Richard Tofel
Encyclopedia
Richard Tofel is the general manager of ProPublica
, a non-profit investigative journalism organization in New York
.
Previously, he was the president and chief operating officer of the International Freedom Center
. Mr. Tofel took over that position in October 2004.
Mr. Tofel served as a vice president of Dow Jones & Company
from 1997 until joining the International Freedom Center, and as the assistant publisher of The Wall Street Journal beginning in 2002. In the latter capacity, the Journal’s international editions reported to him. He was also a director on the joint venture boards of SmartMoney
and Vedomosti
, the leading Russian business newspaper. He played leading roles in the development of the forthcoming Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition, in the redesign of the Journal and the creation of the Personal Journal section in 2002, and in Dow Jones’s response to the events of September 11, 2001.
Tofel's earlier roles at Dow Jones included assistant general counsel (1989–1992), assistant managing editor of the Journal (1992–1995), director of international administration and development (1995–1997) vice president of corporate communications (1997–2000), and assistant to the publisher of the Journal (2000–2002). Before joining Dow Jones, Mr. Tofel was an associate at the New York law firm of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler
from 1983 to 1986. Mr. Tofel moved to the New York office of Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher in 1986.
A native New Yorker, Mr. Tofel’s previous public service includes stints during the administration of New York City
Mayor
Edward Koch as executive director of the Beattie Commission on reorganizing the Human Resources Administration and as a member of the Liman Commission investigating the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Mr. Tofel earned a bachelor’s degree, a law degree and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University
. He is the author of three books, “A Legend in the Making: The New York Yankees in 1939” (2002), “Vanishing Point: The Disappearance of Judge Crater, and the New York He Left Behind” (2004) and “Sounding the Trumpet: The Making of John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address” (2005). He is a member of the board of trustees of Wildcat Service Corp., the advisory board of the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship Program in Economics and Business Journalism at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
and the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
.
Mr. Tofel has two children with Jeanne Straus, whom he married in 1982. The marriage ended in divorce. On December 12, 2010, he married Janice Nittoli.
ProPublica
ProPublica is a non-profit corporation based in New York City. It describes itself as an independent non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. In 2010 it became the first online news source to win a Pulitzer Prize, for a piece written by one of its...
, a non-profit investigative journalism organization in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Previously, he was the president and chief operating officer of the International Freedom Center
International Freedom Center
The International Freedom Center was a proposed museum to be located adjacent to the site of Ground Zero at the former World Trade Center in New York City, USA...
. Mr. Tofel took over that position in October 2004.
Mr. Tofel served as a vice president of Dow Jones & Company
Dow Jones & Company
Dow Jones & Company is an American publishing and financial information firm.The company was founded in 1882 by three reporters: Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser. Like The New York Times and the Washington Post, the company was in recent years publicly traded but privately...
from 1997 until joining the International Freedom Center, and as the assistant publisher of The Wall Street Journal beginning in 2002. In the latter capacity, the Journal’s international editions reported to him. He was also a director on the joint venture boards of SmartMoney
SmartMoney
SmartMoney The Wall Street Journal Magazine of Personal Business was launched in 1992 by Hearst Corporation and Dow Jones & Company. In 2010, Hearst sold its stake to Dow Jones. Its first editor was Norman Pearlstine....
and Vedomosti
Vedomosti
Vedomosti is a Russian language business daily. It is a joint venture between Dow Jones, the Financial Times and Sanoma, publishers of The Moscow Times....
, the leading Russian business newspaper. He played leading roles in the development of the forthcoming Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition, in the redesign of the Journal and the creation of the Personal Journal section in 2002, and in Dow Jones’s response to the events of September 11, 2001.
Tofel's earlier roles at Dow Jones included assistant general counsel (1989–1992), assistant managing editor of the Journal (1992–1995), director of international administration and development (1995–1997) vice president of corporate communications (1997–2000), and assistant to the publisher of the Journal (2000–2002). Before joining Dow Jones, Mr. Tofel was an associate at the New York law firm of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP , founded in 1919, is a law firm headquartered in New York City.-Notable alumni:*Attorney General of the United States and former federal judge Michael B...
from 1983 to 1986. Mr. Tofel moved to the New York office of Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher in 1986.
A native New Yorker, Mr. Tofel’s previous public service includes stints during the administration of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Edward Koch as executive director of the Beattie Commission on reorganizing the Human Resources Administration and as a member of the Liman Commission investigating the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Mr. Tofel earned a bachelor’s degree, a law degree and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He is the author of three books, “A Legend in the Making: The New York Yankees in 1939” (2002), “Vanishing Point: The Disappearance of Judge Crater, and the New York He Left Behind” (2004) and “Sounding the Trumpet: The Making of John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address” (2005). He is a member of the board of trustees of Wildcat Service Corp., the advisory board of the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship Program in Economics and Business Journalism at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
and the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
.
Mr. Tofel has two children with Jeanne Straus, whom he married in 1982. The marriage ended in divorce. On December 12, 2010, he married Janice Nittoli.