Business Before Hours: The Fight for Local News
Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking breakfast panel on the critical role of local journalism in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape. As local news outlets face unprecedented challenges—from shrinking newsrooms to financial pressures and the rise of misinformation—this discussion will explore innovative strategies to preserve and strengthen local reporting.
Hear from a diverse panel of industry leaders, journalists, and community advocates who are fighting to ensure that local stories remain at the heart of our communities. Discover how local news impacts civic engagement, fosters accountability, and shapes the identity of our neighborhoods.
Whether you’re a media professional, a concerned citizen, or simply a lover of quality journalism, this event offers valuable insights into how we can all contribute to keeping local news alive.
Moderator
Chair, Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce
Timothy D. Burke is a senior executive, industry leader and digital pioneer who currently advises companies and leaders on media strategy, executive leadership, and workforce management and technology.
He is the past Publisher/CEO of The Palm Beach Post and Palm Beach Daily News, Group Publisher for Gatehouse (Gannett) Media, Group Publisher for LRP Media Group, Multi-market Vice President for Cox Media Group, and Executive Editor, Vice President of Digital Media and Executive Sports Editor of The Palm Beach Post.
He is a longtime board member of the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce, and also currently serves on the boards of the Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin counties, Pathfinder Scholarship Awards, and the Housing Support Initiative, as well as a NorthPac trustee.
He previously served on the boards of the Economic Council, Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches and Florida Tax Watch, and as an adviser to the Literary Coalition.
Burke began his management career in leadership positions at newspapers in Miami, Dallas, and Springfield, Mo. Later, he served as a two-time president of the Florida Press Association, a non-profit representing, and advocating for, all newspapers in Florida; vice chair of the Southern Newspaper Press Association; and president of APSE, the national organization representing sports editors and journalism.
After leaving the newspaper industry in 2019, Burke moved to LRP Media Group, where he managed its media products focused on key workplace/HR issues at Fortune 500
companies and LRP’s events, including the world’s largest conference and expo for HR technology.
Panelists
Vice President of Community Investments, The Miami Foundation
Lindsey serves as the Vice President of Community Investments at The Miami Foundation and in this role, she partners with private and family foundations, nonprofit organizations, and community members to advance social change.
Most recently, Lindsey was the force behind the incubation and operationalization of Press Forward, a $500 million national initiative to strengthen communities by reinvigorating and investing in local news. She is also an core part of the local team behind the launch of Press Forward South Florida, a place-based initiative to bring partners together to expand resources for local news
At The Miami Foundation, Lindsey manages a 10-person team and a $200+ million portfolio of charitable funds and special projects. She has created and scaled multi-million dollar local and national grant programs in the areas of disaster and community recovery, local news, and arts education and access.
Lindsey brings over a decade of experience in nonprofit and foundation management with a deep expertise in program design, donor collaboratives, fiscal sponsorship, and grants management.
Prior to joining The Miami Foundation in 2017, Lindsey worked as the grants administration officer at Knight Foundation, where she managed the organization’s grants processes, as well as special projects. She has also served as program manager at the Community Foundation of Broward, overseeing leadership development and capacity building programs.
Originally from South Florida, Lindsey received her bachelor’s degree in business from Emory University and her MBA from Columbia Business School. When she is not working to build a better Miami, Lindsey spends her time being the #1 fan for her two young boys at their sporting events.
Joel Engelhardt
Co-Founder, Stet News
Joel Engelhardt is a co-founder, reporter and editor at Stet News, an independent, non-profit digital news website that focuses on northern Palm Beach County.
Joel has been an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor for more than 40 years, including 28 years at The Palm Beach Post.
As a reporter, he covered countywide growth, the 2000 election and the birth of CityPlace. As an editor, he oversaw probes into the opioid scourge, private prisons, police-involved shootings and more.
For seven years, he worked on the paper’s editorial board.
Joel left The Post in December 2020 and has been working at Stet since 2023. He and his wife, Donna, have two children and live in Palm Beach Gardens.
Samantha Ragland
Vice President of Journalism Programs, American Press Institute
An award-winning local journalist, Sam Ragland is a dynamic educator and strategist serving as Vice President of Journalism Strategy at the American Press Institute where she overseas the institute’s Local News Summits, challenge funding, inclusion and transformation portfolios as well as the Media Insights Project with AP-NORC.
A proud Southerner, Samantha’s work empowers local news organizations to connect with diverse communities through community engagement and local collaborations — developing sustainable practices for both the journalists and the business of journalism. A former faculty member and director of the flagship Leadership Academy for Women at The Poynter Institute, she has trained journalists globally on resilience, creativity, and innovation. She is most called upon to facilitate cross-generational conversations on workplace well-being, belonging and leadership.
In her previous role as an editor at The Palm Beach Post, Sam facilitated the digital transformation of the local features section, launching an award-winning multi-cultural digital storytelling team whose goal was to serve residents in the spaces they chose to be — from the feeds of Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook to the seats of local coffee shops and restaurants.
Samantha believes local news should be bold, inclusive, and built to last — for the next generation and beyond.
Chadi Irani
General Manager, The Palm Beach Post, Palm Beach Daily News, and TC Palm
Chadi Irani serves as the General Manager of The Palm Beach Post, Palm Beach Daily News and TC Palm, and as Regional Vice President of Advertising at LocaliQ. LocaliQ is the marketing arm of the USA Today Network, which includes these flagship publications locally.
Chadi and his team help local businesses, non-profits and organizations tell their stories to the people who need them. In doing so, they play a crucial role in funding daily local journalism that keeps citizens informed, protected and engaged.
He has built and led a team of experts who execute high-level campaigns and strategic accounts, managing all aspects of digital media strategy, planning, media placement, optimization and reporting.
Chadi has also led client seminars alongside representatives from Google, Meta and top digital vendors, providing insights into the evolving marketing landscape.
Prior to joining The Palm Beach Post, Chadi served as Retail Advertising Manager at The Ithaca Journal in Ithaca, NY, where he built and led the local sales department, leveraging his sales and technical expertise to drive impactful advertising campaigns.
Chadi is a trustee of the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce and currently resides with his family in West Palm Beach.
Thanks to our Health and Safety Sponsor, Molekule Group Inc., the space will have Pūrgo machines, which help prevent the transmission of infections with medical-grade air sanitization by eliminating 99.99% of harmful airborne pathogens.
| Event Cancellation Policy: A notice of cancellation must be received by e-mail within 48 hours (2 business days) prior to the event. NO verbal cancellations will be accepted. Cancellations under 48 hours prior to the event, will NOT receive event credit in order to solidify attendance numbers with the event venue. All cancellation notices received BEFORE 48 hours (2 business days) prior to the event will be given an event credit of equal value. Event credits will be applied upon request and are good for up to 1 year from the purchase date. There are NO REFUNDS. |
NOTE: Premier Events (ArtiGras Tickets / Loggerhead Triathlon Registrations) and Special Events (The Leadership Awards Dinner / Holiday Mixer / Business 2 Baseball / Golf Classic) do not qualify for an event credit upon cancellation. Contributions or gifts to the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. |
Sponsorship Opportunities (Members Only)*:
Check out the sponsorship information here (a downloadable Dropbox link) and consider becoming a Corporate or Networking Table Sponsor today!
Sponsorship deadline is ONE WEEK before the event! Click the blue "Register" button at the top right corner of the event webpage (see this video tutorial) to secure your spot. Email Brittany Cartwright for further questions.
Sponsorships Available:
Corporate Sponsor (table of 10 + marketing benefits): ONLY TWO LEFT (Three Available per event) One Event - $1,250 | Three Events $3,100 | Five Events : $4,850
Networking Exhibitor (2 tickets + 6-foot table): | $350 Non-Profit Rate / $450 For-Profit Rate TWO LEFT (Two Available per event)
Student Table Sponsor: $700 per event FOUR LEFT - Schools to Choose from: Inlet Grove High School, Jupiter High School, Palm Beach Gardens High School, and William T. Dwyer High School. Only available September - March 2024.
Already reserved: Suncoast High School.
Student Table Sponsorship reservation deadline is TWO WEEKS before the BBH.
Annual Sponsorships Still Available:
Meet and Greet Sponsor: $5,000 for Series (2 tickets + marketing year-round) ONLY ONE Available annually
Morning Fuel Sponsor: $5,000 for Series (2 tickets + marketing year-round) ONLY ONE Available annually
SOLD OUT Sponsorships:
Presenting Sponsor: $3,500 (table of 10 + 3 minutes to talk) SOLD - GL Homes / Lewis, Longman & Walker LLC (Two Available per event)
Coffee Sponsor: $5,000 for Series (2 tickets + marketing year-round) SOLD - Lesser, Lesser, Smith & Siegel
Prosperity Juice Sponsor: $5,000 for Series (2 tickets + marketing year-round) SOLD - HCA Florida JFK North Hospital
Health & Safety Sponsor: $5,000 for Series (2 tickets + marketing year-round) SOLD - Molekule Group, Inc.
Networking Table Sponsor (4 tickets, high top table in networking area + marketing benefits) SOLD OUT (Two Available per event) One Event - $1,000 | Five Events : $4,000
*Sponsorships are available for PBN Chamber members only. Membership start at just $525 for businesses with up to 5 employees. Become a member today!
Health & Safety Sponsor
Corporate Sponsor
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Networking Table Sponsor
Coffee Sponsor
Prosperity Juice Sponsor
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Lifestyle and Destination Sponsor
Student Table Sponsor
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Presenting Sponsor
4000 RCA Blvd.
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
7:15 AM - Networking, Check-In, Breakfast
7:45 AM - Program Begins
9 AM - Program Ends
General Admission: $75 Early Registration (up to one week before) | $80 week-of | $85 at the door
Registration will close Monday, March 17, 2025 at 12 NOON
Tablet Advertisement: $200 per event | $500/Monthly
Sponsorship Opportunities (Members Only)*: Check out the sponsorship information here (a downloadable Dropbox link) and consider becoming a Corporate or Networking Table Sponsor today!
Sponsorship deadline is ONE WEEK before the event! Click the blue "Register" button at the top right corner of the event webpage (see this video tutorial) to secure your spot. Email Brittany Cartwright for further questions.
