to keep our toes planted firmly in the sand.”

Originally from the Midwest, Woolsey never dreamed he would make his home in such a magical place as Galveston.

“Ironically, 44 years ago this fall I met a beautiful young freshman college student who happened to be from Texas,” Woolsey said.

“In a weak moment, she agreed to go to lunch with me. Fast forward and I fully understand why she could never stop talking about getting back to her home state of Texas. I am thankful to The Daily News to help bringing her — and us — home.

“I would be totally remiss without thanking Lissa Walls Cribb and Dolph Tillotson for their support and confidence in bringing me to The Daily News and Southern Newspapers. They are two of the smartest people I’ve ever met, and to have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps is humbling to say the least. I am forever thankful for them entrusting me with The Daily News.

“The Daily News provided me with the opportunity to work with the greatest team of people I’ve ever experienced,” Woolsey said. “I’d put the people I’ve worked alongside up against anyone. Their commitment and love for this community and drive to serve is unlike any other group of people I’ve met. This is truly a blessing to play a small role in helping them succeed,” Woolsey said.

Handing off The Daily News to Robinson does not mean a slowdown for Woolsey. “The media business, and in particular, local news media, are in a crucial window of transformation. And with anything, you can be scared or excited about what lies ahead.

 “Count me in the latter — and I will be fully dedicated to charting and reinventing our company for whatever is ahead.”

Originally published in The Daily News Oct. 1