Jeremy Halbreich, chairman and CEO of AIM Media Management, was honored with the Frank W. Mayborn Leadership Award on Monday during the Senior Leadership Conference of America's Newspapers.
The award was presented by Cameron Nutting Williams, president of America's Newspapers and chief revenue officer of Ogden Newspapers, who said Halbreich's wisdom, guidance and professionalism contributed greatly to the formation of America's Newspapers.
Williams said, "I heard about Jeremy before I met him. It is so rarely the case, but everything I had heard, that Jeremy was one of the most thoughtful, intelligent and strategic leaders in our industry, was proven correct and — at the same time — not remotely adequate. Jeremy's professional accomplishments speak for themselves. He has left his mark on our business across the country. In addition to being a force in business."
She said, "Jeremy is without fail generous with his time, sharing his advice and experiences with his colleagues and friends — and always with the utmost empathy. Over the years I've heard numerous people say something along the lines of, 'When Jeremy talks, I listen,' and they are smart to take those opportunities. I am personally pleased and honored to know Jeremy as I do. He is a great leader, but above all, a wonderful person."
The Mayborn Award was first presented in 2004 by the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and now is presented annually by America's Newspapers. It is named in memory of Frank Mayborn, who served as president of SNPA in 1961-62 and is presented to an industry executive to recognize his or her vision, community leadership and contributions to the newspaper industry.
Halbreich began his career with The Dallas Morning News after graduating from Harvard University. When he was named to the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2013, the Texas Newspaper Foundation noted that he was the first non-family member to complete the executive management training program at The Morning News, where he rose through the ranks to become president and general manager of the paper.
He left The Morning News in 1998 to form his own newspaper company, America Consolidated Media LP, which he later sold prior to becoming chairman of the board and CEO of Sun-Times Media in Chicago. During his tenure, the Chicago Sun-Times won the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting in 2011.
He formed AIM Media Texas in 2012, AIM Media Indiana in 2015 and AIM Media Midwest in 2017.
Nutting noted that Halbreich was honored with the Inland Press Foundation Distinguished Service Award at our America’s Newspapers conference in Colorado Springs. That award recognizes the contributions of newspaper industry leaders and executives “who have distinguished themselves in service to the foundation, to their communities, their companies and the industry.”
Just as the Inland Press Foundation did with that award, Nutting said America's Newspapers recognizes and thanks Halbreich today for the important role he played during the merger of Inland Press Association and SNPA.
She said his wisdom, guidance and professionalism during that period contributed greatly to the formation of America’s Newspapers.
In addition to his service with Inland, Halbreich also was an active member of SNPA and served as a mentor with SNPA’s NexGen program for newspaper professionals with executive potential.
Here’s what several of Halbreich's colleagues shared, in support of his nomination for this award:
Tom Yunt, a member of the America’s Newspapers Foundation board and a board member of The Delphos Herald, said: “I can think of no one more deserving of the Mayborn Leadership Award than Jeremy Halbreich!”
He said, “Jeremy possesses a razor-sharp intellect — oftentimes being the ‘smartest man in the room’; has an over-abundance of class and charm; generosity exhibited by the countless hours he has devoted to the Inland Press Association, the Inland Foundation, America’s Newspapers and the industry as a whole; and leadership at its highest level — to his newspaper company and any and everything he chooses to be part of.”
Yunt added: “I’m honored to call Jeremy a friend — to have worked alongside him and someone I’ve always held up as one of the true leaders of the industry. Congratulations, Jeremy.”
Alan Fisco, president and CFO of The Seattle Times Company and a past president of America’s Newspapers, said: “Jeremy is a wonderful choice! I have found Jeremy’s counsel and advice extremely helpful, both to America’s Newspapers and to me personally. He is wise, experienced, soft-spoken and kind. His contributions to our organization and industry have been too numerous to outline.”
Fisco added: “Jeremy doesn’t seek the limelight, but when he speaks everyone listens! We would not be where we are today without him.”
Ted McGrew, vice president of the Newspaper Segment with Kodak, serves on the America’s Newspapers board of directors as one of our Solutions Partner representatives.
McGrew said: “I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Jeremy through our years at Inland Press Association and now America’s Newspapers. He has been a tireless supporter of our industry and I have always found him to be both professional and gracious in my dealings with him. Our industry has been best served by having advocates such as Jeremy Halbreich in it. He is a perfect nominee for this award as his many years of service to our industry will attest.”
