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For Immediate Release
August 15, 2023
Hillsboro, OR — Veteran media company leader Matt Davison has been selected as the new publisher for NewsData, replacing Mark Ohrenschall, who is retiring after a long and storied career in energy journalism.
Pioneer Utility Resources, NewsData’s parent company, announced the change today after careful planning with Ohrenschall and a nationwide search. Davison will join the news organization on Sept. 11. Ohrenschall will remain with the company in a part-time capacity for several weeks to support the leadership transition.
NewsData is the premier source for electric and natural gas sector news in the West, serving energy professionals with popular trade-journal newsletters including Clearing Up, California Energy Markets, the NW Fishletter and Water Power West. NewsData also publishes the weekly Western Price Survey, produces the “Energy West” podcast and hosts energy-related forums.
“The top-notch journalists who make up the NewsData team are exceptional at what they do,” Davison said. “I strongly believe in NewsData’s mission to provide high-quality journalism that accurately reports on the energy topics that matter most to our readers. The entire energy sector benefits by the content that these talented individuals produce each week, and I’m looking forward to being a part of that effort.”
Pioneer CEO Michael Shepard credited Ohrenschall’s journalistic standards, instincts for news and exceptional industry knowledge with maintaining NewsData’s respected position in the energy sector.
“Mark Ohrenschall has been a wonderful leader for NewsData in his own right and has been the crucial connective tissue from the company’s founder, Cyrus Noe,” Shepard said. “We wish Mark all the best in his new retirement adventures.”
Ohrenschall joined NewsData in 1991 after working as an award-winning editor and reporter in Colorado, and took on editing and writing roles with the company before starting as publisher and editor-in-chief in 2014. As publisher, he helped oversee NewsData’s transition to online content, producing podcasts, hosting virtual events, engaging readers on social media among other enhancements. During Ohrenschall’s tenure, NewsData’s subscriber base has grown to include not only professionals in the northwestern energy industry, but tech giants in Silicon Valley, key policy makers, federal regulators and other industry stakeholders.
“I’m honored to have led NewsData for the past nine years, and with the work of our talented, dedicated team and support of Pioneer colleagues, we’ve further positioned the company as the West’s leading news and information resource for energy professionals,” said Ohrenschall. “With his skills, experience and background, Matt is ideally suited to lead NewsData into an even brighter future. I wish him, NewsData and Pioneer all the best for the exciting opportunities that lie ahead serving the ever-dynamic energy sector.”
Davison comes to Pioneer and NewsData after more than 25 years in various roles at newspapers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Since 2010, he has served as the regional publisher and president of the Idaho Press, overseeing growth that vaulted the Press into becoming state’s biggest circulation newspaper. Davison lives in Meridian, Idaho, and served as president of the Newspaper Association of Idaho. He is a board member for the Nampa Boys & Girls Club and the Meridian Chamber of Commerce.
Shepard said Davison is the perfect successor for the role. “I’m excited to see what Matt and the NewsData team can do to build on the strong foundations built by Cyrus and Mark,” Shepard said. “Matt is a proven media leader with great energy, ideas and knowledge of the West and the Pacific Northwest in particular. His deep understanding of digital media, events and value-added publishing will be important as we continue to serve as the premier intelligence source for the utility world.”
Davison is excited about NewsData’s next chapter. “Niche journalism is an emerging category that has a very bright future, and the NewsData team is excellent at delivering just that,” Davison said. “There is no doubt that we have some significant opportunities to grow, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
About NewsData
Founded in 1982, NewsData provides a common frame of reference for thousands of energy professionals, keeping them well-informed on Western energy policy, markets, resources and other topics essential to their work. NewsData’s team of skilled, experienced journalists have a long-earned reputation for reliable, accurate, balanced and insightful reporting, founded on their deep understanding of energy matters.
About Pioneer
Pioneer is a not-for-profit communications cooperative based in Hillsboro, Oregon. Formed in 1956, it provides agency-style communications services to consumer-owned utilities and affiliated organizations in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Marquee products and services include 11 consumer magazine brands reaching more than 1.3 million U.S. utility households. The cooperative also provides broadband marketing, social media engagement, responsive website design and hosting, podcast production and custom communications services. Pioneer is built to share members’ stories.
Pioneer also owns Efficiency Services Group, which specializes in support and installation services for utility energy-efficiency efforts, primarily in the West, and NewsData, which publishes industry-leading, independent newsletters covering the utility sector in California and the Pacific Northwest. Pioneer is also the largest shareholder in General Pacific, a Fairview, Oregon-based electric supply company. Learn more at pioneer.coop.
Matt Davison“The entire energy sector benefits by the content that these talented individuals produce each week, and I’m looking forward to being a part of that effort.”