Vienna, Va. - Twenty of the best and brightest young professionals in the newspaper business are profiled in the 14th edition of PRESSTIME magazine's "20 Under 40" feature, designed to recognize those who have proven themselves as "change agents within their companies and the industry, providing much needed leadership and vision," according to the editors. The 20 were selected from nominations made by executives at NAA-member newspapers across the country. "Each year it gets more difficult to narrow the focus to just 20 of the industry's bright young innovators," said Rebecca Ross Albers, NAA vice president and editor of Presstime. "Those honored this year will be at the forefront of this changing industry for many years to come." Laura Gordon, senior vice president of marketing at The Dallas Morning News, served as guest editor for the December issue, and worked with the writers and editors to develop the magazine's content. In her guest column, Gordon writes: "What we need most are leaders, like those honored in this issue, who can both inspire and provide focus. Great leaders lay out a plan not only for what we must do, but also for what we should not pursue. They help us transform from a defensive culture to an offensive one. They recognize that we cannot be all things to all people. They develop talent in the organization and provide the training and tools necessary for them to adapt and grow." This year's 20 Under 40 features additional content, as editors sought opinions from each nominee on how their current jobs will evolve and how the industry should change. The honorees' profiles and opinions appear online at www.naa.org/presstime/20U40. "We thank all of those who took time to nominate candidates for this year's 20 Under 40 awards," said Su-Lin Nichols, NAA senior vice president of communications and publisher of Presstime. "It was a privilege to learn of their professionalism and the steps they have taken to help transform the newspaper industry. I'd also like to extend special thanks to Laura Gordon for serving as a guest editor and providing her perspective on the industry's future." Past guest editors for the Presstime's "20 Under 40" edition include: Javier J. Aldape, editor and vice president of product and audience development of Hoy, a Spanish-language newspaper published by Tribune Co.; Peter Bhatia, executive editor, The Oregonian, Portland; and Marty Petty, publisher and executive vice president, St. Petersburg Times. The Presstime 20 Under 40 for 2006 are: -- Ted Anthony, editor/asap, The Associated Press in New York City -- Oneil Chambers, chief technology officer, Daily Press in Newport News, Va. -- Rob Curley, vice president of product development, Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive in Arlington, Va. -- Kirk Fisher, operations director and business manager, The Advocate in Baton Rouge -- Kim Buckner Land , marketing director, Spartanburg (S.C.) Herald-Journal -- Michael Landauer, assistant editorial page editor, The Dallas Morning News -- Michael L. Maness, vice president of strategic planning, Gannett Co. in McLean, Va. -- Domini E. Mostofi, retail sales and new business development director, San Francisco Chronicle -- Michael O'Leary, operations director, Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers in Port St.Lucie, Fla. -- Rafael Olmeda, assistant city editor, South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale -- Rajiv Pant, chief technology officer, COXnet/Cox Newspapers Inc. in Atlanta -- Jody Poe, publisher, Sierra Sun in Truckee, Calif. -- Sharon Prill, vice president of interactive media & marketing, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- Michael Riggs, chief financial officer and senior vice president for finance and information technology, Star Tribune in Minneapolis -- Brad Robertson, vice president of advertising, The Des Moines Register -- Julio Saenz, general manager and editor, ConXion/Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, N.Y. -- Alison Scholly, general manager, Chicago Tribune Interactive -- Dominique Shwe, advertising director, The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif. -- Stacy B. Simonet, publisher, Teton Valley News in Driggs, Idaho -- Mae Stokes, vice president of sales and marketing, Atlantic and Mid-South divisions, Newspaper Holdings Inc. in Valdosta, Ga.