Introducing Community Impact’s new Dallas-Fort Worth Market President, Sales Director

John Alper has stepped into the role of DFW Market President, bringing decades of experience in sales leadership and community engagement. In addition, Kelli Cobuzio has been promoted to Sales Director.

Community Impact opened in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro in March 2011, launching first in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake. Today Frisco serves as the local headquarters for nine hyperlocal markets.

From sports to the newsroom

Alper is a Southern Methodist University graduate and longtime Plano resident. He spent 30 years in the sports and entertainment industry, with local experience with the Dallas Mavericks, FC Dallas, the Frisco RoughRiders and Legends.

“For me, switching from the sports and entertainment industry to what we do here wasn’t that big of a stretch because we’re representing something people really feel passionate about,” Alper said.

As Market President, Alper will oversee all functions of the Dallas-Fort Worth office, working with local staff—affectionately referred to as Impacters—across sales, editorial, design and administrative departments. His top priority is expanding into new markets, as demand for hyperlocal news coverage continues to rise.

“We have cities all the time asking us, ‘When are we going to have a Community Impact here,’ so one thing I want to focus on this year is learning how to expand,” Alper said.

A focus on sales success

Cobuzio joined Community Impact in 2023 as an account executive for Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake. After consistently being a top seller in the metro and helping her team win Newspaper of the Year in 2024, she was promoted to Sales Director in January.

In her new role, she is focused on sales onboarding and training, fostering team success, and growing client relationships across the region. This is a new role company-wide, with counterparts in the Austin, Houston and San Antonio metros as well.

“My sales philosophy is based on relationship development with a prospective business,” Cobuzio said. “I always want to understand their needs and discover how I could help them grow their business.”

She believes positive reinforcement and individualized coaching are key to motivating her team.

“We hire great people, and I want to be there to support and help them be their best,” she said.

Learn more

As Community Impact looks to expand, its founders John and Jennifer Garrett remain committed to the mission of providing trusted news and local information that everyone gets. Since 2005, the company has shared hyperlocal news in a direct, unbiased style through free monthly print newspapers and daily digital emails.

“I’m very excited to be part of this team and part of something that I believe in dearly,” Alper said. “I think without it there would be a massive void in the marketplace. I read a lot of publications, and we provide something that people just can’t get anywhere else.”

For more information:

• About Community Impact, future coverage areas, sourcing and marketing questions, go here.
• To learn about employment opportunities, visit this website.
• Sign up for Community Impact’s morning email newsletter here.