The New York Press Association announced Thursday, Aug. 21 that The Daily Star’s publisher, Valerie Secor, has been elected to serve as the group’s district director for the central region.
Secor was promoted to publisher in February 2024. She had previously been the newspaper’s general manager since April 2022. She began her employment with CNHI and The Daily Star as an advertising sales representative in June 2015 and was promoted to advertising sales director in November 2018 — a position she retained when she became publisher.
In her new role at NYPA, she will represent and support member newspapers in the central region while helping to guide the association’s mission of strengthening community journalism across New York state, a news release stated.
“We look forward to her leadership in shaping the future of the association,” the release stated.
Speaking on her election, Secor said, “I believe in the newspaper industry. I believe now, more than ever, there is a need for a reliable local news gathering source. I believe social media and a false narrative that newspapers are dying has threatened us. But, we will survive. Thrive even.”