News and Editorials

Board Member Larry Olmstead
President and executive consultant, Leading Edge Associates

Larry spent 25 years at Knight Ridder, the nation’s second largest newspaper publisher until its acquisition by McClatchy in 2006. As a journalist, Larry rose to become managing editor of the Miami Herald and later assistant VP/news of Knight Ridder, participating in three Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts along the way. In 2002, Larry was named a vice president overseeing recruitment, training, leadership development, succession management and diversity programs. He held that job until the McClatchy acquisition.

KR’s achievements under Larry’s oversight included a companywide diversity training program that reached 13,000 employees; implementation of succession planning that improved readiness for key positions by 57 percent; historic highs for minority and female representation in the general and executive populations; Top 50 recognition by Fortune Magazine and Diversity Inc.; successful implementation of three new leadership development programs, and implementation of sales training curriculum that in 2005 brought more than $13 million in incremental revenue.

Larry is considered an industry expert in leadership development and diversity and is widely sought as a presenter and panelist. In addition to the Pulitzer recognition, Larry won journalism awards from the Overseas Press Club, the Associated Press and the National Association of Black Journalists. He also is winner of a McCormick Fellowship and of the Leadership in Diversity Award presented by the Asian American Journalists Association.

Larry is immediate past co-chair of the International Women’s Media Foundation – the first male to hold the post – and is a board member of the Metro YMCA of Santa Clara County. He is a past board member of the National Association of Black Journalists, American Press Institute, Education Writers Association and Dade Community Foundation, and past president of the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors.

In addition to the Miami Herald and KR Corporate, Larry has worked for the Baltimore Evening Sun, Detroit Free Press and the New York Times. He grew up in New York City, attended the prestigious Bronx High School of Science, and studied journalism and political science at George Washington University, where he is currently enrolled as a continuing student. Olmstead has participated – and taught – in professional development programs at Harvard and Northwestern universities.

Larry is married to Michele Chandler, a business writer with the San Jose Mercury News. They have two children and live in San Jose, CA.