VTDigger has hired experienced journalist Liana Teixeira as deputy managing editor to help guide the newsroom’s award-winning coverage across Vermont.
Teixeira will join VTDigger on May 19 and work alongside Managing Editor Neal Goswami to help run the day-to-day operations of the 20-plus newsroom staff. She has most recently worked as an editor and recruiter in Virginia. She has previously worked for Business Insider as assistant managing editor and held several newsroom leadership positions in Connecticut.
Teixeira will work with the newsroom leadership team to oversee three senior editors and more than a dozen reporters and interns while helping guide VTDigger’s daily news coverage as well as its investigative special reports.
Meanwhile, Austyn Gaffney has joined VTDigger and University of Vermont’s Center for Community News through a new reporting and instructing partnership. Gaffney recently completed a fellowship on The New York Times’ Climate Desk, where she’s covered record-breaking weather events, shrinking sea ice, wildfire risks and the accelerating impact of climate change on vulnerable communities.
At VTDigger, her reporting will focus on environmental science reporting. At UVM, she will mentor undergraduate students on environmental reporting through the Center for Community News program. This new position’s primary funding source is a generous gift by the Canaday Family Charitable Trust along with financial support from the University of Vermont, David Blittersdorf, Mathew Rubin and Kathryn Stearns.
Her first day was May 1.
“VTDigger is fortunate to welcome two extremely talented journalists to the staff at a time when deeply reported, accurate news matters more than ever. Liana and Austyn have the skills, talent and experience to help advance the newsroom as it enters an exciting new era under the leadership of incoming Editor-in-Chief Geeta Anand,” Goswami said.
Promotions
Lesli Hill Blount, who consulted on funding strategy starting in January, has been officially appointed as Chief Revenue Officer. Blount is leading the revenue team to grow funding for the newsroom by strengthening relationships with donors, members and business underwriters. She will work directly with businesses who support VTDigger’s work through our advertising program. Blount previously spent a dozen years as director of business sponsorships at Vermont Public and has held positions at KeyBank and the Greater Burlington YMCA.
Emma Cotton has been promoted to a senior editor at VTDigger. Cotton joined the organization in 2020 through a partnership with Report for America as VTDigger’s southwestern Vermont reporter. She most recently served as an environmental reporter. In her role, she will supervise several reporters, coordinate coverage, edit stories and contribute to newsroom leadership initiatives.
Habib Sabet, previously a night editor for VTDigger, has been promoted to business and general assignment reporter.
Teixeira and Cotton replace former Deputy Managing Editor Alicia Freese and former Senior Editor Diane Derby, respectively. Freese stepped back to pursue other opportunities and Derby retired in April after a long career in journalism and politics.
“Congratulations to the team members who have been promoted, and a warm welcome to the new faces in our newsroom. I’m deeply grateful to our entire team for their continued commitment to journalistic excellence,” VTDigger CEO Sky Barsch said. “And to our funders: Your support makes it possible to bring on professionals of this caliber. Thank you. Vermonters will be well-served by their talent and dedication.”
