LaSharah Bunting is new CEO at Online News Association (ONA)

Cara Erickson, president of media executive search firm NewCoordinates, LLC, is pleased to have partnered with the Board of the Online News Association to recruit LaSharah S. Bunting as its next CEO and Executive Director. ONA is the world’s largest digital journalism association and LaSharah will be the first woman of color to serve in this high profile leadership role.

LaSharah brings well-rounded experience in journalism, digital media, newsroom equity, and media philanthropy to ONA. She joins from Simon & Schuster, where was VP and Executive Editor, responsible for acquiring and editing nonfiction with a focus on deeply reported narratives. Previously, she was Director of Journalism at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, where she managed a portfolio of grants that accelerated digital transformation efforts and diversity and inclusion initiatives in newsrooms. Her hands-on journalism experience is rooted in a 13-year career at The New York Times where her progression included editor roles on the National, Metro and Culture desks, leading to Senior Editor for Digital Transformation. She got her start in the newsroom at the Dallas Morning News.

An enthusiastic supporter of the ONA community and its commitment to innovation throughout her career, LaSharah has advised ONA on programming initiatives including the Women’s Leadership Accelerator and the Challenge Fund, and has been a regular participant at the annual conferences. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Dow Jones News Fund, Outlier Media, and Open Campus.

LaSharah holds a journalism degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and completed the Sulzberger Executive Leadership fellowship at Columbia University.

See www.journalists.org for information about ONA and its programs.