Kelly Outlaw, 34

Chief Financial Officer, Community Impact

Education: Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering, University of Texas

What advice do you have for other young professionals in the news industry?

Your experience will pay dividends for years to come. Anytime you are asked to serve on a task force, take a role that you are unsure about, take the lead on a project or anything else that will expose you to a new side of the organization or a new department, you should say, “Yes!” In my history, I have spent time in operations, sales, marketing, acquisitions and finance through direct roles and projects. These diverse experiences have shaped the leader I have become and improved my decision-making ability tremendously. I will never discount the value of balance and being able to put boundaries in place at work. However, in the early years of a professional’s career, it

is my advice to raise your hand for the extra assignments and the added responsibility, as it will shape the rest of your career in ways you cannot dream of. What is the most critical thing that this industry must achieve to continue to be sustainable and relevant?

For long-term relevance and sustainability, the media industry must pull away from sensationalism, partisanship and opinion-based pieces and focus on our roots. It is always important to remember why something began, and the news industry’s beginnings are rooted deep in the belief that we need to disseminate relevant information to the masses. Rather than trying to change someone’s mind, our industry needs to focus on providing facts and information and allow our readers to make their own opinions. If we continue to pull away from this as an industry, it will not matter how innovative our products are or how instantaneous our access to information can become.