Who We Are
We aim to enrich and grow California’s news gathering ecosystem by encouraging inclusivity, collaboration and the ongoing support of quality journalism education.
For over 140 years, the core mission of the California Press Foundation has been to strengthen the future of California journalism through a variety of grant and internship programs. We aim to assure the future and integrity of California journalism by partnering with educators to help fund student journalism programs at all three levels, by recognizing and honoring contemporary achievements and by guarding the history and traditions of California journalism.
Directors/Staff
Officers (affiliations listed for identification purposes only)
Chairperson: Eric Johnston, CEO, Sonoma Media Investments
Vice Chairperson: Linda Bowen, CSU Northridge
Secretary-Treasurer: John Burns, Sebastopol
Directors (affiliations listed for identification purposes only)
Adriana Chavira, Daniel Pearl Magnet High School, Los Angeles
Darleen Principe, Santa Barbara City College
Dean Eckenroth, Eagle Newspapers, Coronado
Edward Rice, El Camino College
Gene Lieb, The Westside Express, Los Banos
Hilda Martinez, California Health Care Foundation
Jim Boren, CSU Fresno
Karlene Goller, Pasadena
Paul Kandell, Palo Alto High School
Paulette Brown-Hinds, Black Voice News, Riverside
Sarah Jimenez, Calbright College, Sacramento
Sarah Nichols, Whitney High School, Rocklin
Will Fleet, Tracy Press
Staff
Executive Director: Danielle McKinney | danielle@cal-press.org
Contact Us
California Press Foundation
P.O. Box 821
Chino, CA 91708-0821Mon-Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.Our History
One of the earliest press associations in the country, the California Press Association was founded in 1878 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. In 1925 and 1926, the association worked with the Southern California Editorial Association to form a trade organization—the California Newspaper Publishers Association. In 2013, the 136-year-old Cal Press Association merged with the CNPA Foundation, CNPA’s 501(c)(3) charitable division, formed in 1993, to form the California Press Foundation.
In 2025, the California Press Foundation separated from CNPA and now operates independently as a statewide nonprofit supporting the next generation of journalists.
Cal Press gives public recognition at its annual winter symposium to outstanding newspaper people of the state, past and present, with six of the most coveted awards in California journalism:
Justus F. Craemer California Newspaper Executive of the Year Award, the Philip N. McCombs Achievement Award, the Jack Bates Award, the Mark Twain Award for Journalism Excellence in California, and the California Newspaper Hall of Fame.Historic Gallery
The traditions of Cal Press have built a rich archive of memories and images. Here are a few.
© 2025