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Michelle Rea
Executive Director, New York Press Association, New York Press Service and New York Press Association Foundation
Michelle Rea is a seasoned newspaper industry leader with over 40 years of experience in newspaper publishing.1 She has been serving as the Executive Director of the New York Press Association, New York Press Service, Inc., and New York Press Association Foundation since January 1992, a position she has held for over 32 years.12
Rea's expertise spans various aspects of the newspaper industry, including:
- Financial benchmarking
- Revenue generation
- Marketing
- Laws affecting newspapers
- Online newspapers
- Human resources
- Postal regulations
- Public notices
- Training and leadership1
She has a proven track record in hiring, training, motivating, and compensating high-performing advertising sales executives, consistently achieving measurable bottom-line revenue growth.1
In her role, Rea oversees the New York Press Service, which is the nation's oldest newspaper advertising placement firm. The organization is owned by the New York Press Association (established in 1853) and serves as the trade association for more than 800 newspapers published in New York.13
Rea is also responsible for the NYPA Foundation, which supports journalism and First Amendment initiatives at colleges and universities statewide.1 Under her leadership, the foundation provides 25 paid summer internships for college students.2
Throughout her career, Rea has been actively involved in industry leadership. She is a past president of Newspaper Association Managers (NAM) and has been described as an enthusiastic champion for the newspaper industry.2 Her commitment to the field is evident in her personalized license plate, which reads "4thEST8".2
Rea's tenure has seen several notable achievements, including helping New York City newspapers find alternate printing and production facilities during the 9/11 attacks and assisting newspapers affected by Hurricane Sandy.2 Her leadership has also resulted in record-setting revenue numbers for the New York Press Service and successful annual conferences attracting over 600 newspaper employees.2
