Elizabeth "Betsy" Brenner

Elizabeth Brenner (BSJ76) is a member of the Medill Hall of Achievement.

Brenner retired as publisher of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2016 after serving in that role for 12 years. She oversaw Wisconsin’s largest newspaper, its websites and a wide range of related businesses through what was perhaps the most challenging period in the news organization’s history.

During her time as leader of the Journal Sentinel, the newspaper won three Pulitzer Prizes and was widely recognized as one of the nation’s best regional news organizations.

Prior to coming to Milwaukee, Brenner was president and publisher of The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington, and The Sun in Bremerton, Washington.

Brenner began her newspaper career as a city news reporter for The Chicago Tribune in 1977. She worked in several marketing management positions at The New York Times. She moved to The Miami Herald in a series of marketing, advertising and circulation roles. In 1991, she was recruited by Scripps Howard to lead the ad department at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, during the height of that city’s newspaper war.

In Tacoma, Brenner served on the Executive Council for a Greater Tacoma and the University of Washington Tacoma Advisory Board. She has also served on the board of the Washington Roundtable and was elected twice to represent Western U.S. newspapers for the Associated Press Nominating Committee.