Bio
With more than 25 years of experience in newspapers, Debbie Anselm brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise along with a passion for our mission to the Iowa Newspaper Association. Anselm, a graduate of Indiana University, worked for non-profit organizations before joining Howard Publications in 1996. After the family-owned company was acquired in 2003, she continued her career with Lee Enterprises. She led teams in northwest Indiana before moving to Iowa in 2015 to assume the role of Publisher of the Quad-City Times. During her 8-year tenure in Iowa, her role was expanded to oversee multiple mastheads including the Dispatch-Argus and Muscatine Journal. In 2022, she was named President of Iowa Newspapers for Lee Enterprises where she championed transformational initiatives across their 6 publications.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Anselm is an active community advocate serving on a variety of boards including the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of the Quad Cities, the YMCA of the Mississippi Valley, Junior Achievement of the Heartland and the Quad Cities Community Foundation. She is also a member of the Quad-City Times Bix7 race committee; an iconic 7-mile road race. Debbie and her husband Scott have 3 children: Alissa, Zach and Emma.
With 25 years of experience in newspapers, Debbie Anselm brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise along with a passion for local journalism to her role as the Executive Director of the Iowa Newspaper Association. A graduate of Indiana University, she has served in leadership positions for independent and publicly traded mastheads. Anselm is also a certified Workplace Integrity trainer and an active community advocate serving on boards of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of the Quad Cities, the YMCA of the Mississippi Valley, and the Quad Cities Community Foundation.