the center for integrity in news reporting BOARD OF trustees

Walter E. Hussman, Jr.

Walter Hussman began his career as a reporter for Forbes magazine and was a newspaper publisher in Little Rock for 48 years. Born in 1947 in Arkansas, Hussman followed in his family’s footsteps and pursued a career in journalism, receiving his Bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina and an MBA from Columbia University. He serves as chairman of WEHCO Media, Inc., which operates eleven daily newspapers and cable television companies across six states. Hussman is known for his dedication to journalist excellence and has received numerous accolades for his work, including being named Publisher of the Year in 2008 by Editor and Publisher magazine. Alongside his career, Hussman actively supports education and prison ministries in Arkansas. He has been board chairman of various organizations, such as the Arkansas Symphony, and served on the boards of the Associated Press and C-Span.

Eliza gaines

Eliza Gaines, a Little Rock native, is the fourth generation of her family to be in the newspaper industry. She is the publisher of eleven daily newspapers and eight weekly newspapers across Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, and Tennessee. Previous roles include vice president of audience development for WEHCO Media,  the 2023-2024 board president of the Arkansas Press Association, executive editor of the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record, and executive editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Eliza attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she earned her B.A. in English and later her M.A. in Mass Communication, where her focus was business and media. She is on the boards of the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media Foundation, the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation, America’s Newspapers, the CHI St. Vincent Foundation, and the Gladney Center for Adoption. She is the president of the Arkansas Press Association. Eliza is married to Alec and they have four young children.

CHARLES OVERBY

Charles Overby is a distinguished journalist, educator and advocate for the First Amendment. He has held various leadership roles, including chairman and CEO of the Freedom Forum, Newseum, and Diversity Institute. Overby is dedicated to educating the public about press freedom and the importance of the First Amendment. He was editor of the Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger when it won a Pulitzer Prize. He has traveled extensively, promoting media literacy and fostering diversity in newsrooms. Currently, he serves as chairman of the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics and taught journalism at the University of Mississippi.

Bret baier

Bret Baier serves as FOX News Channel’s anchor and executive editor of Special Report with Bret Baier. He also hosts “The Bret Baier Podcast” on FOX News Audio. Baier joined FNC in 1998 as a reporter in the Atlanta bureau and is now based in Washington, D.C. In April 2024, he received the Horatio Alger Award for his contributions to education and charity. He has played a crucial role in FNC’s coverage of major political events, including moderating presidential debates and town halls. Baier has received accolades for his journalistic work, including the Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism in 2017. Before his anchor role, he served as FNC’s chief White House correspondent. Baier holds a B.A. in political science and English from DePauw University and is a New York Times Best-Selling author. Bret and his wife Amy have two teenage sons, Paul and Daniel.

Mary kissel

Mary Kissel is executive vice president and senior policy advisor with Stephens Inc., a privately held financial services firm, where she counsels clients on geopolitical risk. She joined Stephens in 2021, following her service as senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State. At the State Department, she played a key role in the reorientation of the U.S.-China relationship, conducted special projects for the secretary, and traveled to more than 60 countries.

 Earlier, during 14 years with The Wall Street Journal, Ms. Kissel served on the editorial board in New York as chief foreign affairs writer for the unsigned "Review & Outlook" column, and as editorial page editor for Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong, where she was responsible for all opinion commentary on the region. She began her career at Goldman Sachs in New York and London.

 Ms. Kissel is vice chair of the board of directors of RXO, Inc., a director of QXO, Inc. and the American Australian Council, a nonresident senior fellow at Hudson Institute, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She appears regularly on major television stations, radio networks, and podcasts around the world. Ms. Kissel is a graduate of Harvard University and the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies.

general wesley k. clark

Wesley K. Clark is a businessman, educator, writer and commentator who serves as Chairman and CEO of Wesley K. Clark & Associates, a strategic consulting firm.
Clark retired as a four star general after 38 years in the United States Army, having served in his last assignments as Commander of US Southern Command and then as Commander of US European Command/ Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. He graduated first in his class at West Point and completed degrees in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University (B.A. and M.A.) as a Rhodes scholar. He worked with Ambassador Richard Holbrooke in the Dayton Peace Process, where he helped write and negotiate significant portions of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement. In his final assignment as Supreme Allied Commander Europe he led NATO forces to victory in Operation Allied Force, a 78-day air campaign, backed by ground invasion planning and a diplomatic process, saving 1.5 million Albanians from ethnic cleansing. His awards include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Defense Distinguished Service Medal (five awards), Silver star, bronze star, and purple heart. In 2019, Clark founded Renew America Together, a nonprofit organization designed to promote and achieve greater common ground in America by reducing partisan division and gridlock.