David takes over as president; Marc Richard resumes position on LPA board

J. McHugh David, publisher and managing editor of The Livingston Parish News (Denham Springs) was named president of the Louisiana Press Association (LPA) at its annual stockholders meeting June 30.

David is the 116th president of the 140-year-old association, the official trade organization for Louisiana news publishers.

The Ruston Daily Leader is a member of the Louisiana Press Association, a statewide organization representing more than 150 newspapers, news-related publications, news websites, magazines, and special market products.

Others taking office are:

• President-elect Mary Terry, general manager of the Southeast Region for Louisiana State Newspapers and publisher of the (St. Martinville) Teche News, (Franklin and St. Mary) Banner-Tribune, (Morgan City) Daily-Review, and (Pierre Part) Bayou Pioneer;

• And Secretary-Treasurer Steve Colwell, general manager of the Natchitoches Times and Natchitoches Times Newspapers (NTN) which publishes nine newspapers and three specialty publications in Louisiana.

• Sam Hanna Jr., president, and publisher of The Ouachita Citizen (West Monroe) will serve as Past President.

Elected to three-year board terms are Shanna Dickens, general manager of The Daily Iberian (New Iberia), and Dan Phelan, president, and publisher of the American Press (Lake Charles).

Continuing to serve on the board are:

• Dan Shea, CEO of Georges Media Group, which operates The Advocate (Baton Rouge), The Times-Picayune/ The New Orleans Advocate, St. Tammany Farmer (Covington), St. Francisville Democrat, and The Watchman (Clinton);

• Garland Forman, general manager of the North Region for Louisiana State Newspapers and publisher of the Ville Platte Gazette, Basile Weekly, Kinder Courier, Oakdale Journal, Richland Beacon News (Rayville), Caldwell Watchman (Columbia), West Carroll Gazette (Oak Grove) and Tensas Gazette (St. Joseph);

• Marc Richard, vice president/director of Newspaper Service Co. which publishes the Ruston Daily Leader and Jennings Daily News;

• Judi Terzotis, publisher of The Advocate (Baton Rouge), The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate, St. Tammany Farmer (Covington), St. Francisville Democrat, and The Watchman (Clinton);

• Darrell Guillory, publisher of the Eunice News and COO of Louisiana State Newspapers, which publishes over 20 Louisiana news papers and

• Randy Brown, publisher of the Bossier Press-Tribune (Bossier City).

J. McHugh David Jr. is president and copublisher, alongside his mother Nancy, of the Livingston Parish News, which has been in the David family since his grandfather purchased the property in 1962 from his predecessor, Leroy Miller, allegedly on the back of a cocktail napkin at the former Giamanco’s restaurant in Baton Rouge.

McHugh assumed the co-publisher position when his father, Jeff McHugh David Sr., died from cancer in October of 2015.

McHugh’s father had been the longesttenured publisher in the history of the paper, beginning in 1977 after his father, G. Norman David, died from a heart attack. McHugh followed both his father and grandfather’s footsteps and became immediately involved with the Louisiana Press Association, as well as the National Newspaper Association.