O’Leary elected as new WNA president

Kris O’Leary, publisher of the Courier Sentinel, Star News, Tribune Phonograph, Record Review and Tribune Record Gleaner, was elected president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, at the WNA’s annual convention March 14. She succeeds George Stanley, CEO of Wisconsin Watch, who becomes immediate past president.

The appointment became official during the association’s annual meeting the next day — following a motion made by Kris’ mother, Carol O’Leary, publisher of the Star News, and seconded by her husband, Kevin Flink, publisher of TP Printing.

“People still want local news,” said Kris. “What we do matters to our communities.”

Part of that means being a watchdog for local government, being a cheerleader for community events, letting people share their opinions, and strong local editorials to encourage community or government action.

“We need to get the message out that newspapers aren’t dying, they are changing and evolving from print, to online, to non-profit,” said Kris. “But newspapers are still one of our most valuable community resources.”