Alison Gerber elected president of TPA
Alison Gerber, editor of the Chattanooga Times Free Press, is the new president of the Tennessee Press Association (TPA).
TPA is the trade association of the state’s daily and non-daily newspapers. It is composed of 133 newspapers and online publications.
Gerber succeeds Darrell Richardson, general manager of the News-Herald, Lenoir City.
Other officers elected at TPA’s Business Session during the Concurrent Board of Directors Meeting and Business Session on June 26 are Dave Gould, president/CEO of Main Street Media of Tennessee, elected first vice president; Darren Haimer, general manager of The Daily Times, Maryville, elected second vice president; Chris Sherrill Vass, public editor of the Chattanooga Times Free Press, re-elected secretary; and Eric Barnes, CEO of The Daily Memphian, Memphis, re-elected treasurer.
Directors elected for two-year terms representing District One are Brittany Washburn Martin, publisher of The McKenzie Banner; Victor Parkins, publisher of The Mirror-Exchange, Milan; and Scott Whaley, publisher of the Chester County Independent, Henderson. Directors elected to represent District Three are Sandy Dodson, publisher of The Bledsonian-Banner, Pikeville; Dale Gentry, publisher of The Standard Banner, Jefferson City; and Ron Waite, publisher of the Kingsport Times News.
Darrell Richardson will continue on the board for one year as immediate past president. Continuing on the board are District Two directors Liz Schubauer, city editor of The Tennessean, Nashville; Lindsay Pride, editor of the Herald-Citizen, Cookeville, and Lora Scripps, editor and general manager of the Elk Valley Times, Fayetteville. Their terms continue until the summer of 2026.
The TPA Board of Directors elected Darrell Richardson to serve on the Tennessee Press Association Foundation (TPAF) Board of Trustees and re-elected Daniel Richardson of Richardson Media Group, Camden. Both were elected for three-year terms.
About Alison Gerber
Alison Gerber joined the Chattanooga Times Free Press in 2003 and served as assistant metro editor, metro editor and managing editor before becoming editor in 2011. Prior to joining the Times Free Press, Gerber was a reporter at the Naples Daily News and the Fort Myers News-Press in Florida.
Gerber also serve on the board of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government. She previously served on the boards of the Associated Press Media Editors and the News Leaders Association.
She has long been involved with TPA with service on the Board of Directors and as chair of the Contests Committee and co-chair of the Government Affairs Committee.
About TPA
The TPA was founded in 1870-71 for the purpose of creating a unified voice for the newspaper industry in Tennessee. Today, TPA continues to assist its 133 members by monitoring legislative activities, providing training programs, issuing press credentials, and providing regular meetings and forums to foster the exchange of information and ideas.
The TPA presidency rotates among TPA’s three divisions of Tennessee.