NEW YORK (AP) — Sarah Nordgren, an experienced newsroom leader who has held numerous roles in the editorial and revenue departments of The Associated Press, has been named executive director of Associated Press Media Editors and director of AP's U.S. news operations. The announcement was made by Brian Carovillano, AP's vice president for U.S. news.
As executive director of APME, Nordgren will lead an industry organization that seeks to foster journalistic excellence and support and train the leaders of today’s multimedia newsrooms.
Nordgren will also serve as director of operations for AP’s U.S. news team. In that role she will help manage bureaus and regional desks in the 50 states, including staff in every U.S. state capital, and help shepherd key newsroom initiatives. She will report to Carovillano.
“AP and APME are fortunate to have Sarah Nordgren in this critical role,” he said. “She is among the smartest journalists and best strategic thinkers I know, and I have learned so much from her over the years about journalism and leadership.”
For the past four years, Nordgren has served as AP’s director of U.S. content development. In that role, she has been a primary liaison between AP’s newsroom and revenue departments and has led efforts to develop a digital publishing business.
Before that, she was deputy managing editor and director of state news, in which she oversaw AP’s domestic news bureaus. She has helped develop social media guidelines and led the development of global beat teams. She first joined AP in 1982 and has also served as a reporter and assistant chief of bureau in Chicago.
Nordgren is originally from Omaha and lives in New York City with her husband. She has two children.
“She is very well-respected by her colleagues and those in newsrooms around the country,” said Laura Sellers-Earl, president of APME and managing editor of the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon. “We are eager to work with Sarah to move APME even further into the forefront of promoting quality journalism, Freedom of Information, innovation and training exceptional newsroom leaders.”
In her APME role, Nordgren succeeds Sally Jacobsen, who retired Friday following a career in which she also served as AP’s international editor and as editor of the AP Stylebook.