Founder John Thornton steps down from Texas Tribune board after 13 years

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These issues occur in threes. In January, I turned the primary of the Tribune’s trio of leaders at launch to announce plans to step down. What I knew on the time however few others did was that Ross Ramsey, our managing editor on day one and our government editor almost ever since, intended to exit himself in only a few months.

That left John Thornton. Ross and I had been co-founders of our nonprofit news org. John was our founder — the visionary enterprise capitalist who employed us away from good jobs to take a leap of religion on behalf of public curiosity journalism and be part of him in a well-meaning however unsure effort to build a mission-driven media brand. John was our first cash in, our first board chair and an lively member of our board all these years. Turns out that’s coming to an finish, too. At the top of 2022, he’s giving up his board seat. The transition from founding to sustaining can be full.

Not sufficient has been mentioned or could be mentioned about John’s function or contribution. None of this — none of us, none of you — can be right here with out him. He had the concept that Texas wanted a dependable, credible, unbiased supply of news and information, a way of elevating the extent of civic engagement and civilizing the dialog about points and concepts. He recruited me to be CEO and helped persuade reporters and different potential staffers that we had been severe and had an opportunity to succeed. He handed the hat amongst buddies and acquaintances and picked up pledges that allowed us to employees up and get the factor off the bottom. He labored his connections at nationwide foundations to get us on their radar screens — relationships that stay crucial immediately.

John was the inspiration, the motivation, the proud papa, the loyal pal who tells you the tough issues it is advisable to hear and holds you accountable, and all the time, all the time the neatest particular person within the room. More than something, he was the true believer — he by no means stopped carrying the flag for this factor we had been doing — and he made us true believers.

It can be the case that nonprofit journalism throughout the nation wouldn’t be right here with out him. Because John based the Tribune, dozens of communities from coast to coast and border to frame have their very own news orgs patterned after ours. They adopted in our footsteps, however actually they adopted in his.

And as a result of John went on to co-found the American Journalism Project, a enterprise philanthropy agency devoted to beginning and rising native news nonprofits, his affect on our trade and our democracy has been many instances larger. When the trendy historical past of journalism is written, John can be celebrated for all he achieved and all he enabled. He’s a pathbreaker. A change agent. A public citizen. A hero.

Point of non-public privilege: He’s my hero. I’ve been fortunate over greater than 30 years to construct a profession I’m pleased with — and to have been extra profitable than I deserved to be. I had a handful of actually nice jobs, notably at Texas Monthly, the place I used to be the editor for a lot of years. But nothing compares to the Tribune. This was the place the place I did my easiest and most essential work, the place on daily basis I obtained to be a drive for good. Where I obtained to alter lives. Where I obtained to make this state I like so significantly better by making my buddies and neighbors higher knowledgeable. That’s all due to John. I’m eternally in his debt.

He’ll be gone in just a few weeks, however he’ll by no means be distant. His voice will reside within the heads of everybody on the Tribune, together with and particularly my successor, Sonal Shah. She is aware of how essential John is to our origin story — to our values. At the identical time, she is aware of that 2022 is the yr of the passing of the torch. It says so much about how far the Tribune has come that the founders, the three of us, be ok with taking our depart.

Thank you, John, for all the pieces.

Disclosure: Texas Monthly has been a monetary supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news group that’s funded partly by donations from members, foundations and company sponsors. Financial supporters play no function within the Tribune’s journalism. Find a whole list of them here.