Alma Washington joins LION as our new Manager of Coaching Programs

During her first week at LION Publishers, Alma Washington asked a question that stopped us in our tracks because it was exactly the kind of curiosity and care we were hoping for in this role. “How can I learn more about our members? What newsletters do I need to subscribe to? In other words, how can I make sure I’m meeting them where they are without asking for too much of their time?”

That intentionality is what makes Alma such a strong fit as LION’s new manager of coaching programs, where she’ll lead the design and delivery of learning experiences that are responsive to the needs of independent news organizations across the United States and Canada. This includes selecting and onboarding news businesses into programs aligned with their stage of sustainability, helping develop new program offerings that help members strengthen their organizational infrastructure, and analyzing feedback to improve future experiences and inform broader membership goals. Alma is also playing a key role in supporting our scaling of the Sustainability 360 program and new offerings we are developing to support publishers in strengthening their financial and HR systems. 

Much of Alma’s career has centered on onboarding, guiding, and supporting mission-driven news organizations. At Vox Media, she helped new employees navigate workflows, systems, and culture. At News Revenue Hub, she managed the onboarding of independent publishers to a membership platform, introducing them to both tools and frameworks for audience and revenue growth. In both roles, she bridged systems and people, empowering success. 

“I love the independent news ecosystem and want to continue playing a role in its growth and resilience,” Alma told us. “To be frank, I want to put good into the world. I’m happiest when I know my work is helping others.”

That commitment has been a throughline of Alma’s work — from helping organizations build financial stability at News Revenue Hub to structuring a grant process through Press Forward that’s distributing $1.5 million to support innovative journalism projects.

At LION, she’ll apply her strengths in project management, relationship building, and collaborative planning to help local news leaders find clarity, confidence, and community as they tackle their biggest challenges. We’re so lucky to have her.

Alma is based in Durham, North Carolina, and can be contacted directly at almawashington@lionpublishers.com. 

Welcome, Alma!