Community

SF Chronicle’s New Editor-in-Chief Audrey Cooper, In A League Of Her Own

Published

9 years ago

March 17, 2015

San Francisco – When you are passionate about your job, the day goes by fast.

You lose track of the time because you are knee deep in work. All the different projects, deadlines and requests can pull a person in different directions and can stress you out.

But not this woman. She was doing her job – an exemplary job – and she had no idea that there would be such an enthusiastic response when her promotion was announced.

“I was really surprised by the amount of attention my promotion got because of my gender and age,” Audrey Cooper said. “I told my husband on the day it was going to be announced that I might be home early because I don’t think anyone is going to care. I’ve been really humbled by the response.”

Cooper is the first woman to fill the role as editor-in-chief of the San Francisco Chronicle in the company’s 150-year history. She is also the youngest woman ever named as the top editor of a major U.S. newspaper company.

Cooper changed what is considered the normal for the news industry. She was promoted each year, starting in 2012.

As the managing editor, she raised the bar on many fronts. She was the driving force to investigate the mismanaged reconstruction of the Bay Bridge back in 2011.

The newspaper’s reporting led to the opening of the new bridge on September 2, 2013. The in-depth research that her newsroom accomplished has been phenomenal.

“The Bay Bridge and PG&E were the most challenging breaking news projects yet – but it was all for the people,” she explained.

Her dedication to challenge the status quo and push the envelope, led to the SF Chronicle being a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2014 under Cooper’s leadership.

In that same year, she also started an in-house incubator project to transform the newsroom into a digitally focused operation that has successfully developed new storytelling techniques.

“I tell people all the time, I don’t read it in print first, I read it online,” Cooper said. “As long as people read the news, my job is done. Professional journalism is worth paying attention to. I work around the clock in order to make sure that happens.”

Cooper also continues to make time for the community, whether it is fighting a cause, raising money for the youth or exposing a leak in order to develop a better environment.

She is an editor-in-chief that feels that if she is part of the community, then the SF Chronicle is part of the community.

Because of her passion for the community, Cooper finds ways to be involved. A multimedia series on “Gentrification” in San Francisco’s Mission District is the current project.

In fact, right after speaking at Watermark’s first Women’s Conference held last month in Santa Clara, she headed over to the Mission District in the city to speak to about 300 people in the community.

“Everything we do is for the people – there is nothing more important than the community in which we live,” Cooper said. “There’s no limit to how much better we can be at the Chronicle. We will always strive to be the best.”

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.