PublicSource CEO Eric Zack has left the news organization, its board of directors said Monday.
Ted Anthony, the board president, described Zack’s departure after nine months as a personnel matter and declined to provide details.
“We’re very glad to have had him and thank him very much for the time that he spent here,” Anthony said.
Zack, who began as CEO in May, did not comment Monday. PublicSource will be led in an interim capacity by its editor-in-chief, Halle Stockton, and director of revenue and operations, Jennie Liska.
Zack’s departure does not reflect any financial weakness at the organization, board member Zak Thomas said. Anthony added that the decision will not impact the organization’s mission or the journalism it provides readers.
Board members did not say when they expect to hire a new leader or what the search process will entail, but they said that a board meeting was scheduled for Monday night to begin discussion of that topic.
Zack joined PublicSource after working as director of university relations at The Conversation, a nonprofit independent news organization. He was PublicSource’s first CEO.
Prior to Zack’s arrival, Mila Sanina served for five years as executive director. She left to focus on her well-being and has subsequently worked as a professor and as a freelance writer for PublicSource, among other roles.
Following Sanina’s departure, Stockton and Liska led PublicSource on an interim basis, as they are now.
Stockton has served as PublicSource’s editor-in-chief since May. Prior to that, she served as managing editor for seven years, and before that as a reporter for PublicSource for three years and for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida for four years.
Liska has served as PublicSource’s director of revenue and operations since 2018. She builds corporate and community relationships to support the growth of PublicSource. She previously spent 13 years working in management and technology consulting. She also served on PublicSource’s Board of Directors from 2016 to 2018.
PublicSource, founded in 2011, grew from a project within Pittsburgh Filmmakers to an independent nonprofit with a full-time staff of 15. The organization is guided by a 14-member board of directors including veterans of media, marketing, technology, education, medicine, law, human resources, finance and communications.
Board members said Monday that as they chart the organization’s path forward, they hope to grow their own ranks to between 15 and 20 and become more diverse as a body to “represent all of Pittsburgh.”
Those interested in joining the board can read about its role and apply here.
Charlie Wolfson is PublicSource’s local government reporter and a Report for America corps member. He can be reached at charlie@publicsource.org or at @chwolfson on Twitter.
Rich Lord is PublicSource’s managing editor. He can be reached at rich@publicsource.org.
