Mentors are named for NEX GEN Class of 2017-18

Nine of the brightest talents in the newspaper industry will be serving as mentors for SNPA's NEX GEN Class of 2017-18.

The NEX GEN protégés will meet for the first time with their mentors at the SNPA-Inland Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo., Sept. 10-12.  The 2017-18 NEX GEN experience will culminate with a presentation at SNPA's 2018 News Industry Summit in Nashville.

The 2017-2018 mentors (and the NEX GEN protégés they will be paired with) are:

• Bill Barker, president and publisher of the Naples (Fla.) Daily News. He will mentor Ashley Howard, circulation digital audience development manager, The Oklahoman Media Company, Oklahoma City, Okla.
• Carrie Crisman, sales manager of The Virginan-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.  Crisman, who was part of the NEX GEN Class of 2014-15, will mentor Tim Horton, digital sales director, Amarillo Globe-News, Amarillo, Texas 
• Tony Elkins, deputy managing editor of the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune. He will mentor Laura Garcia, features editor, Victoria Advocate, Victoria, Texas
• Vince Johnson, publisher of The Item in Sumter, S.C.. He will mentor Stephanie Spiess, publisher, Sidney Herald, Sidney, Mont.
• Mark Lorando, vice president content/editor, NOLA Media Group, New Orleans, La. He will mentor Sherman Smith, managing editor, The Topeka Capital-Journal, Topeka, Kan.
• Alisha Owens, vice president and chief revenue officer of NOLA Media Group in New Orleans, La. She will mentor Don Blankinship, regional sales manager, Pilot Media, Norfolk, Va.
• Pam Siddall, president of Advance Central Services in Wilmington, Del. She will mentor Nicole McMullin, online brand director, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Va.
• Matthew Wolfe, group director, brand and buzz, The McClatchy Company in Kansas City.  He will mentor Jennifer Davidson, regional audience development manager, Burlington (N.C.) Times-News, The Courier-Tribune in Asheboro (N.C.) and The Dispatch, Lexington, N.C.
• Kim Woods, vice president of advertising and marketing for the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader. Woods will mentor Kim Phillips, advertising manager, Venice Gondolier Sun, Port Charlotte, Fla.

Mark Mulholland, president and chief strategy evangelist with MAX Strategy Consultants in Charleston, S.C., is the program director for the 2017-18 NEX GEN class.

View photos and read more about the 2017-18 NEX GEN participants.