LION Publishers names its first Director of Development

Over the past four years, LION Publishers has grown its membership by 168 percent, and accordingly, we’ve grown our ambitions regarding how best to help our members’ news businesses reach sustainability.

In 2023, we published a Strategic Growth Plan that outlines these ambitions over the next five years. And one essential way to achieve them will be to ensure that LION continues to have a solid financial foundation.

That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that Shelly Hunter has joined LION’s team as our director of development. In this role, Shelly is responsible for diversifying and growing LION’s revenue streams by:

• Designing and executing an individual donor program
• Overseeing marketing and branding
• Providing strategic input on opportunities for mission-aligned earned income, including overseeing LION’s popular in-person events, and
• Collaborating with LION’s executive director on securing multi-year institutional support 

Shelly has nearly 20 years of fundraising experience and has dedicated her career to working with mission-driven nonprofits and civic institutions. She has managed cultural funding for the City of Savannah and led development teams at the ACLU of Oregon, the City of Portland, and YES! Media. She has also worked as an independent consultant, supporting the development of fundraising initiatives at emerging nonprofits, including Oregon Donor Alliance and Albina Vision Trust.

“I am thrilled to be joining LION and stewarding donor cultivation, event planning, and foundation relations with the team,” said Shelly, who started at LION in June. “LION is at an exciting moment in its history, and I look forward to partnering with our community of supporters to help drive efforts to ensure that local journalism is thriving today, tomorrow, and for years to come.”

Shelly is based in her home state of Georgia. In her spare time, she enjoys learning French, beating the pants off her fellow Mah jongg players, hiking with her overly enthusiastic Cocker Spaniels, and perfecting her drawing skills.

Please join us in welcoming Shelly to our team. If your foundation is interested in funding LION’s work, you’d like to contribute to the mission, or you’re a vendor looking to reach decision-makers running independent news businesses, you can connect with her at [email protected].