David Woronoff is the publisher of The Pilot newspaper in Southern Pines, N.C. The Pilot publishes twice a week with a paid circulation of 13,500 and was named the best community newspaper in the nation in 2002 and 2007 by the Inland Press Association and in both 2015 and 2016 by the National Newspaper Association. The organization has transformed from a twice-weekly newspaper into a statewide media company, during David’s 20 years at the helm.

Today, The Pilot publishes three regional magazines (PineStraw here in the Sandhills, O.Henry in Greensboro, and Salt in Wilmington), Business North Carolina magazine in Charlotte, two telephone directories and also owns the 60-year-old Country Bookshop in downtown Southern Pines.

He moved to the Sandhills from Charlotte, where David served as the director of business development for Business North Carolina, a monthly magazine with a circulation of 27,500. Prior to moving to Charlotte, David did reporting stints at the Anniston (Al.) Star and the Greenville (SC) News. His newspaper career began at The News & Observer where he worked for two years as a district sales manager in the circulation department.

David was named President of the North Carolina Press Association in 2010 after serving six years on its board, as the NCPA’s Professional Development Committee’s chairman for five years and as the Association’s Legislative Committee chairman for three years.  He also serves on the board of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. David was the first community newspaper publisher appointed to the 112-year-old organization’s board of directors.

Aside from his work with industry-related trade associations, David has served on the board of directors for North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, FirstHealth of the Carolinas, FirstCarolina Care, Moore County Chamber of Commerce (chairman), NC Museum of History Associates, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Media and Journalism, the UNC Press Foundation, the Lost Colony Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club (chairman), The Moore County United Way (board and campaign chair), Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities, Moore County Literacy Council, Sandhills Community College Foundation and Moore County Partners in Progress.

David holds a BA in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he also completed the business schools’ Young Executives Institute sequence.