By Greg Morris
Greetings. For those who don’t know me, I’m Greg Morris, and I will serve as the HSPA board president for the next year.
My day job is president of IBJ Media and publisher of Indianapolis Business Journal. I’ve been with IBJ for the past 21 years.
IBJ Media is a locally owned news and information company with offerings in print, digital and mobile platforms.
Indianapolis Business Journal is a weekly newspaper serving the central Indiana business community.
In addition, the company publishes Indiana Lawyer, a statewide biweekly newspaper targeted to legal professionals, and Court & Commercial Record newspaper, which publishes public notices for Marion County three days a week.
IBJ Media also operates a custom publishing division specializing in book publishing.
My original occupation was in the sales end of the radio business, and I worked at WIBC Radio in Indianapolis for many years.
In fact, our current newspaper company had common ownership in three radio stations in Indy until selling those entities in 2006. I did double duty and ran the sales end of those radio stations while performing my newspaper company job.
Doing several jobs at once is a required trait for all of us these days, right?
In addition to my HSPA duties, my other board work includes United Way of Central Indiana, American Court and Commercial Newspapers, working hand in hand with the Public Notice Resource Center – two national professional trade organizations – and the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society.
I’m an IU Bloomington guy and have been a lifelong resident of Carmel, Ind.
I’ve been married for 34 years to a wonderful woman, Joyce, who keeps me in line and works as manager of private banking at the National Bank of Indianapolis.
We have three adult sons living and working in the Indianapolis area.
Despite knowing all of this in advance, your HSPA board put me in this position of leadership anyway.
So blame them.
My goal during the next year is to work with the HSPA board and staff to further our mission in these challenging times.
I’ve known HSPA Executive Director and General Counsel Steve Key for many years, and I have every confidence in his leadership.
Hmmm, executive director and general counsel – there’s that essential multi-tasking trait again.
I have the same level of confidence for the entire HSPA staff. It’s a great team of people working together on behalf of your interests.
My thanks go out to HSPA board leaders who’ve led the way – Randy List, Don Hurd and most recently Tim Timmons. Their great passion for the newspaper business and their ongoing efforts inspire me to match their contributions to the organization and our industry.
I’ll be writing a column in The Indiana Publisher once a month, and we’ll continue the discussion about how HSPA can be of service to newspapers.
But don’t wait for a column. Please contact me anytime via email or cell phone.
My email address is gmorris@ibj.com, and my cell number is (317) 946-4626. Let me know what’s on your mind and how I may be of service to you.
I’ll close with my pitch to ask for your participation in HSPA Foundation’s annual golf outing. This year it’s the North vs. South Challenge.
Rust Communications’ Randy List is heading up the North team, and the Evansville Courier & Press’ Jack Pate is leading the South team.
The outing is Thursday, June 7 at Southern Dunes Golf Course on the southside of Indianapolis.
Shotgun start is at 1 p.m., and the cost is $135 per player.
Register by Friday, May 25 at www.HSPAfoundation.org/golf-outing.
Register just yourself or as many guests as you like.
It’s a fun day, and the proceeds help fund the great work of the HSPA Foundation.
More details and registration materials can be found online at www.HSPAfoundation.org/golf-outing.
Even if you can’t play, there’s a way to donate and be a part of a virtual foursome. Thanks in advance for your support.
I hope to see you at the golf outing, and I’ll be back in June for another edition of “News Biz.”
Greg Morris, HSPA board of directors president, is president of IBJ Media and publisher of Indianapolis Business Journal.
