John Dunbar to step down as CEO of the Center for Public Integrity

The Center for Public Integrity announced today that John Dunbar, a 14-year Center veteran and award-winning investigative journalist, is stepping down as CEO.

While in the position, which he assumed in 2016, Dunbar fortified the Center’s finances, rebuilt the Center’s editorial staff, started a successful membership program and advanced a strategic planning process.

“John has done an extraordinary job as CEO during his tenure,” said James Kiernan, chair of the board of directors. “Thanks to John and our talented and dedicated editorial, data and support staffs, the Center is well-positioned to meet the challenges which nonprofit investigative journalism faces in the new digital landscape and in the current partisan political environment.”

During his time with the Center, Dunbar instituted several major initiatives. They included the organization’s federal money in politics beat; the state government project; the technology beat; the Polk Award-winning financial beat; and a tax policy project.

His work at the Center has been marked by numerous outstanding editorial achievements, including the Center’s groundbreaking work on industry influence in the states that has led to the worsening of the opiate epidemic; a series exposing safety lapses in the nation’s nuclear laboratories; and the power the oil and gas industry has over government.

The Center has been recognized numerous times for excellence during his tenure, and recently won three national Edward R. Murrow awards.

“To be part of such a storied institution for so many years has been a great honor,” Dunbar said. “I’m proud of the work I’ve done at the Center and believe that in this ‘post-truth’ era, it is needed now more than ever.”

Kiernan added: “As we at CPI approach our 30th anniversary, we look forward with confidence to our continued and increasing ability to fulfill our mission to hold accountable those in power, whether in government or in major private entities, through investigative journalism.”

A search committee of Center board members will select a new leader in the coming months. Dunbar intends to serve as CEO until a successor is named. He is planning to return to school at the University of Maryland next semester to pursue an advanced degree in journalism.

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