Not that we want to brag – well OK, we do – but 2024 was the second year in a row that the Chestnut Hill Local was a statewide News Organization of the Year award winner, given that honor by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. The newspaper surpassed its 2023 performance to win 29 awards, including the coveted Sweepstakes Award, which is given to the news organization that won the most editorial awards in its category. 

But that wasn’t the most important event of the year for this weekly newspaper of yours. That spot would be reserved for our new publisher, Daralyse Lyons. 

The boards of the Chestnut Hill Community Association and the Chestnut Hill Local officially approved the appointment of Lyons as publisher at their July meetings, and she’s been bringing fresh energy, a strong set of skills, and boundless optimism to the role ever since. 

A member of the National Association of Black Journalists and vice president of Philadelphia's chapter of the NLGJA, Lyons graduated summa cum laude from NYU with a double major in English and religious studies and a minor in history. She is a TEDx speaker, an award-winning author and, as the recipient of a 2023 PA City & State Impact Award, was acknowledged as one of 75 of the most impactful individuals in the entire state of Pennsylvania.

In short, if we had prescribed the exact person we needed in that chair, it would have fit Lyons to a T. Not only is she an experienced journalist, but she has strong prior experience in business development and financial management. And it shows. This newspaper’s books are more organized than they may ever have been. She’s also had early success with new fundraising initiatives – a skill that is quickly becoming mandatory for any news organization that wants to survive. 

In addition to the pivotal addition of Lyons, 2024 also brought other important changes to our staff. 

We welcomed two very talented young reporters whose bylines our regular readers will already recognize – Tommy Tucker and Margaret Dougherty. We’re grateful for the youthful energy, fresh ideas and optimistic attitude they bring to our office – and expect you’ll see great things from both in 2025.

Tucker, who cut his teeth covering the Maryland governor's office, now covers zoning and development, as well as whatever else pops up in the weekly news cycle. Dougherty, a great reporter herself, is also leading the Local’s charge into the digital age. She has already launched two newsletters and is busy revamping our online presence.

2024 also was the second year of our Lenfest Business Sustainability Grant funding, which enabled the hiring of both Lyons and Dougherty. This grant, which has been critical for our growth and development, is also why you’ll see a series of public-facing improvements next year. 

Be prepared for massive technological progress as well. The Philadelphia Foundation graciously awarded us a $75,000 grant, which was earmarked for technology upgrades. This funding will allow us to transition our antiquated equipment to new, more user-friendly software in 2025 – which will improve our efficiency and streamline the process of getting content onto the page. 

Our editorial team collaborated with a variety of news organizations to bring you in-depth reporting in 2024, including our coverage of the sewer capacity challenges we are facing as a city, and how important the Northwest is to that system. We fully expect – and are planning – to bring you more such collaborative reporting in the coming year. 

Even better? The Local learned late in the year that it has been awarded a Report for America grant. This will help us hire a new reporter to help us expand editorial coverage of our local environment – a topic that we know matters to all of our communities here in the Northwest Philadelphia region.

Last month, we began our second annual collaborative appeal with the Chestnut Hill Community Association. And last, but not least, the newspaper also got a much-needed office renovation, thanks to the generosity of the Chestnut Hill Community Fund. 

We have many ambitious goals for 2025 and we thank you for your readership and support. We are, as always, committed to bringing you the best local newspaper we can. 

Carla Robinson

Editor