Meet the Team
LION Staff
(In alphabetical order)
Ipshita Abraham
Associate Director of Product
ipshitaabraham@lionpublishers.com
Ipshita drives LION’s mission forward by partnering across teams to design and implement technology solutions that align with strategic objectives. Her work is fueled by a passion for simplifying complexity and creating scalable, user-friendly systems. With extensive experience in business systems management, Salesforce administration, process improvement, and project leadership, she brings valuable insight and expertise to LION. Ipshita is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. More on Ipshita.
Chuck Corra
Associate Director of Policy & Advocacy
chuckcorra@lionpublishers.com
Chuck designs and leads advocacy efforts on behalf of local independent online news businesses and helps LION drive policy outcomes at the state and national levels across the U.S. His work also includes researching, tracking, and sharing information on policy developments, building relationships with key legislators’ offices to amplify our members’ voices, and informing LION members on how to take advantage of tax breaks and other policy benefits made available through recent legislation. Chuck’s professional background spans public affairs, issue advocacy, strategic research, and legal fields. Most recently, he advised renewable energy developers on navigating community support for deploying wind and solar energy in rural communities. Chuck currently lives in North Central Florida.
Jess deRivera
Membership Services Manager
(she/her)
jessderivera@lionpublishers.com
Jess supports LION members by connecting them with discounted products and services, coaching and education opportunities, and communities for independent news entrepreneurs. Her work also includes guiding new and renewing members through the application process as LION’s membership base expands. Jess previously led development and engagement efforts for Billy Penn at WHYY, including membership management and revenue campaign design. Jess is based in Collingswood, New Jersey, just outside Philadelphia.
Natalya Dreszer
Data and Evaluation Program Associate
natalyadreszer@lionpublishers.com
Natalya Dreszer supports LION's Sustainability Audits program, assessing the health and sustainability of LION member businesses. Previously, Natalya developed and led LION-award-winning engagement and operational projects at Santa Cruz Local, a news start-up in California. Natalya was drawn to the news industry’s puzzle of how to access and distribute information while working to help the Santa Cruz City Attorney’s Office comply with the California Public Records Act (California’s version of the Freedom of Information Act). Natalya is based in Brooklyn, New York.
Lisa Hunter
Director of Finance and Operations
(she/her)
lisahunter@lionpublishers.com
Lisa Hunter oversees LION’s financial management, financial planning, and organizational operations. After her first career chapter leading nonprofit program evaluation teams, Lisa pivoted to finance: she got an MBA and went on to serve as Finance Manager at KIPP Northern California and Finance Director at Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. Lisa is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. More on Lisa.
Shelly Hunter
Development Director
(she/her)
shellyhunter@lionpublishers.com
Shelly Hunter directs efforts to help build sustainable resources for LION. An accomplished fundraising professional with nearly 20 years of experience, she has managed cultural funding for the City of Savannah and led development teams at the ACLU of Oregon, the City of Portland, and YES! Media. She has also worked as an independent consultant, supporting the development of fundraising initiatives at emerging nonprofits, including Oregon Donor Alliance and Albina Vision Trust. She was raised on the coast of Georgia and studied in Egypt and Estonia before earning a master's in Public Administration. She currently resides in Georgia. More on Shelly.
Rhue Ivy-Torres
Salesforce Administrator
(they/them)
rhueivy@lionpublishers.com
Rhue Ivy-Torres supports LION’s mission by maintaining and improving LION’s central database, Salesforce. They have worked in various capacities within data and technology across the nonprofit sector, previously serving organizations such as Covenant House, PEN America, and The Center for Popular Democracy. They currently sit on NTEN’s Accessibility Committee. Rhue is based in Colorado.
Chloe Kizer
Director of Data and Evaluation
(she/her)
chloekizer@lionpublishers.com
Chloe applies her background in startup operations to strengthen LION’s products and programs by designing and managing systems for ongoing data collection, data management, KPI measurement and iterative product development while also managing the technology used by LION's members and stakeholders. Most recently she led the development of the Project Oasis database and research report for UNC-Chapel Hill. Chloe is based in Durham, North Carolina. More on Chloe.
Reshma Kothari
Finance & Operations Manager
(she/her)
reshmakothari@lionpublishers.com
Reshma Kothari helps LION achieve organizational excellence through financial management support and administrative operations. With a growing staff around the country, Reshma supports state compliance processes, staff and organizational operational excellence, and overall financial health. She most recently came from Benefits Data Trust, where she worked as a Partnerships Associate managing contracts, program impact, and technical support on proprietary products. Reshma is currently based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Chris Krewson
Executive Director
(he/him)
chriskrewson@lionpublishers.com
Chris Krewson works with LION Publishers’ Board of Directors to set the organization’s vision and strategic direction, executes its strategic plan, leads fundraising and budgeting, oversees LION's directors of membership, development, data and evaluation and finance and operations, and engages with industry groups. He’s a former VP of strategy for Spirited Media, former founding editor at Philadelphia’s Billy Penn, and the former top digital editor for Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Morning Call of Allentown, Pa. He is based in Havertown, just outside Philadelphia.
Sarah Gustavus Lim
Membership Director
(she/her)
sarahlim@lionpublishers.com
Sarah Gustavus Lim oversees LION’s membership strategy to ensure that products and programs are supporting members as they move toward sustainability. She previously led national initiatives at the Solutions Journalism Network, worked in many different roles in public media, and was the executive director of national programs at the Native American-owned Koahnic Broadcast Corporation. Sarah is also the founder and former co-director of the New Mexico Local News Fund, which brings together journalists, philanthropic leaders, and community members around shared goals for the local news ecosystem. She’s based in Seattle, Washington. More on Sarah.
Hayley Milloy
Marketing Manager
(she/her)
hayleymilloy@lionpublishers.com
Hayley Milloy is responsible for designing and executing LION’s editorial and marketing strategy to grow LION’s membership, attract new publishers to LION’s programming, and communicate the association’s impact on the independent news industry. She got her start at the international Women in Manufacturing Association, where she led membership growth and marketing efforts, and she most recently worked in higher education marketing at Case Western Reserve University. Hayley is currently based in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.
Andrew Rockway
Associate Director of Data and Evaluation
(he/him)
andrewrockway@lionpublishers.com
Andrew Rockway leads LION's Sustainability Audits program, assessing the health and sustainability of LION member businesses. He previously led the Trusted Elections Network and Local News Ideas-to-Action cohorts at the American Press Institute and the Your Voice Ohio media collaborative at the Center for New Democratic Processes. Andrew is based in Minnesota. More on Andrew.
Dylan Sanchez
Data and Evaluation Manager
(he/him)
dylansanchez@lionpublishers.com
Dylan Sanchez supports LION’s operations by managing the data, systems and processes supporting daily operations at LION as well as providing technical assistance to the organization. He brings with him a background in project management, data analysis, and capacity building. Previously, Dylan served as a Public Health Advisor with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention working to centralize responses to communicable diseases. He is currently based in Long Beach, California.
Padma Umakanthan
Finance Manager
(she/her)
padmaumakanthan@lionpublishers.com
Padma Umakanthan manages LION’s financial operations, budgeting processes, and internal reporting systems. She brings a unique blend of engineering leadership experience and nonprofit finance expertise, grounded in her MBA training from UC Berkeley Haas. Prior to joining LION, she worked as a finance consultant, helping mission-driven organizations strengthen financial systems and make data-informed decisions. Padma lives in San Jose, California. More on Padma.
Natalie Van Hoozer
Community Manager
(she/her)
natalievanhoozer@lionpublishers.com
Natalie Van Hoozer supports community-building among LION members and helps them engage with LION membership programs. She most recently worked as a bilingual Spanish/English community engagement journalist at KUNR Public Radio in Reno, Nevada, and as the media partnerships manager for Factchequeado, a Spanish-language fact-checking initiative in the U.S. Previously, Natalie worked on Latin American projects at the International Center for Journalists in Washington, D.C., and was a Fulbright scholar in Argentina. She is the U.S. representative for SembraMedia, an international nonprofit supporting independent, digital media. Natalie is based in Reno, Nevada.
Alma Washington
Manager of Coaching Programs
(she/her)
almawashington@lionpublishers.com
Alma Washington oversees LION’s coaching programs, designing and executing initiatives that grow and sustain independent news publishers. Previously, Alma worked at Vox Media and the News Revenue Hub. Alma is based in Durham, North Carolina. More on Alma.
Demographics
We are committed to employing a diverse staff based on race/ethnicity, gender identity and/or expression, disabilities, and whether they identify as LGBTQIA+. Our staff self-identifies as:
- White/Caucasian/European: 9 | Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx: 1 | Black/African American/African: 2 | Asian American/Pacific Islander/Asian: 2 | Declined to state: 1
- Female: 10 | Male: 4 | Declined to state: 1
- Cisgender (not transgender): 14 | Transgender: 0 | Declined to state: 1
- Heterosexual: 11 | LGBTQIA+: 2 | Declined to state: 2
- Person without a disability: 13 | With a disability: 0 | Declined to state: 2
- Born in country of residence: 13 | Immigrated to country of residence: 1 | Declined to state: 1
Disclosures
The LION Publishers staff is committed to providing our members, our board of directors, and the public with transparent disclosures on the companies and businesses we’ve worked, or currently work with, in the course of our careers. Here are our staff disclosure statements.
Work With Us
We post open roles here, and are always interested in hearing from prospective consultants or contractors with experience supporting independent news entrepreneurs.