Ron Smith, Comm ’05, Grad ’09, executive editor of the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, has been inducted into the Milwaukee Press Club’s Hall of Fame as part of its 2024 class. Established in 1980 to honor the men and women who shape journalism in Milwaukee, the Press Club inducts 10 journalists each fall.
Smith has been at the helm of NNS since 2019 after previously serving as an editor at The Oregonian, the Los Angeles Times, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Newsday. Prior to returning to Milwaukee and Marquette, Smith was managing editor for news at USA TODAY.
NNS, a program of the Diederich College of Communication, is a nonprofit news organization covering Milwaukee’s diverse neighborhoods. As such, it covers stories important to the people who live, work and serve in city neighborhoods on topics including education, public safety, economic development, health and wellness, environment, recreation, employment, youth development and housing.
NNS was founded in March 2011 as part of the Zilber Family Foundation Neighborhood Initiative, a 10-year, $50 million effort started by Joseph Zilber, the late real estate tycoon, philanthropist and Marquette alumnus.
