Highway 29 Media Company is a public benefit corporation committed to producing independent, public interest journalism for Napa Valley.

Highway 29 is supported by the Media and Democracy Fund, which allows community support for our work through the Napa Valley Community Foundation. In 2022, we acquired and now operate two award-winning weekly newspapers — the Calistoga Tribune and the Yountville Sun. We are making significant investments in local reporting, digital technology, and community outreach.

Join Our Team

We are in the process of building our team and encourage all skilled and committed reporters, editors, producers, salespeople, and digital professionals to reach out: please contact usCURRENT OPENINGS:
- General Manager
- Bilingual Reporter

Mission

Highway 29’s mission is to ensure that important sources of local news are not lost in Napa Valley. We believe that when local community newspapers disappear, the community suffers. Over the past two years, more than 360 newspapers have closed across the United States. When newspapers fold, the “news deserts” left behind have dire consequences:

Voter participation goes down, misinformation thrives, and democracy suffers.
Corporate misconduct increases.
Community involvement and engagement plummets.
The cost of government programs goes up.

We won’t let this happen in Napa Valley.Our goal is to build on the rich tradition of the Calistoga Tribune and the Yountville Sun by expanding coverage, doubling down on local stories, and building a digital platform to expand engagement - all while we continue to publish both publications in print.Highway 29 newspapers will adhere to a strict code of ethics and report the news without bias for any economic or political interest. Our community deserves journalism that speaks for itself and builds on the high standards set by the current Sun and Tribune owners and staff.The long-time publishers of the existing newspapers — Sharon Stensaas of the Yountville Sun, and Pat Hampton and Ramona Asmus of the Calistoga Tribune — have endorsed our mission and will remain involved in advisory roles.

Support

Your Support is Vital

Highway 29 is raising startup funds from local Napa Valley sources. We will depend on area businesses and residents for financing, advertising, contributions, memberships, and other support. If you wish to be a founding partner, please contact us

The Media & Democracy Fund

Napa Valley Community Foundation has created a Media & Democracy Fund to support Highway 29’s public interest journalism. Community support is essential. To donate to our coverage of education, housing, agriculture, climate, health, local politics and government, the economy, community affairs, and other issues of civic life in Napa Valley, please support the Media & Democracy Fund with a generous donation today.

People

Paul D’Antilio, Interim General Manager Paul D’Antilio, of Calistoga, works with incubators, accelerators, entrepreneur educational programs and funds. His executive experience spans technology and financial services companies where he has led new business and business model development.His consulting business, New Model Ventures, provides a mix of consulting services, investment services, product development and financial engineering for the startup and innovation economy. Among its ventures is Napa Beverages, a beverage company product and brand development company behind Monkey Wrench Seltzer Cocktails.At Highway 29 Media, Paul leads the company’s digital transformation and plays key roles in the development of sales, business management, and advertising platforms.

Marc Hand , of Yountville, is CEO and Board Chair. He is CEO and founder of Public Media Venture Group and co-founder and board chair of the National Trust for Local News. He was the former CEO of Public Media Company (PMC). Hand has more than 30 years of media experience, including serving as Managing Partner and co-owner of a group of commercial radio stations in Colorado, and as an associate with two national media brokerage and investment banking firms. In 2021, the National Trust for Local News acquired Colorado Community Media, the owner of 24 newspapers in the Denver area.

Larry Kamer, also of Yountville, is a 40-year veteran of the communications industry and owns a marketing and management consulting firm in Napa. He teaches communications at University of San Francisco and Carnegie Mellon University and is active in volunteer and community work throughout the Valley. He serves Vice Chair of the Board of Highway 29 Media.

Paul Ingalls, of Calistoga, a retired Senior Editor at the Press-Democrat of Santa Rosa, where he oversaw the paper’s local news operation during the week. Prior that, , Ingalls served as the paper’s night assistant city editor, then as day assistant city editor, and finally as political editor. He began at the Press-Democrat as a reporter, spending 12 years covering various government beats, from Santa Rosa City Hall to the State Capitol. He is a fourth-generation resident of Calistoga, where he was born.

Board of Directors

Joining Chair Marc Hand and Vice Chair Larry Kamer on Highway 29 Media’s Board are:

Julia DeNatale is Vice President, Community Impact at Napa Valley Community Foundation. She oversees all grantmaking including Donor Advised Funds, legacy grants, and NVCF’s Community Impact Initiatives. Julia was born and raised in Napa, and joined the Foundation team in 2010 after leading development and education efforts at Wolfe Center, a nonprofit behavioral health organization in Napa. Her work in the private sector includes marketing and promotions management at Bay Area radio and television stations. Julia earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of San Francisco and is a graduate of Class 20 of Leadership Napa Valley.

Frances Dinkelspiel is an award-winning journalist and co-founder and former executive editor of Cityside, the nonprofit news organization behind Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside. Her journalism has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Daily Beast, People magazine and elsewhere. Her first book (Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman Created California) was a San Francisco Chronicle bestseller and chosen as a best book of the Year by the Chronicle and the Northern California Independent Booksellers’ Association. Her second book (Tangled Vines: Greed, Murder, Obsession, and an Arsonist in the Vineyards of California) was a New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle bestseller and was named a best wine book of the year by the Wall Street Journal and Food and Wine magazine.

Will Marcencia is committed to approaching traditional media in nontraditional ways. He is the owner-operator, with his wife Julissa Marcencia, of Wine Down Media, Napa Valley's flagship radio stations, KVON 1440-AM "MegaMix" and KVYN 99.3 FM "The Vine". The Marcencias started their media entrepreneurial journey in 2017 and have extensive experience in leadership, operations, and branding solutions. Prior to Wine Down Media, he worked at Univision Communications, Inc. In addition to Highway29 Media, Will serves on the board of directors at di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Friends of Napa County Animal Shelter, Napa County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and as Vice-Chair of Collabria Care.

Highway 29
General Manager

Highway 29 Media Company is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that proudly pursues and hires a diverse workforce. We do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender-identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws or prohibited by Company policy. We strive for a healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibit harassment of any kind.

Highway 29 Media Company, a Public Benefit Corporation formed to save two newspapers from closing down in Napa Valley, is seeking to hire a General Manager to oversee operations of its two weekly newspapers and other publications.Highway 29 is an independent publisher that owns and operates the Yountville Sun and Calistoga Tribune – two weekly publications in the heart of Wine Country. Founded in 2022, Highway 29 is committed to providing a print news publication, as well as innovative new digital offerings, events, and e-newsletters for its readership. The Company’s mission is to become a sustainable home for ambitious journalists to report the news that matters most to the citizens of Napa County.General Manger: The Role
The General Manager will lead the Company’s business operations, hire and manage staff, implement directives from the Board of Directors, and meet Company goals and objectives. The General Manager is responsible for managing all operations, including advertising, accounting, print and digital distribution, human resources and office management. The General Manager will oversee business and human resources for the news operation, but news content will be at the discretion of the respective Editors and the Highway 29 News Committee. This position is responsible for providing quality business-related programs and creating a congenial and productive workplace. The General Manager reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer.

Lead a growing, dynamic workplace and media business.
Recruit, hire and manage staff and contract employees. Editorial staff assignments and will be managed by Editors.
Oversee business operations for Highway 29, including sales, finance and accounting, advertising, circulation, print and digital production.
Negotiate and manage vendors, consultants, and service providers including accountants, legal staff andbusiness development teams.
Aggressively pursue and lead business development operations with the goal of achieving full financial stability and sustainability in 3-5 years.
Communicate to the Board of Directors at Board meetings.
Dotted-line supervision of editors, but only regarding financial and human resource decisions.
Communicate clearly with the Board of Directors and the community at large about Highway 29’s goals, mission, and overall strategy.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
Knowledge of business operations, ranging from accounting to human resources.
Record of leadership ability and impact in high-intensity, team environments.
Values-based, collaborative working style with a commitment to the highest standards of ethics and confidentiality.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited institution.
Have 5-7 years of experience in business management.
Be based in Napa County or adjacent communities or be willing to relocate.

How to Apply
If interested in applying, send a CV to. Apply by emailing: bruce@highway29.com.

BACK

Highway 29
Bilingual Reporter

Highway 29 Media Company, a Public Benefit Corporation formed to save two newspapers from closing down in Napa Valley, CA, is seeking an enterprising bilingual reporter to compliment our news team. The LatinX community is an intregal sector of our diverse county and our reporting must reflect this growing segment of our population. The position would also include reporting on some government affairs and local events and educational issues.Highway 29 Media Company is an independent publisher that owns and operates the Yountville Sun and Calistoga Tribune. Highway 29 Media is committed to providing print news as well as innovative digital offerings, events, and e-newsletters. The Company’s mission is to become a sustainable home for ambitious journalists to report the news that matters most to the citizens of Calistoga, Yountville, the Napa Valley more broadly, and to wider audiences interested in the Valley.Job Description
Understanding that all staff members work as a team and that there will be circumstances where we will need to cover and assist in the completion of tasks of colleagues, which may not be specifically defined as your role or responsibility.Listed below are the primary focus areas for which each position will be held accountable for executing/completing.

Reports to Calistoga Tribune Editor.
Reports on the Hispanic/LatinX community, both from a standpoint of news relevance and features.
Researches and writes informational news articles and stories about real events using a fair and unbiased perspective
Writes a broad range of news and feature stories, as assigned stories for Yountville Sun and Calistoga Tribune
Writes breaking news stories for website as assigned
Takes photos when necessary for both the newspaper and the website
Uploads stories to the website when necessary

Skill Requirements

Excellent verbal and written Spanish and English language skills
Experience writing news and features stories
Ability to interview a wide range of sources and conduct research
Process information and write in a fair, accurate and compelling manner
Photography and web skills are a plus
Ability to handle daily, short-term and long-term assignments simultaneously
Minimum Qualifications
Minimum educational requirement, Bachelor’s degree
1-2 years reporting experience or degree in journalism/communications
Bilingual Spanish/English in both speaking and writing.
Job Type: Full-time
Compensation: $62,000 - $70,000 per year, depending on experience.
Benefits:
Paid vacation
Eight paid holidays
Health care stipend

How to Apply
Applicants should submit a resume, cover letter that explains your interest in the job and in journalism, and three to five clips demonstrating a range of reporting and writing ability. Apply by emailing: bruce@highway29.com.