John Galer is new National Newspaper Assn. chairman

John M. Galer, owner of The Staunton Star-Times and several other publications in central Illinois, was installed as chairman of the National Newspaper Association on Saturday, Oct. 8, in San Francisco, Calif.

The annual meeting was part of this year's convention, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco from Oct. 5 through Oct. 8.

Galer was officially passed the chairman's gavel by all former chairmen in attendance, including the outgoing chairman Brett Wesner of San Francisco.

This year's convention opened with a variety of vendors on hand, as well as keynote speakers and workshops, including a virtual discussion with the Postmaster General.

The mission of the National Newspaper Association is to protect, promote and enhance America's community newspapers. Currently, the organization is about 1,700 members strong.

Each year, the board works through government relations to address issues affecting community newspaper, like postal increases. They also promote community newspapers by educating readers, advertisers and policy officials.

The convention ended with the annual meeting on Saturday, Oct. 8, where Galer was installed as the new chairman, with several members of his family present, including his wife, Susie, and daughter Mary (Galer) Herschelman, her husband, Kyle Herschelman and their daughter, Charlotte Herschelman.

"John, and the entire Galer family, represent what is best about community newspapers across Illinois and the nation," said Don Craven, executive director of the Illinois Press Association. "The Journal-News and its sister publications across central Illinois, is a multi-generational family-owned company, which does exactly what community newspapers should do. They provide local news, sports and community coverage which is so important to the readers in those towns."

In addition to serving on the National Newspaper Association board of directors, Galer is a past member of the Illinois Press Association board of directors, serving as its president in 2013.

During his tenure on the IPA board, he helped to establish Public Notice Illinois, a public notice platform owned and managed by newspapers, for newspapers. Public Notice Illinois provides the template now used by over 17 sister state newspaper associations to promote public notices, in newspapers and on the web, at no additional cost to the local governments which are required to publish public notices.

Since 2014, Galer has served on the board of directors for the Illinois Press Foundation, providing advice and insight as the Foundation launched, and now expands, Capitol News Illinois, a news bureau which operates from the state capitol in Springfield. Opening with two reporters in 2019, the bureau is now expanding with additional print reporters and with a broadcast component set to begin in January of 2023.

Throughout his two-year term as chairman of the NNA, Galer will work to protect the interest of community newspapers across the country.