• by Ray Schultz , November 15, 2023

Maribel Perez Wadsworth, former president of Gannett Media and publisher of USA Today, has been appointed president an CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Wadsworth, the first woman to lead the foundation, succeeds Alberto Ibargüen, who in March announced his decision to retire after having overseen the disbursement of $2.3 billion over 18 years.

Her tenure as president of the USA Today Network began in 2017. A year later, she was named publisher of USA Today, the second woman and first person of color to serve in that role.

The USA Today Network garnered five Pulitzer Prizes during Wadsworth’s tenure. 

“Maribel’s passion for journalism, coupled with her staunch belief that arts and culture play a pivotal role in nurturing well-informed and actively engaged communities, aligns directly with our core values,” says Frank Borges, chair of the Knight board of trustees.