About Us

MISSION

MDDC exists to serve the diverse needs of our newspaper members in areas of common concern. Among them are professional training and development, legislative representation, and First Amendment issues.

Adherence to the highest standards of integrity and excellence is at the core of all we do.

HISTORY

Founded in 1908 as the Maryland Press Association for weekly newspapers, the organization incorporated in Maryland as a nonprofit corporation in 1948 and began admitting daily newspapers to active membership that year.

In 1961, it merged with the Delmarva Press Association, an organization that included newspapers in Delaware and the Eastern Shore areas of Maryland and Virginia, to become the Maryland-Delaware Press Association

In 1968, it included newspapers from the District of Columbia and became the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association, Inc.

Today, MDDC consists of two corporations, the nonprofit Association and its for-profit subsidiary, MDDC Press Service, which operates the organization’s advertising programs. Additionally, in 1998 MDDC newspapers established an independent, charitable foundation, the MDDC Press Foundation, a 501(c)(3) corporation.

The Association counts all of the daily and most of the non-daily newspapers in Maryland, Delaware and D.C. among its active members.

Press Association Board of Directors

The MDDC Press Association is governed by a Board of Directors under the direction of the Executive Committee. President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer are officers, elected at the November annual meeting, who serve one-year terms beginning in January.

The Association has several committees in addition to the Executive Committee which are integral in charting the direction of the Association. If you are interested in serving on the board, or getting more involved in your association, please contact Rebecca Snyder, Executive Director.

2023 Board of Directors

	President Denise Rolark Barnes Publisher, The Washington Informer Washington, DC
	Vice President Mike Feeley Executive Editor, The News Journal Wilmington, DE
	Treasurer Chris Rausch, Co-Publisher, Cape Gazette Rehoboth, DE
	Secretary Dawn Gessel Advertising Director, The Herald-Mail Hagerstown, MD
	Immediate Past President Len Lazarick President & Chairman, MarylandReporter.com Columbia, MD

Directors

	Joy Bramble, Publisher, Baltimore Times Baltimore, MD
	Patrick Brannan, Managing Editor, The Daily Record Baltimore, MD
	Dawn Gessel, Advertising Director, The Herald-Mail Hagerstown, MD
	Chris Gunty, Associate Publisher, The Catholic Review Baltimore, MD
	Lenora Howze, Executive Director, AFRO News Baltimore, MD
	Konrad LaPrade, Group Publisher, Independent Newsmedia, Inc. Dover, DE
	Susan Lyons, Publisher, Coastal Point Ocean View, DE
	James McLaughlin, Deputy General Counsel, The Washington Post Washington, DC
	Amy Dotson Newton, Publisher, The Dover Post Company Dover, DE
	Jim Normandin, Regional President, APG Media Easton, MD
	Andy Schotz, Managing Editor, The Frederick News-Post Frederick, MD
	Anne Tallent, Executive Editor, Bethesda Beat Bethesda, MD
	Tim Thomas, Senior Vice President, Business Development, The Baltimore Sun Media Group Baltimore, MD
	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
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* 2014 Obituary	Atlantic Publications	Laurel, DE
1987-88	Edward E. Beeler* 2008 Obituary	Carroll County Times	Westminster, MD
1986-87	John D. Worthington, IV	The Aegis	Bel Air, MD
1985-86	Tom Mills* 2007 Obituary	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* 2009 Obituary	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* 1996 Obituary	The Evening Sun	Baltimore, MD
1972-73	William R. Cronin* 2015 Obituary	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

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

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MDDC Press Association

MISSION

HISTORY