RISMedia, the leading independent source of news and information for the residential real estate industry for more than 40 years, has announced the promotions of two senior executives to support the company’s continued growth. Effective immediately, John “Jay” Featherston will become the company’s president and chief operating officer, and Maria Patterson will now serve as executive vice president.
RISMedia Founder & CEO John Featherston will continue at the helm of the company. “Jay and Maria are fiercely dedicated to RISMedia’s growth and success, always focused on what’s best for our readers, our business partners and the industry at large,” he said. “They, along with our executive leadership team and the entire RISMedia family, will help champion RISMedia’s future growth while safeguarding our long-standing reputation of integrity in real estate.”
Jay Featherston joined RISMedia in 2019, leading the organization’s internal and external team of experts charged with reimagining RISMedia for the future. Under his leadership, RISMedia transformed its website and overall digital presence, created and successfully launched RISMedia Premier content service, and spearheaded RISMedia’s MLS partnerships, initiatives that positively impacted all aspects of the organization.
Prior to joining RISMedia, Jay Featherston was an early team member, holding various roles within the business development and operations units, at healthcare start-up Remedy Partners, which helped transform bundled-payment systems in the healthcare industry. Remedy ultimately merged with Signify Heath, which was recently acquired by CVS Health.
“While I officially became part of the company in 2019, I literally grew up in this business,” says Jay Featherston. “The past few years have been an important evolutionary time for RISMedia, and I look forward to shepherding the company into its next phase of growth.”
Joining RISMedia in 2003, Maria Patterson’s dedication has made her a respected leader throughout the real estate industry. Patterson was an integral part of RISMedia’s rebranding and digital transformation, leading the editorial effort to develop RISMedia’s Premier content channel. Throughout her tenure with the company, she has led the editorial team and overseen the growth of RISMedia’s Real Estate magazine, digital news service and overall content offering, as well as played a key role in the development of RISMedia events. Patterson is also responsible for spearheading RISMedia’s renowned annual reports and programs, including the Power Broker Report, the Real Estate Newsmakers and the Real Estate Rookie of the Year.
Prior to joining RISMedia, Patterson was an executive with trade-media giant, Miller Freeman, Inc., where she served as editor-in-chief. As executive vice president, Patterson will continue to oversee all content creation and editorial responsibilities of the organization.
“The growth that RISMedia has experienced during my 20 years here is nothing short of extraordinary, and I’m privileged to have been a part of it,” says Patterson. “Under John’s leadership, we have continually evolved to better serve our readers and our clients—and there’s no end in sight. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the best team around on the company’s next chapter.”
Both Featherston and Patterson will be instrumental in leading RISMedia business units into the future.
For more information on RISMedia please visit www.rismedia.com.
