Karen Rundlet was hired as CEO of the Institute for Nonprofit News.
Rundlet succeeds Sue Cross, who had announced plans earlier this year to step down. Rundlet will join INN Jan. 8, according to a news release.
“Karen is uniquely positioned as a visionary, passionate and experienced journalist and philanthropist to propel the nonprofit news movement,” said Marcia Parker, chair of INN’s board of directors. “As a leader of our field, she already is driving the national advances to redesign news media that is inclusive for communities of color and can bring trusted information to everyone.”
Rundlet most recently worked as senior director for the journalism program at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. She joined the Knight Foundation in 2015 as a program officer and also worked as a director.
As senior director for Knight’s journalism program, Rundlet managed a grant portfolio of more than $50 million, including support for organizations like INN. She helped lead the growth of NewsMatch, the end-of-year fundraising campaign launched by Knight. Rundlet is also one of the organizers behind Press Forward, a collaborative effort spearheaded by the MacArthur Foundation.
She previously worked for the Miami Herald, first as a multimedia manager of partnerships and later as a video manager. She was also a business journalist for WLRN in Miami and held producer roles for the ABC affiliate in Miami and the NBC affiliate in New York City.
“Across the country, we are experiencing a renaissance in newsmaking, with INN members driving that shift,” said Rundlet. “Ours is a powerful community of practice, focused on excellence in journalism, equity and inclusion, and the financial health of news. We are world-building and innovating with the ultimate goal of keeping communities informed to serve our collective future.”
Outgoing CEO Cross said INN “has great momentum” and that Rundlet will bring a “new vision” to the organization.