MADISON — The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Board on Thursday welcomed two new directors and approved three new additions to the WNA Foundation Board.

Chris White, publisher of the Wisconsin State Journal, was appointed to fill the daily newspaper seat opened by the departure of former State Journal editor John Smalley. White was named publisher in May, replacing Tom Wiley.

Returning to the board Thursday was John Ingebritsen, publisher of Morris Newspaper Corporation of Wisconsin, who recently was elected to the WNA Board of Directors as the weekly newspaper representative for the Southwest region.

Smalley was one of three new directors appointed to the WNA Foundation Board, along with Herman Baumann and Dave Bennett. The three will participate in their first Foundation Board meeting next month.

Baumann, who earned his journalism degree at UW, worked for 12 years in newspapers before moving into a career as a health care marketer and new product developer. While in newspapers, Baumann served as editor and managing editor of the former Chicago Suburban Times Newspapers chain and was assistant editor of the Vilas County News-Review in Eagle River. He also serves on boards for the WCIJ and the Daily Cardinal Media Corporation.

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Bennett has spent nearly his entire life in journalism, including 24 years as executive director of the Illinois Press Association. He also held the same role for the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association and previously taught journalism as both the high school and college level. He has been involved with the WNA since moving to Wisconsin 10 years ago.

Smalley spent 12 years as editor of the State Journal before stepping down in August. Previous stops for Smalley included the La Crosse Tribune and the Globe Gazette in Mason City, Iowa.

In other business:

• The board voted to cancel the 2020 Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame event. The banquet will be postponed until an in-person event can be held in the future.
• Directors approved a plan to pursue legislation that supports newspapers through tax credits for advertisers and subscribers.
• WNA staff provided an overview of a new website feature aimed at helping newspapers find freelancers.

The WNA Board’s next scheduled meeting is in November.