NPR Names Elizabeth A. Allen Chief Legal Officer

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, January 21, 2021 | 11:18am CT

Elizabeth Allen

After an extensive national search, NPR President and CEO John Lansing has named Elizabeth A. Allen to lead NPR's legal team. She will be joining NPR February 16 as Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Secretary.

"Our legal division plays an essential role in the future of NPR, our work with Member stations, and our service to audiences. Liz brings an extensive background in media and experience leading and guiding the kinds of strategic business decision making we need to do as we move NPR forward," said Lansing. "The legal expertise the team brings to our operations and strategy is only growing more important as we look for ways to expand audiences across platforms, and undertake the complex challenges of growing our revenues and business."

"NPR has been a staple in my life since I was a little girl listening to All Things Considered in the car," added Allen. "I look forward to joining with the talented team at NPR to grow its reach and appeal across the diverse communities of this country, and to continue to deliver the quality journalism our democracy demands and expects from NPR. To have an opportunity to be part of such an iconic organization that strives to inform each of us, so we are prepared to give our best back to our communities, is an incredible honor."

In her most recent role as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), Allen oversaw the operations of the Law Department, where she helped the company execute their strategic plan and managed a broad range of complex commercial negotiations and litigation. She first joined Gannett as Assistant General Counsel in 2004. When the company's publishing business was spun off in 2015 to create the new Gannett, she counseled extensively to support its new public status and new Board of Directors. In various roles over her 16 years at Gannett, she was a key advisor on issues relating to corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, complex commercial negotiations, administrative proceedings, litigation, and executive compensation, among other legal work.

Allen began her career as an Associate at the Nixon Peabody LLP law firm, where she specialized in litigation, antitrust, and compliance investigations for more than seven years. She has been a member of the News Media Alliance (formerly National Newspaper Association) and Media Law Resource Center. Allen is a graduate of Harvard University and Georgetown University Law Center.