October 1, 2015
Arlington, Va. – Newspaper Association of America today announced that its board of directors has selected David Chavern, a seasoned public policy and advocacy leader, as its new president and CEO, effective October 14, 2015. Chavern succeeds Caroline H. Little, who led the association for four years and announced her retirement earlier in 2015.
In his new role at NAA, Chavern will work closely with board members and staff to navigate the organization through a continued period of significant opportunity for newspaper media. With technological advancements changing the ways in which people consume the news, he will provide strong, strategic direction to ensure the future the success of the organization.
“We have spent the last several months conducting a thorough search for the right person to fill this important role,” said NAA Chairman of the Board Donna Barrett, president and CEO of Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. “David’s extensive public policy experience paired with his focus on technology and innovation were certainly deciding factors in the board’s selection. I am thrilled to welcome him aboard, and know that his passion for journalism and knowledge of the changing space will help to guide our organization through this exciting time.”
Chavern has built a career spanning 30 years in executive strategic and operational roles, and most recently completed a decade-long tenure at the United States Chamber of Commerce. From 2014 to 2015, he served as the President of the Center for Advanced Technology & Innovation at the Chamber. He established the center, which is the first U.S. Chamber office focused solely on technology and innovation, and led a research and outreach program which was dedicated to the economic power of data-driven innovation.
From 2007 through 2014, Chavern was the Chamber’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations and long-term planning for the 500-person advocacy organization. Chavern helped to grow total revenues by 60 percent, and successfully guided the organization through intense scrutiny from both the media and activists. He also managed revenue growth and expense reductions, and ended the 2013 fiscal year with the best financial performance in the Chamber’s 100-year history. Prior to that, Chavern served as a Vice President and Chief of Staff at the Chamber, offering strategic advice and guidance to the CEO and managing daily operations of the organization.
“I am honored to join the Newspaper Association of America in a time of great change and great opportunity for the newspaper industry,” said Chavern. “I look forward to working with the organization’s incredible board and staff as we continue to strategically refocus our efforts by leveraging new technologies to bring the irreplaceable newspaper content that is loved by so many to more people than ever before. Newspapers play such a vital role in all of our lives, and I am excited for what is to come.”
Chavern is a member of the Board of Directors of Transamerica Insurance and also serves as a member of the Board of Advisors of Humin. He is a founding investor in Starling Trust Sciences, LLC, a company that produces data analytics tools that allow companies to measure a wide range of cultural attributes about their internal operations. A proud alum, Chavern also serves on the board of trustees of his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh.
A 1978 graduate of Villanova University’s School of Law, Chavern went on to receive his MBA from Georgetown University in 2003. He attended the University of Pittsburgh where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree.
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ABOUT NAA: NAA is a nonprofit organization representing nearly 2,000 newspapers and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and Canada. Members include daily newspapers as well as nondailies, other print publications and online products. Headquartered in Arlington, Va., the association focuses on the major issues that affect today’s newspaper industry, such as public policy/legal matters, advertising revenue growth and audience engagement across the medium’s broad portfolio of products and digital platforms. More information about NAA and the industry is available at www.naa.org.
