David Hussman – A Thundering Catalyst and Pioneer for the Agile Community

David Hussman is an inspiring leader and pioneer for the agile community, as well as an accomplished speaker and community builder.

He provides training and coaching on the use of agile methods as powerful delivery tools, often working closely with developers and testers, but he also works with leadership groups to learn how to effectively apply these practices in order to foster innovation and gain a competitive advantage for their businesses.

Early Life and Education

David Hussman developed an interest in sports from a young age. From organizing neighborhood front yard pick-up games to excelling at little league, his enthusiasm for football would last throughout his life.

He had an insatiable love of music, playing guitar from the age of 15 and joining a local rock band in Minneapolis.

In 1974, his family purchased the Arkansas Democrat, an afternoon paper in Little Rock, and he became its president and publisher. By 1981, they had ventured into radio and television broadcasting as well.

In 2019, he pledged a $25 million donation to his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This gesture sparked controversy, particularly due to their plan to hire New York Times Magazine staff writer Nikole Hannah-Jones as Knight Chair in Journalism.

Professional Career

David Hussman was renowned for his passion and enthusiasm to explore possibilities, as well as for building community. He was an influential leader within the agile community, aiding to shape and nurture both the twin cities software development and product development scenes.

He founded DevJam, a company that brought together agile collaborators as mentors and practitioners. He spearheaded projects across various domains such as digital audio, biometrics, medical imaging, financial services, retail stores and education institutions, just to mention a few.

He is an acclaimed speaker and community builder renowned for his groundbreaking ideas, such as Dude’s Law and CardboardIt – a story mapping tool to facilitate team collaboration. Additionally, he authored multiple books and publications while coaching agile curriculum at universities around the world.

Achievement and Honors

Hussman, a third-generation newspaperman, triumphed over the Arkansas Gazette – considered to be the oldest and most powerful paper west of the Mississippi River – through a fiercely fought newspaper war and legal challenges. Ultimately, Hussman emerged victorious.

He acquired papers in Camden, Texarkana, Hot Springs and Little Rock during the course of his career. Additionally, he earned numerous accolades from peers and won the coveted Steck Award for Senior Thesis Completion from UNC-CH in 2004.

He served as president of the National Newspaper Association and was a member of the International Association of Business Communicators. In 2020, his donation of $25 million to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill saw its journalism school renamed The Hussman School of Journalism and Media in his honor.

Personal Life

David Hussman is a renowned news entrepreneur and media mogul who owns multiple newspapers in Arkansas as well as cable television systems in four states.

He is the founder and president of WEHCO Media, which owns and operates the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as well as several smaller newspapers throughout Arkansas. Additionally, he is an active participant in the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and was previously its chairman.

Hussman’s family has owned newspapers in Arkansas since 1909, and he became involved with the industry as a teenager. After earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from University of North Carolina and master’s in business administration from Columbia University, Hussman joined their ranks.

Net Worth

David Hussman is a journalist and the CEO of WEHCO Media. Additionally, he holds an investment banking license and founded Hussman Strategic Advisors with his partner Robert Young.

Hussman was raised in Camden, Arkansas where his father ran the family newspaper business. After attending college at North Carolina State University, Hussman went on to earn an MBA from Columbia University.

Hussman returned home after graduating and began working with his father. He eventually purchased the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, owned by a rival newspaper in Little Rock; as well as El Dorado News-Times and Camden News in El Dorado Springs. Now owning 13 daily papers, 11 weekly publications and 13 television stations across six states, Hussman family publications are major supporters of education initiatives in Little Rock as well as throughout Arkansas state government.