MIAMI — The trustees of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation have elected Marc Fest vice president of communications. He will report to Knight Foundation President and CEO Alberto Ibargüen.
Fest succeeds Larry Meyer in a planned leadership transition in Knight’s communications department. Meyer, who joined the foundation in 1995, becomes senior communications officer and remains secretary to the board of trustees.
Fest joined Knight Foundation in March 2007 as director of communications. He led the development of the foundation’s new web site, marketing of the Knight News Challenge contest and the recent announcement of the Knight Arts Partnership.
As vice president, Fest leads the foundation’s strategic communications. His responsibilities include media and government relations, the foundation’s online and offline communications platforms, web strategy and social networking, and the promotion of Knight Foundation initiatives.
“Marc Fest’s entrepreneurial talents, public relations skills and technology experience will be valuable in creating visibility for Knight’s focus on transformational change in journalism and communities,” said Ibargüen. “Bud Meyer remains an officer and valued member of our executive group. He planted the seed for this transition and continues to lend expertise to Knight and national leadership to the field.”
Prior to joining the foundation, Fest was a consultant for Knight on web strategies. He is president and founder of QuickBrowse.com LLC, a web service that enables Internet users to combine frequently viewed Web pages into a single page for faster viewing.
He was vice president of communications for the New World Symphony from 2004 to 2006. From 2002 to 2007, he served as an inaugural member of Knight Foundation’s Community Advisory Committee for Miami-Dade and Broward counties. He served as a Miami-based correspondent for Berliner Zeitung, Berlin’s largest daily newspaper.
“The opportunity to work with an organization that cares
so deeply about community, and about the integrity of news and information in
our democracy is incredibly exciting,” said Fest. “It’s a privilege to be a
part of a team so dedicated to facilitating innovation and transformational
change.”
Meyer joined Knight in 1995 as director of communications. He became vice president of communications in 2002 and secretary in 2004. He is chairman of the board of the Communications Network, a national membership organization advancing the practice of strategic communications in philanthropy. He serves on the Council on Foundations Marketing and Communications committee. He’s a member of the University of Missouri alumni association communications committee, and a life member of Leadership Florida.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 U.S. communities. Knight Foundation focuses on ideas and projects that create transformational change.
High resolution photo of Marc Fest: http://www.kflinks.com/mf-photo