Our Champions

Spotlight PA's volunteer chairs

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  Mark Sheppard

  Community Campaign Chair for Philadelphia Region

  For over three decades, Mark Sheppard has built a record of successfully representing corporations, public officials and individuals in complex white collar criminal trials, grand jury investigations, SEC, FCA and other civil enforcement matters.  He has also represented various companies and individuals in complex litigation and First Amendment matters.

  Mark is a past President of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Pennsylvania Commission of Sentencing from 2015 -2019 He has testified before both the United States Senate and Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committees numerous times and various legislative and judicial task forces on matters relating to federal and state judicial reform. Mark has also served on a number of non-profit Boards and continues to be active with various volunteer organizations, focusing on professional wellness, ensuring access to our courts, and the protection of a free press.

  Mark resides with his wife, Diane, in Chester County, Pennsylvania with their two dogs, Chase and Ruthie. They enjoy spending time with their two grown children and their partners and eagerly await the birth of their first grandchild, later this year.

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  David M Erdman

  Lehigh Valley Community Campaign Chair

  From reporter to editor-in-chief, David M. Erdman has worked more than 35 years in media before retiring in 2016 when he began serving as a media and communications instructor and volunteer for Spotlight PA and other efforts to support journalism in Pennsylvania.

  For his three decades of commitment to journalism, service to the community, and work in support of open government, the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association recognized Erdman with the 2016 Ben Franklin Award for Excellence.

  After serving in many roles at The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa., including city editor and managing editor, Erdman became editor-in-chief overseeing all aspects of The Morning Call, the largest media company in the third most populated region of Pennsylvania with a portfolio of digital and print products reaching more than 70 percent of the market. Erdman is a past president of the Pennsylvania Society of News Editors and currently serves as a trustee for the Pennsylvania News Media Foundation.

  Why I support Spotlight PA: “Investigative reporting is more than ‘good content’. It’s an element essential to the functioning of our democracy, and with local media under pressure by mergers, acquisitions, and precipitous declines in audience and revenue, SpotlightPA is our best hope of keeping the Fourth Estate thriving in Pennsylvania.”

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  Katie O’Toole

  State College Community Campaign Chair

  Katie O’Toole is an Associate Teaching Professor in Penn State’s Donald P. Bellisario College of

  Communications where she earned her PhD in Mass Communications in 2010. Previously, she worked for 24 years at Penn State Public Broadcasting primarily as the writer and host of a nationally-distributed children’s current events series. Katie lives in Lemont with her husband Gary Gray.

  Why I support Spotlight PA: “I support Spotlight PA because I have seen what happens in rural counties where stories go untold. As voters, we’re less informed about the candidates who want to govern our towns and villages. As consumers, we’re often not aware of the decisions made by corporations and lawmakers that affect our wallets. As community members, we hear fewer stories about the triumphs and struggles of our neighbors—the kinds of stories that once challenged us to do better as a society or that gave us reason for communal celebrations. Spotlight PA’s State College Bureau is filling the gap left by the demise of small-town newspapers. Its journalists tell local stories and report on the meetings, events, issues, and institutions that form the foundation of our shared civic life.”

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  Jennifer Bertetto

  Pittsburgh Community Campaign Chair

  Jennifer Bertetto is the President and CEO of Trib Total Media and 535media in Pittsburgh. She is also the chairwoman of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Under her leadership, Trib Total Media has grown its audience to nearly 4 million monthly readers. It has been named Best Overall Newspaper by the Society of Professional Journalists for four of the last five years. In 2022, Jennifer was named “Publisher of the Year” by Editor and Publisher.

  Why I support Spotlight PA: “I support Spotlight PA because I believe it is vital to our democracy that we hold government officials accountable and because an informed citizenry leads to higher voter turnout and a more civically engaged society.”