Board of Directors

Governance

The MDDC Press Association is governed by an 18-member Board of Directors under the direction of the Executive Committee. President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer are elected officers who serve one-year terms each November.


The Association has several committees in addition to the Executive Committee which are integral in charting the direction of the Association.


MDDC is governed by a Board of Directors. The Board Officers—President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Immediate Past President—constitute the Association’s Executive Committee. 


If you are interested in serving on the board, or getting more involved in your association, please contact Rebecca Snyder, Executive Director.

Board of Directors - Executive Committee

A portrait of a person with shoulder-length, light-brown hair, smiling softly against a dark gray background.

 

President

Dawn Gessel

Advertising Director, USA Today

Hagerstown, MD
Headshot of a man with short brown hair, wearing a dark suit and white collared shirt, against a solid blue background.

Vice President

Patrick Brannan

Managing Editor, The Daily Record

Baltimore, MD
A man smiling, wearing a blue collared shirt under a dark navy blue blazer, against a plain, light-colored background.

Treasurer

Todd Frederick

Vice President of Sales, The Baltimore Sun

Baltimore, MD
A person with short brown hair and a beard, wearing a blue and dark navy horizontal striped zip-up sweater.

Secretary

Jake Owens

Editor in Chief, Spotlight Delaware

Dover, DE
A close-up portrait of a person with short brown hair, blue eyes, and a neutral expression against a blurred green backdrop.

Immediate Past President

Chris Rausch

Publisher, Cape Gazette

Rehoboth, DE

Board of Directors

A smiling woman with short, brown hair and silver hoop earrings, wearing a red top against an indoor background.

Joy Bramble

Publisher

Baltimore Times, Baltimore, MD
A professional headshot of a person with short hair and a beard, smiling and wearing a black collared shirt.

Chad Campbell

Assistant General Manager of Operations 

APG Media, Easton, MD
Headshot of a person with short white hair, wearing a dark suit and white collared shirt, smiling against a gray background.

Mike Feeley

Executive Editor

The News Journal, New Castle, DE
A smiling person with glasses and a goatee wearing a light blue button-down shirt and a blue patterned tie.

Chris Gunty

Associated Publisher

The Catholic Review, Baltimore, MD
A smiling person with blonde hair and glasses wearing a black top and a beaded necklace against a plain grey background.

Susan Lyons

Publisher

Coast Point, Ocean View, DE
A person with shoulder-length brown hair and glasses smiling warmly toward the camera against a neutral background.

Jeni Mann

Associated Publisher

Mid-Atlantic Media, Rockville, MD
A person with dark hair and a light complexion smiling warmly, wearing a white shirt and dark jacket against greenery.

James McLaughlin

Deputy General Counsel

The Washington Post, Washington, DC
Smiling person with short white hair, wearing glasses, a green patterned scarf, and a blue collared shirt.

Tonda Parks

Associate Publisher

Independent Newsmedia Inc., Dover, DE
A person with dark locs wearing a blue collared shirt and an ankh necklace, centered against a plain white background.

Denise Rolark-Barnes

Publisher

The Washington Informer, Washington, DC
A headshot of a smiling person wearing a green shirt and a black tie, set against a plain gray background.

Andy Schotz

Managing Editor

The Frederick News-Post, Frederick, MD
A person with short brown hair and a beard, wearing a white collared shirt against a gray background, smiling at the camera.

Geordie Wilson

Publisher

The Frederick News-Post, Frederick, MD

Press Foundation

The Maryland | Delaware | DC Press Foundation is a tax-deductible organization created in 1998 by the MDDC Press Association to enhance news journalism in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. It is incorporated in Maryland as an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. 



The Foundation’s current activities focus on young journalists through its Reese Cleghorn Internship Program and the Michael S. Powell High School Journalist Scholarship.  Please help support young journalists with your tax-deductible gift to the Foundation.  Donate today!


Past Presidents

Since its inception in 1908, the Press Association has been led by a dedicated group of newspaper and media professionals who generously volunteered their time and service to charting the direction of the Association and leading the cause for news media and for the First Amendment.

Service Name Affiliation Location
2024 Mike Feeley The News Journal Wilmington, DE
2022 Len Lazarick  MarylandReporter.com Columbia, MD
2021 Darel LaPrade Independent Newsmedia, Inc. Dover, DE
2020 Chris Gunty Catholic Review Baltimore, MD
2019 Brian Karem JustAskTheQuestion.com Baltimore, MD
2018 Robin Quillon Cumberland Times-News Baltimore, MD
2017 Jake Womer The Herald-Mail Hagerstown, MD
2016 Geordie Wilson Frederick News-Post Frederick, MD
2015 Benjamin Phillips, IV The AFRO-American Newspapers Baltimore, MD & DC
2014 Suzanne Fischer-Huettner The Daily Record Baltimore, MD
2013 Paul Milton Baltimore Sun Media Group Baltimore, MD
2012 Pat Richardson Carroll County Times Westminster, MD
2011 Dennis Forney Cape Gazette Lewes, DE
2010 Myron Randall The Frederick News-Pos Frederick
2009 David Fike Chesapeake Publishing Corp. Easton, MD
2008 Chris Eddings The Daily Record Baltimore, MD
2007 Richard H. Amberg, Jr. The Washington Times Washington, DC
2006 Karen Acton Southern Maryland Newspapers Waldorf, MD
2005 John League The Herald-Mail Hagerstown, MD
2003-04 Jeffrey Mezzatesta Cecil Whig Elkton, MD
2002-03 Tom Schmidt Carroll Publishing Company Washington, DC
2001-02 Michael S. Powell* The Frederick News-Post Frederick, MD
2000-01 Legusta Floyd The Prince George’s Post Upper Marlboro, MD
1999-00 Carol Melamed The Washington Post Washington, DC
1998-99 Deborah Cornely The Dundalk Eagle Dundalk, MD
1997-98 Larry E. Effingham The Star Democrat Easton, MD
1995-97 Jean C. Halle The Baltimore Sun Baltimore, MD
1995 Fred C. Temby The Herald-Mail Hagerstown, MD
1994-95 John J. Oliver, Jr. The Afro American Baltimore, MD
1993-94 George E. Randall* The Frederick News-Post Frederick, MD
1992-93 John B. Holland Comprint Inc. Gaithersburg, MD
1991-92 Margaret Scott Schiff The Washington Post Washington, DC
1990-91 Jean F. Moon Patuxent Publishing Co. Columbia, MD
1989-90 Edward D. Casey* The Capital Annapolis, MD
1988-89 Milton Mitchell* Atlantic Publications Laurel, DE
1987-88 Edward E. Beeler* Carroll County Times Westminster, MD
1986-87 John D. Worthington, IV The Aegis Bel Air, MD
1985-86 Tom Mills* The Frederick News-Post Frederick, MD
1984-85 Thomas F. Bradlee Cecil Whig Elkton, MD
1983-84 George O’Connell* The Daily Record Baltimore, MD
1982-83 Raymond E. Mahaffey Suburban Record Silver Spring, MD
1981-82 James M Schurz* The Herald-Mail Hagerstown, MD
1980-81 Robert Reid* The Bowie Blade-News Bowie, MD
1978-79 Allen C. Jackson Anne Arundel Times Annapolis, MD
1977-78 John P. McMullen Cumberland Times-News Cumberland, MD
1976-77 John D. Worthington, III* The Aegis Bel Air, MD
1975-76 Richard L. Moore The Daily Times Salisbury, MD
1974-75 Louis L. Goldstein* Calvert Journal-Gazette
1973-74 Paul T. Broderick* The Evening Sun Baltimore, MD
1972-73 William R. Cronin* Harford Democrat Aberdeen, MD
1971-72 Bernard Sitter* Cumberland Times-News Cumberland, MD
1970-71 William H. Kerbin Democratic Messenger Snow Hill, MD
1969-70 Franklin D. Schurz,  Jr. The Herald-Mail Hagerstown, MD
1968-69 Roger B. Farquhar* Montgomery County Sentinel Rockville, MD
1967-68 Omer J. Shively* The News Journal Wilmington, DE
1966-67 Phillip St.C. Thompson* Ellicott City Times Ellicott City, MD
1965-66 George B. Delaplaine,  Jr. The Frederick News-Post Frederick, MD
1964-65 Elmer M. Jackson,  III* Maryland Gazette Glen Burnie, MD
1963-64 George O. Rash* The Herald-Mail Hagerstown, MD
1962-63 E. Ralph Hostetter Cecil Whig Elkton, MD
1961-62 Phillip S. Heisler* The Evening Sun Baltimore, MD
1960-61 William G. Kervin,  Jr.* Democratic Messenger Snow Hill, MD
1959-60 J. Stephen Becker* News-Post Baltimore, MD
1958-59 Gertrude Poe News Leader Laurel, MD
1957-58 Oscar L. Morris* The Salisbury Times Salisbury, MD
1956-57 Charles Gerwig* Stromberg Publications Ellicott City, MD
1955-56 C. Neill Baylor* The Herald-Mail Hagerstown, MD
1953-54 Norman W. Harrington* The Star Democrat Easton, MD
1952-53 John McCormick* Westminster Times Westminster, MD
1949-51 Elmer M. Jackson, Jr.* Capital-Gazette Press Annapolis, MD
1949 Blair Lee,  III* Maryland News Silver Spring, MD
1947-48 Glenn T. James* Record-Observer Centerville, MD
1944-46 Paul G. Stromberg* Ellicott City Times Ellicott City, MD
1941-43 G. Arthur McDaniel* The Times Federalsburg, MD
1939-40 Leo M. Moore* Democratic Ledger Havre de Grace, MD
1936-38 Unknown
1935 Samuel E. Shannahan* The Star Democrat Easton, MD
1932-34 John D. Worthington* The Aegis Bel Air, MD
1931 J.P. Curley* Laurel Leader
1930 Paul G. Stromberg* Ellicott City Times Ellicott City, MD
1928-29 Unknown
1927 James Finian* Annapolis, MD
1924-26 Ridgely P. Melvin* The Capital Annapolis, MD
1923 James Finian* Cumberland, MD
1922 Ridgely P. Melvin* The Capital Annapolis, MD
1921 Clarence Vincent* Democratic Messenger Snow Hill, MD
1914-20 Unknown
1913 William S. Powell*
1908-12 Unknown

Affiliations represent the publication name at the time of the term.
*Deceased