The Vermont Journalism Trust, the nonprofit parent company of online news site VTDigger, has hired a new CEO.
Brendan Kinney, now the chief operating officer at Vermont Public, will assume the top role at the trust in mid-June, the organization announced on Wednesday. He’ll replace Sky Barsch, who has headed the organization since 2023. She announced in January that she would depart by June.
The hiring of Kinney, who has spent 16 years in management roles at Vermont Public and its predecessor, Vermont Public Radio, could help stabilize what has been a tumultuous time at VTDigger.
The site’s editor-in-chief, Geeta Anand, announced in March that she, too, would leave in June. Veteran Vermont journalist Susan Allen will step in as interim editor-in-chief.
The departure announcements came toward the end of a lengthy and at times contentious negotiation with the union representing VTDigger’s 17 newsroom employees.
A new contract, announced on April 1, provides significant pay increases for the lowest-paid journalists and protections against layoffs due to future use of artificial intelligence.
Gaye Symington, president of the trust, said in a statement that Kinney is a “people-focused leader” who will help build trust among readers, donors and community leaders.
“We are confident that as CEO, Brendan will strengthen not just VTDigger’s service to its readers, but also the broader news ecosystem of Vermont,” Symington said.
Kinney will oversee the business and operations of VTDigger, including finance, human resources, technology, marketing and business strategy.
He praised VTDigger’s growth from a one-woman operation founded in 2009 by Anne Galloway into a trusted statewide news service and said he looks forward to building on that success.
“VTDigger is essential to the health of Vermont’s democracy and civic life,” Kinney said.
Kinney holds degrees from Saint Michael’s College and joined Vermont Public Radio in 2010 as vice president for development and marketing. He later helped manage the merger with Vermont Public Television in 2021. He served as interim CEO of Vermont Public for a year in 2023-2024. He lives with his family in Essex.
