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 |
 | Vice President |
 | Treasurer |
Secretary | |
 | Immediate Past President Mike Feeley |
Directors
 | Joy Bramble, Publisher, Baltimore Times |
 | Chad Campbell, Assistant General Manager of Operations, APG Media, Easton, MD |
 | Tom Frederick, Vice President of Sales, BSMG, Baltimore, MD |
 | Chris Gunty, Associate Publisher, The Catholic Review Baltimore, MD |
 | Lenora Howze, Executive Director, AFRO News Baltimore, MD |
 | Susan Lyons, Publisher, Coastal Point |
 | James McLaughlin, Deputy General Counsel, The Washington Post Washington, DC |
 | Denise Rolark-Barnes, Publisher, The Washington Informer Washington, DC |
 | Andy Schotz, Managing Editor, The Frederick News-Post Frederick, 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.