Community Impact Newspaper announced three promotions to its executive leadership team this spring. Traci Rodriguez has been promoted to President & Group Publisher, Claire Love has been named Chief Operating Officer, and Tess Coverman is now Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Traci Rodriguez has been an Impacter since 2006. She started as an Account Executive and rose through the ranks serving as General Manager, Austin Metro Publisher and Group Publisher before this promotion.

“I am inspired every day by the quality of journalism our team provides,” Rodriguez said. “I have a folder saved with emails from readers and business owners we have been able to help over the years. If ever I’m having a hard day, I still read those emails and feel purpose. Our mission and our people motivate me the most, and I’m so proud to call myself an Impacter.”

Claire Love, the company’s longest tenured employee, will now serve as Chief Operating Officer whose responsibilities will also include overseeing operations at Community Impact Printing. She started with CI in 2006 as the founding General Manager of the Leander/Cedar Park edition. Love has also served as Austin Publisher and Chief Information Officer.

“I am so proud to work for a company that invests so much in innovation,” Love said. “I’ve been part of the team that built our own software and part of the team that built our own printing plant. There is no project we are afraid to tackle when it comes to making sure this company operates in the most efficient and effective way possible.”

Tess Coverman is now joining the Executive Team as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Tess started as an Account Executive in 2011 in Central Austin, later became a Senior Account Executive of Southwest Austin and was promoted to Sales Director in 2017. Tess has also led the company’s marketing initiatives over the last two years.

“When I started at CI, I would have never dreamed of the opportunities I’ve had both personally and professionally,” Coverman said. “In my first month I realized I was somewhere special when I was greeted by a literal welcome party and then trained in the field by sales peers volunteering their time. Those Impacters, as we call ourselves, have since become some of my closest friends and work family. I’m grateful for the CI culture and mentorship I’ve experienced over the years and look forward to leading our Sales & Marketing efforts to build strong relationships in our communities.”

The company continues to boast a female-majority executive team and was recently named an Austin Best Place for Working Parents employer for the second year in a row.

“Jennifer and I are so thankful to have the chance to work with such a diverse, talented executive team that will ensure our future in meeting the important work our journalists and fellow Impacters do to keep communities informed and local businesses thriving,” Community Impact founder and CEO John Garrett said. “Traci, Claire, and Tess have already demonstrated their ability to lead us through some tough challenges and our future is bright.”

In addition to these executive level promotions, CI is proud to recognize these 17 Impacters who also were promoted this spring:

Editorial Department:

Lauren Canterbury

Alexa D’Angelo

Vanessa Holt

Anna Lotz

Jake Magee

Hunter Marrow

Claire Shoop

Design Department:

Breanna Flores

Haley Grace

Ellen Jackson

Chelsea Peters

Sales Department:

Adrian Martinez

Taylor Caranfa

Beck Marlar

Finance Department:

Vickie Allen

Operations Department:

Jennifer Bland

Human Resources Department:

John Cox

Community Impact Newspaper was founded in 2005 and now serves more than 60 communities covering 2.7 mailboxes in Texas, Arizona and Tennessee. CI Printing was founded in 2016 and operates a world class printing and mailing operation next to CI News Headquarters in Pflugerville—a growing suburb of Austin, Texas.