He has worked for many years in sports media, including as the Editor-in-Chief of The Topps Company (yes, baseball cards!) and the VP/GM of Sports at Quidd, Inc.

He is a longtime associate adjunct professor and director of graduate journalism at Hofstra University, his alma mater. He instituted graduate specializations in community and investigative journalism and sports and entertainment journalism. Vaccaro is pursuing his doctorate in leadership studies through Louisiana State University, where he is researching the impact of transformational leadership on fostering innovation in newsrooms. In 2023, he was chosen as a Fulbright Scholar by the U.S. Department of State.

His journalistic work has been published in hundreds of newspapers, magazines, and websites worldwide, including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, ESPN, The Associated Press, New York Daily News, Toronto Globe, Baltic Times, Ottawa Citizen, and much more. He has produced eight documentaries and written 10 books, including a journalism textbook on strategic storytelling that SAGE will publish this fall.

For his service to the Press Club of Long Island and SPJ, Vaccaro was inducted into the Long Island Journalism Hall of Fame. He has won two Emmy Awards (nominated for 12) and nine Murrow Awards. He lives with his wife and three children on Long Island.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

Leaders lead, and SPJ needs strong leadership to evolve and transform. I have climbed the ladder at every level and observed the good and bad this organization has endured in recent years. I believe in the organization and would like to take the next step in my SPJ journey by combining my leadership experience with my love of journalism advocacy to help during this transformational period.

What is a specific change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

I launched the SPJ Northeast Summer Journalism Institute, which has given 60-plus high school students real-world reporting and editing experience. I was also on the national board, which approved hiring new SPJ Executive Director Caroline Hendrie. I’m looking forward to working with her for years to come.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

We need more depth. We need more future SPJ leaders. We need to make connections with students (more summer institutes beyond the northeast!). To do any of this, we must get back to basics and own the values on which SPJ was built. I believe in leadership institutes, student workshops, chapter empowerment, and strong idea-sharing through open and honest communication. My priority over the next year is also to work with incoming SPJ President Emily Bloch and SPJ Executive Director Caroline Hendrie on executing their vision to evolve the organization.

Why is SPJ important to you?

SPJ matters. And there is no reason we should let this organization die. It has been part of my life for many years, and fighting for journalism and journalists is an honor. We must fight for press freedom. We must fight for the next generation. We must tout the incredible work being done by our local chapters. We must build more future SPJ leaders. We must pound our chests and beat our drums to remind people that SPJ is still here ... and it’s not going anywhere.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

Currently national at-large director, Press Club of Long Island board member, founder/director of SPJ Northeast Summer Journalism Institute. Formerly RC caucus chair, Region 1 coordinator, assistant Region 1 coordinator, Press Club of Long Island president and Hofstra University advisor.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

My priority is to support the vision of incoming SPJ President Emily Bloch and SPJ Executive Director Caroline Hendrie. I will also spend the year continuing to be a voice of reason regarding the organization’s future and finances. I have always been a proponent of doubling down on the local chapters, promoting their events, and allowing them to learn from each other. We need more of that.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

As stated on the SPJ Election Central questionnaire, leaders lead, and SPJ needs strong leadership to evolve and transform. I have climbed the ladder at every level and observed the good and bad this organization has endured in recent years. I believe in the organization and would like to take the next step in my SPJ journey by combining my leadership experience with my love of journalism advocacy to help during this transformational period.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

Because it stands for something. It has value and the community of local chapters advocating for our profession and calling is special. The opportunities you can create through networking or the resources you can use through tools that are offered are worth the effort and time for being a member.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

It’s easy to say winning two Emmy Awards and nine Murrow Awards. That was humbling. But it comes down to the stories and the people. I was proud seeing my byline in The New York Times about a story I wrote on something in my hometown. I was beyond fired up to write for Rolling Stone — twice — about sports no less. My sons’ names are Hunter and Thompson, so you can imagine my personal interest in RS thanks to HST.

But even more local, I have loved covering my community through various outlets, including one I launched in 2012 that continues today — telling stories of our local schools, students, businesses and so much more.

Finally, the opportunities that I have created for others — as a professor and as an executive. From internships to freelance gigs to full-time work, I have hired hundreds of people to their first jobs — and I love seeing them grow. It’s nice to think I played a part in their journey.

Do you support the current structure of the national board? Or do you favor returning to a larger board? Why?

I’d like to see a formal seat added for one regional coordinator. We have informally designated an RC in this role, but they are not on the national board. I have served in this RC liaison position and always tried to communicate everything I can. It makes sense to have that voice on our national board since they represent the 11 regions and our regions and local chapters are the lifeblood of the national organization.

What is your assessment of SPJ’s current financial status? What specific changes, if any, would you make to SPJ’s current budget?

It has gotten better, but there is still much work to be done. I will work with Emily Bloch, Caroline Hendrie and the national board over the next year to manage the process and continue getting on a more clear path to financial success.

What is the smartest decision the national board has made in recent years? The biggest mistake?

Hiring Caroline Hendrie. We needed a fresh vision and I believe she will help push the organization in an evolved direction.

Campaign video [youtube.com]

My leadership experience is grounded in years of reporting, writing, editing and newsroom management. I’ve chased breaking news at the Los Angeles Times and Reuters, crafted long-form features at Mother Jones and the LA Weekly and led news teams at AOL/Patch and NBC.

Past roles include editorial director at Zócalo Public Square, West Coast Editor in Charge for Reuters, editor at Global Press Journal and head of digital news at NBC4 Southern California, where my team won the station its first Sigma Delta Chi Award for digital news from the Society of Professional Journalists. I also taught reporting and writing to undergraduate and graduate students for nearly a decade as an adjunct at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Before NBC I was a regional editor at AOL's hyperlocal Patch.com, where I supported the launch of the first sites in Southern California. I have worked as a Mother Jones contributor, as a staff writer specializing in long-form storytelling for the LA Weekly and as a cub reporter at the Los Angeles Times, where I contributed to the Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the Northridge Earthquake.

I hold a master's degree in journalism from U.C. Berkeley and a bachelor's degree in philosophy from St. John's College. I serve on several boards, including the Society of Professional Journalists Los Angeles Chapter and on the program committee for the JSK Journalism Fellowship at Stanford, where I was myself a fellow.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

For the past six years I’ve worked at a national non-profit journalism support organization where I’m dedicated, every day, to forging a sustainable path for journalism and democracy. A big part of this work is focused governance and fiscal responsibility. I’m fortunate to have these skills in my journalism toolbox. Now I’d like to bring my good fortune to bear in service all SPJ members, as secretary treasurer on the SPJ board. In this role I commit to showing up with a generative and curious mindset to ensure that SPJ fulfills its fiduciary responsibility and is financially sound.

What is a specific change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

In my two-plus years on the board of SPJLA I've led two key initiatives:

1. As chair of the nominations committee for the Distinguished Journalist Awards, I created a robust nomination recruiting process to ensure a strong pool of nominees that centers equity and inclusion and expands far beyond the "friends and family" of board members to ensure that the excellent work of committed journalists across the greater Los Angeles region is recognized and celebrated. Longtime board members said that our 2023 awards banquet was both the most resonant and most joyous that they could remember.

2. In the spring of 2024 I partnered with a leader at Poynter (we cooked up the idea over coffee at a cafe halfway between where we live) and led an ad hoc committee of SPJ board members to host a live and in-person SoCal Journalism Mega Mixer. The response was overwhelmingly positive-- 10 journalism organizations signed up as sponsors, covering the cost of the venue. It was a gorgeous spring day and an all-too-rare opportunity for journalists from across the region to come together for local brew, mutual affirmation and more than a few laughs.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

I know from conversations with many folks in SPJ leadership that there is a lot of positive change underway. And I know that change is hard. That said, if elected to the position of secretary treasurer at SPJ I would work to ensure organizational discipline, clarity and as much transparency as possible about the financial health and well being of SPJ.

Why is SPJ important to you?

SPJ's Code of Ethics is the professional gold standard for journalism. I knew this as a student heading to an internship at Daily Union Democrat in Sonora California. I knew it as a cub reporter at the Los Angeles Times, as head of digital at the NBC station in Los Angeles, as West Coast Editor in Charge at Reuters. There is no other organization or entity that carries this responsibility. Preserving SPJ and its role in upholding this core tenet of journalism, and ensuring that SPJ is a healthy, robust beacon for journalists everywhere, is at the heart of my commitment.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

I serve on the board of the SPJ Los Angeles chapter and chair the national committee that oversees the First Amendment Forever Fund.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

For my campaign for secretary-treasurer, I’ve embarked on a listening tour of more than two dozen key SPJ stakeholders to hear top challenges, opportunities and priorities. These conversations continue until Election Day — all are welcome to reach out to me through my LinkedIn to schedule a chat.

In listening to folks, several priorities have emerged that align with the secretary-treasurer role:

– Provide greater transparency into SPJ’s finances

– Broaden and deepen leadership’s role in fundraising

– Sharpen SPJ’s programming with a focus on our core commitments to ethics, freedom of information and the First Amendment

Specific changes:

Finances: Create a financial health dashboard on the SPJ website that is regularly updated, accessible to all and includes a clear tracking mechanism and key performance indicators to show both the organization’s financial goals and the status of progress at a glance. This would ensure consistent, highly visible accountability and help build trust in the organization’s ability to keep its financial house in order.

Fundraising: Seek to open the Foundation’s development committee to SPJ board members. This follows the model Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins established this year by inviting foundation board members to SPJ’s finance committee. Finance and development are two crucial pillars to the future health of the organization. We need all of the smart people working together to get there.

Programming: Use the already confirmed October 2025 SPJ convention with the College Media Association and Associated College Press as a “beacon” event, building excitement, momentum and buy-in in the months leading up to it with a series of thematically aligned and coordinated local, regional and national program offerings.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I’ve worked as a reporter, editor and newsroom leader across a wide range of news outlets, including legacy print, digital, local broadcast and global wire service. For the past six years, I’ve served at a nonprofit national journalism support organization, where I now serve as chief program and operating officer, working to ensure a thriving future for journalism. Our work is almost entirely grant-funded and I work closely with development and finance to ensure that every dollar is accounted for and that these funds are being put to work for the benefit of journalists. I would bring this combination of decades of hands-on newsroom experience combined with detailed knowledge of national nonprofit governance and fiduciary responsibility to the role of SPJ secretary-treasurer.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

If someone asked me that today, I’d tell them about my campaign listening tour. I’d say SPJ is full of some of the most passionate, dedicated, big-hearted journalists you’ll ever meet. They care deeply about ensuring that the organization lives up to its legacy as the very best place for all journalists to learn how to do journalism to the highest possible standards. If you want to feel hopeful about the future of journalism, and want to be a part of making that future, join SPJ.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

What matters most in this campaign — my achievement most relevant to this moment at SPJ — is my hard-earned ability to adapt and thrive amid profound changes in the profession, as an individual reporter and editor, newsroom leader, journalism educator and at the national journalism support organization where I now serve in a leadership role. It’s this perspective that can help ensure that SPJ doesn’t rest on its considerable laurels and moves forward in service of its members and mission.

Do you support the current structure of the national board? Or do you favor returning to a larger board? Why?

Structure and size are both important questions with regard to the national board, and there are other questions that I think need to be addressed before they can be answered in a way that serves the future of SPJ. I’m interested in taking a closer look at the entire composition of the two-board SPJ/Foundation structure. What is the ultimate purpose and goal of this structure? Is it working? Are the necessary roles and responsibilities for a healthy future for SPJ properly represented? Where are the gaps? Where are the redundancies?

What is your assessment of SPJ’s current financial status? What specific changes, if any, would you make to SPJ’s current budget?

Better than a year ago, with lots more heavy lifting ahead to get to a place of financial security. It is critical to set achievable financial goals and track our progress toward those goals with as much transparency as possible. What’s happened has already happened. The question now is whether and how SPJ will continue to learn from its mistakes and turn the corner. Under the leadership of Caroline Hendrie and Ashanti Blaze-Hopkins, we’re off to a good start. With Emily Bloch and Chris Vaccaro coming in as president and vice president, and Caroline continuing her strong leadership, I’m optimistic.

What is the smartest decision the national board has made in recent years? The biggest mistake?

The biggest mistake was the board taking its eye off the ball with regard to SPJ’s finances and not asking the tough questions. Without a solid financial foundation, SPJ will struggle to make progress on its many other areas of need. The smartest decision was to come clean about its finances, cancel this year’s convention and begin corrective action.

Campaign video [youtube.com]

Beyond reporting, I've contributed to the broader journalistic community through leadership roles, including serving as a board member and president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and UNITY: Journalists of Color, and a board term with SPJ. In essence, I am both a dedicated journalist and a staunch advocate for our profession.

In the past few months, I led the reporting and photo staff of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in our effort to form a union to protect our interests before our company's owners at Alden Capital. Our organization was one of the fastest in the recent history of the News Guild-CWA, a testament to what can be accomplished in a short time with dedicated teamwork.

Teamwork has been my m.o. for much of my career. At NAHJ, we worked as a team to revitalize the association and raise its profile both within and outside the industry. At the Sun Sentinel, I was part of teams that were Pulitzer Prize finalists in 2005 and 2006, and a team that won the Pulitzer in 2019. And, as a team, we at the Sun Sentinel are now protected as a union.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

SPJ's current leadership did a stellar job addressing the financial crisis that built up in recent years. I intend to follow in the footsteps of Israel Balderas, who sounded the alarm when he held this office two years ago. I will view my role as both a protector of our financial integrity as well as a grower of our long-term stability. First, I put my money where my mouth is by becoming a lifetime member. Next, I intend to identify and solicit funding from sources other than the same foundations and companies that have held us up for years. We need to diversify our funding sources so that when one falls, others are there to keep us afloat. And those sources cannot compromise our integrity as journalists.

We are up to the task, together.

What is a specific change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

I can point to two concrete differences I made in my tenure as a board member and a committee member from 2020-2023.

I was the deciding vote against unilaterally and prematurely pulling out of our hotel contract for the 2021 conference, a decision that both preserved the health of our members and saved SPJ from a $150,000 expense we would not have been able to afford. That decision was made without the advanced knowledge of the precarious position we would face two and three years later. It was a warning to us all to protect our integrity at all times, not just during fiscal emergencies.

I was also vice chair of the bylaws committees that proposed and then won the elimination of our outdated "delegate" system, resulting in each SPJ member having a direct voice in the decisions we need to make for SPJ's future.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

SPJ's current leadership did a stellar job addressing the financial crisis that built up in recent years. I intend to follow in the footsteps of Israel Balderas, who sounded the alarm when he held this office two years ago. I will view my role as both a protector of our financial integrity as well as a grower of our long-term stability. First, I put my money where my mouth is by becoming a lifetime member. Next, I intend to identify and solicit funding from sources other than the same foundations and companies that have held us up for years. We need to diversify our funding sources so that when one falls, others are there to keep us afloat. And those sources cannot compromise our integrity as journalists. We are up to the task.

Why is SPJ important to you?

SPJ has been at the forefront of fighting for journalism ethics and preservation of the First Amendment. At NAHJ and UNITY, we recognized the need to get SPJ's buy-in when we spoke to issues that transcended ethnicity and diversity. SPJ should be America's leading voice on behalf of our profession. Seeing this association take its proper place among our peers has been and will continue to be my long-term goal as a leader in this society.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

I was an at-large director from 2020-2022 and a member of the Awards, Freedom of Information and Bylaws committees. On Bylaws, I worked with the committee chairs to craft language to eliminate SPJ’s archaic delegate system, giving every member a direct say in the major decisions governing the association.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

First, to make sure we remain on sound financial footing by being honest about where we stand. Former Secretary-Treasurer Israel Balderas rang loud alarm bells before and during his term. That kind of integrity is what’s needed in that position. We must insist that every new initiative is funded before it is implemented.

Second, to increase our base of individual donors. This will require the assistance of the SPJ Foundation because SPJ does not have tax-exempt status, so we need to establish a GO fund where the money raised goes directly to SPJ operations. A GO fund is for “General Operating” expenses, as distinguished from donations that go to a specific cause, scholarships being the most prominent example.

Third (but not finally), we need to diversify our base of corporate sponsors. We have learned that we cannot continue to rely on the same foundations and media businesses year after year because when they struggle, we struggle.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

As a former board member and former president of NAHJ and UNITY: Journalists of Color, I am familiar with budgets and financial challenges. At NAHJ, we faced a financial challenge and were able to eliminate a potential deficit through a series of cuts and setting of priorities. After my term, problems resumed, and we learned it was largely because we had not done enough to diversify our funding. Being able to draw on past experience to avoid future mistakes is an asset you want in a financial officer.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

I tell them that SPJ is the standard bearer for what is right and good in our profession and that no one does a better job of standing up for our professional ethical principles. I tell them that our work in preserving a free press is unparalleled, and that our professional development programs transcend the self-imposed limits of associations that focus on one aspect of our job. Finally, I tell them that SPJ has a unique opportunity to fill the vacuum left behind when UNITY: Journalists for Diversity dissolved. I picture us bringing all journalists together behind a common mission focused on the values we all share.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

There have been several. As a reporter in New York City, I stopped a fraudster from preying on the fears of Latinos with AIDS by promising a phony cure that only he could sell from his apartment in Washington Heights. In South Florida, I helped clear the names of two Jamaican immigrant brothers wrongfully accused of driving the wrong way down the highway and causing a crash that claimed their lives. And in 2018, I shared in the Sun Sentinel’s Pulitzer Prize for our coverage of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Do you support the current structure of the national board? Or do you favor returning to a larger board? Why?

I do believe we need a larger board, though not as large as it used to be. I would recommend that each regional coordinator spend the second year of his/her two-year term on the national board. This would add six board members at a time, with the regional directors rotating. I would also recommend instituting calendar-year terms, so that everyone serves from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.

What is your assessment of SPJ’s current financial status? What specific changes, if any, would you make to SPJ’s current budget?

SPJ has suffered from declining membership and declining revenue as a result. We’re not going to improve the situation on either front unless we do a better job of giving all journalists a reason to join. I would propose discounted rates for members of other associations to offset the individual burden of choosing where to put their money. I would leverage the resulting increased membership to encourage larger donations from a wider variety of sponsors who have shown an interest in the integrity of our profession.

What is the smartest decision the national board has made in recent years? The biggest mistake?

History will answer that question. I think it was a mistake to choose Las Vegas over Arizona when our staff tried to make it clear that Arizona was the more financially responsible decision. I think it was wise to postpone our decision to cancel the in-person component of the New Orleans conference until we could safely do so without incurring a huge cancellation fee we could not afford.

I think the boldest decision made in recent years was to refrain from holding a conference this year. The conference should be our biggest annual fundraiser, but the last one wasn’t. By not holding one this year, we may have missed an opportunity to raise more money, but we also may have dodged a financial bullet by refusing to take on expenses we could not meet. History may or may not reveal the wisdom of that decision, but it was a courageous one and I applaud the current board for putting emotions aside and doing what they felt was right.

On December 1, 2021, by decree of President Emmanuel Macron, he was decorated with the rank of chevalier (knight) in the Légion d’Honneur, France’s highest civilian decoration. He was awarded the Deadline Club Award for Best Opinion Writing for his CNN commentaries in 2018 and again in 2019 for his Reuters columns. He served for seven years as Editor & Publisher of World Policy Journal. Previously he served as an executive editor of Forbes. Earlier, he was domestic and foreign correspondent for The New York Times in New York and Washington, as Southeast Asia bureau chief, based in Bangkok, then East European bureau chief, based in Belgrade. He then moved to CBS News where he served for seven years as Paris correspondent. There followed service as a Washington correspondent for CNBC, news editor of Bloomberg News and Business Editor of the New York Daily News. He has traveled through and reported from 86 countries. He was awarded the 2017 New York Press Club award for best political commentary for his USAToday columns. He is the author of five books, The Peacemakers, published by Harper & Row, and The Fourth World War, published by William Morrow, which he co-authored with the Count de Marenches, long-time head of French intelligence. His third book, A Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today was published in a Centenary Edition with foreword by Sir Harold Evans. He has translated from the French and written an epilogue to An Impossible Dream: Reagan, Gorbachev, and a World Without the Bomb published in June 2019 by Pegasus/Norton. Andelman has written for Harpers, The Atlantic, The New Republic, The New York Times Magazine, Readers Digest, Foreign Policy and Foreign Affairs. He is a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and is a member of the Century Association, Council on Foreign Relations, Harvard Club of New York, National Press Club and the Grolier Club. He is President-emeritus of the Overseas Press Club of America and leader of its press freedom committee, and The Silurians Press Club, the oldest club in America for veteran journalists.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

I believe there are enormous opportunities to extend SPJ's reach and influence, especially in these days of global media, beyond America's immediate shores.

What is a specific change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

N/A

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

Sensitize the organization to the challenges abroad as well as at home.

Why is SPJ important to you?

No other media organization (not a union) is so broadly represented in American media and journalism today, which carries with it enormous challenges, responsibilities and opportunities to which it has long risen and could, I am confident, rise even further.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

Member and contestant in national competition for more than 20 years.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

a. Provide a broader focus globally and professionally in an effort to attract more American journalists working abroad and at the top end of our profession (trickle-down effect!!) that should also provide greater visibility for SPJ and its broader agenda.

b. Create a separate “overseas” division, equal in weight to the various geographical units within the U.S. and with its own board and leadership.

c. Take a closer look at the totality of paid staff at the national level.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I have had a broad and deep career beginning in the smallest of local media and culminating at the national and international level ... with a “Rolodex” of unparalleled reach and diversity and having run (as president) two other leading journalism organizations.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

Because the world, but especially America, needs a real national, grassroots journalism society that can advocate for all levels of our profession.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

Wow, having worked for national newspapers, TV/radio networks, global websites, written five books, it’s hard to single out ONE?! I’d guess my greatest single moment was when CBS News decided they would offer me the job of chief Paris correspondent and I decided to leave The New York Times. THAT was a moment. Or alternatively when The Times decided to pluck me off the Metro staff and send me to Saigon as the last permanent correspondent there for decades (1974)!!

Do you support the current structure of the national board? Or do you favor returning to a larger board? Why?

The smaller and more compact, more focused, the better, in my long experience running such boards!!

What is your assessment of SPJ’s current financial status? What specific changes, if any, would you make to SPJ’s current budget?

Not great. I am not a real budget expert, but my go-to mantra has always been: Trim your existing debts and make every effort to stop running deficits! In other words: If you’re in a hole, the first step is to stop digging!!

What is the smartest decision the national board has made in recent years? The biggest mistake?

Paring its size. Operating remotely. Mistake: Ditching its annual conference as its signatory event.

Now he applies his years of contacts, eye for talent, insight in the business of television for the benefit of Talent Dynamics clients and the job seekers throughout our industry.

For Gary his career started at WTVG in his hometown of Toledo Ohio in 1988 as a sports intern while in high school! After graduating from Kent State and working in various producer and executive producer roles across the country, Brown was named news director at WTOV in Steubenville Ohio at the age of 25! At the time he was one of the youngest news managers in the country. Gary’s career came full circle back to Toledo when he launched the news operation for the Fox affiliate, WUPW. It is also where he met Patrick McCreery, co-owner of Talent Dynamics. After Toledo, Brown’s news director career took him to Providence, Hartford, San Diego. It was in San Diego another pivotal moment, when his former owner, Sandy DiPasquale called him and said he was buying a tv group and would Gary like to interview for a GM role or VP of News. Brown said VP of News and the rest was history, he went through almost five years of learning the business of tv during the recession of 2008 and 2009. Then, another pivot to being a talent agent for five years and then another career defining moment. Patrick McCreery called and said he was getting promoted and would Brown replace him as the VP of News with Meredith’s Local Media Group. In that role he oversaw news, marketing, digital and oversaw the creation and launch of People Magazine’s People the TV Show! The show ran for almost two years. When Meredith was sold in 2021, Gary was forced to pivot as his role ended and that is when he and Patrick McCreery formed Glass City Talent, LLC to purchase Talent Dynamics in June 2022. Since then, the mission has been to build on the legacy of the company and evolve our industry leading database and on-camera performance training. That mission continues today.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

To help raise the profile of the organization.

What is a specific change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

To help make the organization more top of mind within the industry.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

Make sure there are dual paths and programs that are interesting to both print and broadcast members.

Why is SPJ important to you?

The industry needs the organization.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

I have not had roles with SPJ. I am new to the organization.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

Financial stability, brand expansion and then strategic alliances. I think we need to balance the books, zero base the budget and look at what can be done. Nothing can be off the table.

Brand expansion: SPJ should be the preeminent organization in journalism. It can be and it needs to be and we need to look at ways to grow the brand and reach.

Strategic alliances: Maybe a merger with another organization? Maybe a joint conference? There are lots of options to look at going forward.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I bring over 30 years of journalism experience. I also own two businesses and operate them. I bring that discipline to the board to help grow the organization.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

I want to help ensure the organization is around long term.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

I have had several. My best is as a news director seeing my former employees thrive and grow in their careers

Do you support the current structure of the national board? Or do you favor returning to a larger board? Why?

I support a streamlined board and organization. Too many cooks can bog down the process.

What is your assessment of SPJ’s current financial status? What specific changes, if any, would you make to SPJ’s current budget?

The financial situation must be addressed. The foundation has given a lifeline, but we need to grow revenues in a bad economy. We need to look at all the expenses, what makes sense. Just because it has always been done that way shouldn’t be the answer.

What is the smartest decision the national board has made in recent years? The biggest mistake?

I think all organizations need to grow forward by reaching out to students. However, catering too much to that programming could turn off the paying members. We need to make sure the organization is relevant to all members.

Nicole currently serves as the Region 5 Coordinator for the Society of Professional Journalists and serves as at-large directors for the SPJ Florida Board and the Freelance Community Board. She also served as the Regional Coordinator Caucus Chair, as chair for the Generation J Community and as Region 5 Assistant Coordinator. In addition, Nicole completed a 10-month grant writing fellowship and has secured more than $50,000 in grants throughout the last two-years, mostly for nonprofit news. She graduated from DePauw University in 2016 and was a recipient of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program in 2012.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

To put it simply, I am running for this SPJ office because I believe that I have the skills needed to help SPJ not only survive but thrive throughout this financial crisis. And, I believe that because of the wide breadth of my SPJ leadership experience, I can help make decisions that are mindful of the needs of some of the underrepresented areas of our national board, specifically that of my fellow regional coordinators and the Freelance Community. I’ve been a proud member of SPJ for more than a decade, and I believe that I embody both a healthy respect for our tradition and history and fresh ideas to help move our organization forward. In addition, I specifically believe that my experience in nonprofit news, fundraising and grant writing will help SPJ secure firm financial footing and open the door to partnerships with organizations such as The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN).

What is a specific change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

Throughout my most recent term as Regional Coordinator in Region 5, there are two things I am most proud of.

First and foremost, this year, as RC Caucus Chair, I helped seek clarification surrounding the regional conference stipends. These stipends granted to each region to help offset the cost of hosting a regional conference. Through asking questions and advocating for another region, each region was awarded an additional $250 from SPJ Headquarters, for a total of $750 in support ($500 from SPJ and $250 from The Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism).

Secondly, in my first year as Regional Coordinator, two of Region 5’s chapters achieved the honor of winning Chapter of the Year. My role was to support, advocate for and nominate these exceptional chapters, but the real credit goes to the chapter leaders who put in the hard work and dedication that earned this recognition. I was glad to see them recognized for the amazing work which included offering continued public records training to journalists through FOIA Fest and advocating for and successfully changing Indiana law to allow cameras in the courtroom.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

If I am elected to the board, it is my goal to work with the other board members to help SPJ continue toward financial stability. This has to be the number one priority. That being said, I believe that one key way that we can move toward that goal is through programming and partnerships with other journalism organizations. This not only opens the door for additional grant funding and fundraising opportunities, but it also draws journalists to SPJ.

Additionally, regardless of whether or not I am elected, it has been one of my goals to provide grant writing training and support to chapter leaders so they can continue to provide programming and support for journalists in their areas. It is my goal to bring the training that I have offered at the College Media Association conference and our combined Region 4/ Region 5 Spring Conference to the wider SPJ Community.

Why is SPJ important to you?

Personally, I owe much of the journalist I am today and the career that I have had to SPJ either directly or indirectly. I know that I am not the only journalist that has benefited from the work that SPJ does. I am constantly working to find new ways to support SPJ's mission and to volunteer for it. At the end of the day, I want to constantly serve SPJ, give back to it and play a role in improving it along the way.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

I have been a member of SPJ for over a decade and have served in various national leadership roles since 2016. Currently, I am the Region 5 Coordinator and chair of the Regional Coordinator Caucus. I also serve as an at-large director on both the Freelance Community Board and the SPJ Florida Board. Previously, I chaired the now-defunct Generation J Community for two terms and have been a member of the Membership and Nominations Committees.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

If I am elected, my top three priorities are:

1. Implement rigorous financial oversight and stability measures

SPJ’s long-term fiscal health has to be the top priority. While the reinvestment plan from the SPJ Foundation has created breathing room and hope, if the national board does not prioritize sustained, strategic financial management to address the current financial challenges, the reinvestment from the SPJ Foundation will only delay SPJ’s bankruptcy. SPJ must review existing financial practices, continue to identify areas of cost-efficiency and explore new revenue streams.

2. Resolve membership database issues with long-term solutions

SPJ is a membership organization that can’t accurately track its membership. It’s a problem that directly impacts SPJ’s revenue and finances, and it leaves SPJ unable to accurately look at membership trends to target new members in growth areas. Not fixing the database creates negative member experiences, inaccurate records and missed communication within SPJ. To be clear, the failure is with Impexium and not our headquarters staff, who spend countless hours “fixing” the same issues time and time again, much to their frustration. Both as a leader in the Freelance Community and as a regional coordinator, I have seen that the biggest and most frequent complaint within SPJ involves the ineffectiveness of Impexium.

3. Expand local programming and develop national initiatives

SPJ’s strength lies in the innovative local programs created by chapters, but many of these programs aren’t scaled to have a broader impact. Additionally, SPJ lacks national programming that offers training and networking opportunities. Effective programming enhances member engagement, drives retention, attracts new members, and secures grant funding, reducing reliance on SPJ and the Foundation’s resources. In addition, SPJ has lacked specific and intentional partnerships with and programming for nonprofit newsrooms. While SPJ cannot be everything to everyone, there has not been a concentrated effort to make SPJ membership affordable to nonprofit newsrooms or to partner with organizations such as the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) or LION Publishers.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

My experience as a nonprofit leader and founder of a rural, local nonprofit newspaper gives me a strong background in community journalism, nonprofit best practices, grant-writing and fundraising. These are all skills that are crucial to helping SPJ navigate its current financial crisis.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

Frankly, with no national programming, this has been a challenge this year. Generally speaking, I talk about the valuable networking, professional development and advocacy work that SPJ does on both the national and local levels.

Specifically in Indiana, I highlight the crucial efforts of the Indiana Pro Chapter’s advocacy work to allow cameras in courtrooms. In addition, when asked how SPJ differs from the other great journalism organizations that exist, I go back to the very basics and core of SPJ — our Code of Ethics. Finally, I share my personal SPJ story and discuss how SPJ has helped support me through all of the stages of my career thus far.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

My biggest achievement in journalism is founding and leading The Owen News, which is Indiana’s first and only nonprofit newspaper. In addition, this nonprofit newspaper is in a rural, low-income community, which statistically has suffered the most from news loss. My leadership and vision led the news outlet from conception to publishing and base-level operational sustainability within two years. The Owen News is currently a semifinalist for nonprofit of the year from the Owen County Chamber of Commerce.

Do you support the current structure of the national board? Or do you favor returning to a larger board? Why?

The exclusion of regional coordinators, who serve as vital connectors between the national organization, chapters, and members, is problematic. Additionally, the current structure does not adequately represent students and communities. From a nonprofit governance best practices perspective, boards should not have more than one-third turnover annually, yet SPJ’s structure allows for up to two-thirds of the board to be new in any given year.

What is your assessment of SPJ’s current financial status? What specific changes, if any, would you make to SPJ’s current budget?

SPJ is in a financial crisis. While the SPJ Foundation’s reinvestment plan has provided a temporary solution, the organization is not yet financially stable. The financial transparency necessary to recommend current changes hasn’t been part of SPJ’s culture.

That being said, I am prepared to help pursue earned revenue, develop fundraising strategy and write grants to support SPJ. It is also important to note that most organizations focus on revenue, and while that is important, it is more important to closely examine expenses.

What is the smartest decision the national board has made in recent years? The biggest mistake?

The smartest decision that the national board has made in recent years is the decision to agree to the SPJ Foundation memorandum of understanding and focus solely on SPJ’s finances this year without deviation or distraction.

However, the biggest mistake was made three and four years ago, when the board failed to provide the adequate fiscal oversight necessary to uphold their fiduciary responsibility to SPJ. Financial oversight was left up to the executive director, finance committee chair and finance committee at the time instead of each of the SPJ board members making a specific effort to monitor SPJ’s finances. This lack of oversight, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, has contributed to SPJ’s current financial difficulties.

Campaign video [youtube.com]

Newberry returned to daily journalism in 2022, retiring from Miami University as director of its journalism program. Newberry joined Miami in 1997 as an adjunct instructor — after about 15 years in the news world — and ended up staying 25 years. Her favorite Miami experiences included running a travel course called NYC Media, chairing the student media committee, sitting on the university-wide Lecture Series committee, advising the SPJ chapter and working directly with students on reporting and writing. She now relishes her role as a boomerang to the newsroom, covering all kinds of wonky and wonderful news about how Cincinnati spends taxpayer funds. Newberry and her stalwart spouse of 34 years, Doug Newberry, are parents to three pretty cool adult children (Frances, Arthur and Beatrice) and an awfully nice Basset hound named J.J. Off-hours, her favorite things are walking, reading, cooking, Wordle, Michigan, friends and family.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

I’m seeking to rejoin the national board to promote SPJ’s critical position among media advocates. SPJ needs strong and seasoned leaders as it fights to protect press rights, grow membership, produce relevant programming and maintain a balanced operating budget. I consider myself a collaborative, no-nonsense thought-leader, long dedicated to the best interests of SPJ and its members. While I have enjoyed my time on the SPJ Foundation board, I would welcome the chance to return to the Society’s board and play a more hands-on role in helping our new(ish) executive director and newly elected officers move forward on all priorities.

What is an example of a change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

During my time on the national board, I played key roles in programming for national conventions, elevating the Fellows of the Society program, reducing the size of the board, creating a strategic plan and hiring an executive director.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

I have two top goals: 1.) Conducting a top-to-bottom assessment of SPJ’s many, many iniatives and determining which are worth growing and which are worth sunsetting; and 2.) working with our staff to generate revenue from new sources.

Why is SPJ important to you?

SPJ’s mission — to protect and promote journalism — is central to our democracy and central to my life’s work as a journalist and journalism educator. In addition to our successful, high-profile advocacy work, we provide programming and services that help journalists and educators do their jobs better. Finally, and very importantly, we create community — bringing together people from across the country and beyond who believe in the power of journalism and necessity of fighting for press freedoms. That’s essential, too, with increasing threats to journalists and journalism on the national political stage.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

I have been an active member and leader in SPJ for more than 40 years, beginning with my campus chapter at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and culminating with my term as national president and my time on the SPJ Foundation board.

Current roles: Member, SPJ Foundation Board, 2015-present; chair, SPJ Foundation Publications Committee, 2022-present; member, SPJ Finance Committee, 2017-present (minus 2021-22).

Earlier national roles: SPJ board president, 2019-20; SPJ president-elect, 2018-19; SPJ secretary-treasurer, 2017-18; Region 4 director and SPJ board member, 2013-17; member of Executive Director Search Committee, 2019-20; Strategic Planning Task Force, 2019-20; SPJ Governance Task Force (chair), 2016-17; and long service as judge for the Sigma Delta Chi and Mark of Excellence awards.

Other engagements: Adviser, Miami University SPJ chapter, 2002-22; co-chair, joint Region 4/5 spring conferences, 1990, 2005, 2016; programming chair, Region 4 conference, 2023, 2024; co-chair, Region 4 spring conference, 2014; programming chair, joint Region 4/5 spring conference; president, vice president of programming, treasurer, newsletter editor, board member, Queen City (Cincinnati) SPJ, 1986-1994; president, treasurer, board member, University of Nebraska-Lincoln chapter, 1980-83.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

Revisit SPJ’s strategic plan, and prune projects and priorities outside our core pillars. Watch the budget to make sure we stay in the black. Support HQ efforts to bring in new sources of essential revenue.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

Given my long service to SPJ, I know our past challenges, present battles and future possibilities. I’ve put enormous energy into the SPJ Finance Committee over the years, tracking key revenue and expense lines, asking hard questions and helping keep our precarious finances heading in the right direction.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

SPJ is the nation’s leading advocate for ethical journalism. SPJ is the leader in promoting and protecting journalism. SPJ creates community for journalism and journalists across the country.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

I am most proud of my 2022 return to daily journalism after more than 25 years in higher ed. I loved teaching and loved my students at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. But I could not have been more thrilled to be welcomed back to the Cincinnati Enquirer newsroom to tell stories that matter to my community.

Do you support the current structure of the national board? Or do you favor returning to a larger board? Why?

As a key driver of the board downsizing, I believe we cut too deep. The effort to be a more nimble, allegiance-free board left too many members feeling cut off from the decision-making process. I support the current efforts to add back some seats and remain open to what that might look like.

What is your assessment of SPJ’s current financial status? What specific changes, if any, would you make to SPJ’s current budget?

SPJ’s has long counted on four sources of revenue: membership dues, conventions, contests and contributions. It is time, I believe, to accept that membership will never rebound as a significant source of support. Conventions can be money-makers with key underwriting, more revenue-producing programs and a tight control on expenses. Contests are an SPJ calling card, with room for expansion.

That leaves contributions. Grants, donations, foundation support and similar sources are, I believe, the revenue stream of the future. That’s why we need a lean, focused value proposition to put in front of funders. What is SPJ in 2024 and going forward — and why should folks with funds put their dollars down on us?

Not on the table, in my book: more staff cuts. We need our dedicated staff to deliver what SPJ promises its members and the wider community.

What is the smartest decision the national board has made in recent years? The biggest mistake?

Smartest, of late: Hiring Caroline Hendrie as executive director; cancelling our 2024 national convention; electing solid officers. Mistake: Failing to support our last executive director, John Shertzer.

My work—reportage and fiction—has been published in newspapers and magazines across the United States and in Israel, and my novel, Blurred Vision, is scheduled to be published by Red Adept Publishing in 2025. I’ve been honored by the National Council of Young Israel, the Zionist Organization of America, the Jewish Action Alliance, and Israel’s Arutz Sheva (Channel 7), as well as by the South Jersey Writers Group. I speak often for Jewish, Christian, and secular audiences and have been a guest on numerous radio and television programs. A graduate of New York University with an undergraduate degree in Comparative Literature and a Master’s in Education, I’m married to Dr. Richard Rosenbluth. We have three married children,13 grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

As a senior citizen, longtime journalist covering all fields of interest to the niche community I serve, and an active member of and advocate for the Jewish community, I think I can add a perspective to SPJ that I sometimes feel is missing.

What is an example of a change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

As a member, I think I've helped bring an awareness that for many in the Jewish community, Friday night and Saturday events are impossible to attend. When one group's sensitivities are considered, it's easier to universalize that awareness, making SPJ open and user-friendly for journalists representing all communities.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

I would encourage more members of the observant-Jewish community to become involved in the group.

Why is SPJ important to you?

When journalists do their job correctly, no one's work is more important. At our core, we are teachers with some of the biggest classrooms in the world, and, as such, we should abide by a few truths I consider so fundamental they're plaques on my office wall: "Be Clear;" "The Proper Response to the Outrageous Is Still to be Outraged;" and "Never Underestimate Your Reader's Intelligence; Never Overestimate Your Reader's Information."

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

I've been a member of SPJ for just a few years, but I attend meetings and events whenever I can. One of the reasons I decided to run for a leadership position is to advocate for more sensitive attention to the issues of importance to those journalists who observe religious holidays and festivals that preclude attendance of any sort on those days.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

My first priority would be to advocate for political objectivity from members of the organization. A significant percentage of our public views us as skewed left, an issue we should consciously address.

As I mentioned earlier, I'd also like the organization to become more sensitive to the needs of religiously observant members of SPJ.

Third, SPJ as an organization should be more aware of the roles that can be played by and perspectives that can be gleaned from older members of the profession. When I turned 70, someone asked if I'd like to retire. My response: "But now I know what I'm doing."

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

My experience as a niche journalist for over 40 years, coupled with my expertise as the editor and publisher of The Jewish Voice and Opinion, a monthly news magazine, serve to make me a fresh, independent candidate.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

Most people will agree that credentials are unimportant — unless you don't have them. SPJ should be a credentialing organization. Joining is important for the individual journalist personally, marking him or her as a professional. An active organization like SPJ that is contacted by others for opinions and data would be good for the profession as a whole.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

I count as my proudest moments as a journalist those times when I know what I wrote made a difference in the lives of Orthodox-Jewish families.

As some of you may be aware, divorce poses specific challenges to Orthodox-Jewish women, above and beyond what others in the same situation face. Orthodox tradition demands that, for a divorce to be valid — and for the woman to be allowed by religious law to remarry and have children recognized by the community — the husband must grant his wife a Jewish writ of divorce, a get. Without the get, a secularly divorced Jewish woman is an agunah, a chained woman, bound to the husband who, for one reason or another, refuses to free her.

As a journalist, I have developed a legal, effective system to persuade recalcitrant husbands to deliver a get to his estranged wife.

As I tell the dozens of women I have assisted in this regard, I see my role as helping to level the field between the divorcing couple and, in this way, speak for the greater Jewish community. I have no interest in who walks off with the china, only in making sure the divorcing woman has the right, according to Jewish law, to remarry and have children.

Do you support the current structure of the national board? Or do you favor returning to a larger board? Why?

Large boards are helpful when many voices come together to hone policies and processes. However, smaller groups are often more effective when it comes to getting things done. Therefore, the best solution may be a large board that is divided into as many intimate circles as necessary to come up with plans.

What is your assessment of SPJ’s current financial status? What specific changes, if any, would you make to SPJ's current budget?

I understand SPJ has financial issues. The first job is to go over the budget with a fine-tooth comb, eliminating anything and everything that a) isn't necessary or b) can be accomplished by volunteers.

Increasing membership could be accomplished by opening up a division of SPJ for those individuals who are, in effect, doing jobs that used to be the purview of professional journalists, i.e., bloggers, influencers, and panelists. Individuals engaged in this sort of writing might take as a badge of honor the recognition of being vetted to serve in an adjunct role in SPJ.

What is the smartest decision the national board has made in recent years? The biggest mistake?

I haven't been around long enough to assess the "smartest decision" or "biggest mistake," but I think it was very decent to open elections up to any member interested in running for a leadership position. May the SPJ continue to grow and prosper.

Those early years reading Associated Press news as it happened ultimately led — with an LSU journalism degree in hand— to a 34-year AP career that led to bylines from 12 states. After retirement, I sat in as city editor at my hometown paper, The Advocate in Baton Rouge, and this year was named managing editor at WBRZ in Baton Rouge, in the same newsroom where I read the wires decades ago.

I like to think of myself as a natural storyteller. Every job has seen me yearning to tell the best story to the widest audience.

I’ve learned over the years, thanks to guidance from brilliant bureau chiefs, to make my own luck, even if the path isn’t obvious or the tactics aren’t logical. Some examples say a lot about me:

Feeling mired in West Virginia and wanting to return to the Deep South, I took my supervisor's advice to move to Pennsylvania — farther from home. His reasoning was that succeeding with high-profile stories in a high-profile state would let me write my ticket anywhere.

Four years later, I was Arkansas news editor covering President Bill Clinton and the scandals that came with the territory. I took on Oklahoma amid a restructuring that included the layoffs of several friends.

Once, on a hunch during a night of bad weather, I went to the Little Rock airport after a photo stringer had called the desk to say his girlfriend's flight hadn't arrived. I arrived so quickly that the police directed me to a holding pen for families. A plane carrying 143 people had crashed.

Eventually, airline representatives came by to read a list linking passengers to the hospitals where they had been taken; there were about 80, as I recall. Shortly thereafter, a bus carrying those not injured pulled up. It held about 50.

Some quick math left around 13 unaccounted for and a few common sense questions later revealed that at least nine were dead. Other reporters thought I had a family member on the flight; in fact, I had just used instincts to beat them on an important story.

At the end of the day, and toward the end of a career, success comes from being prepared, being crafty and recognizing opportunities. I hope that when I finally walk away from the newsroom that's a message my colleagues will hold dear.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

I've watched in horror as SPJ drifts aimlessly. Who are we, and who do we want to be?

What is a specific change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

With deep regrets, I backed SPJ’s decision to shrink its board of directors from 23 to nine. The move was promoted as a way to make the organization “nimbler” and improve the way we react to events and emergencies in real time. Instead, it led to our losing our broad base of representatives and concentrated power in the hands of a ruling clique.

About the same time, we made some bad hires for headquarters and those of us exiting the board didn’t leave clear enough instructions to the membership about how to keep things pointed in the right direction.

We broke away from tradition, having our leaders move up the chain and keep us focused on helping all journalists. We also allowed and the membership accepted a lack of transparency for which we have all suffered.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

I'd like us to concentrate on core journalistic principles - the First Amendment, Professional Development and Ethics. These are our bread-and-butter issues. Yes, all specialty journalism groups benefit from them, but by their very names it's obvious that something is more important to them. We are for all professional journalists; it's in our name. We've spread ourselves too thin by trying to be everything to all people.

Why is SPJ important to you?

I joined SPJ as a junior in college, but let my membership lapse as I moved into states where SPJ wasn't particularly active. I returned in the 2000s in Arkansas, drawn in by its Gridiron-style Farkleberry Follies.

Journalism is arguably the most important profession in the world and for 100 years SPJ was *the* voice of the journalism community. We've abdicated that role, but for what? We need to get it back, and I want to do my part.

It isn't about SPJ being important to me; its about SPJ being important to the country.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

At the local level, I’ve been a board member, treasurer and president of Arkansas Pro. The treasurer’s role there involves managing a six-figure portfolio and using the gains to pay for our programming. I was a national board member as the Region 12 director for much of the 2010s. I took Sonny Albarado’s spot on the board, stepped away for a couple years and then was re-elected to a term that ended at San Antonio in 2019.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

I’m not married to the order of these, but I think we need to expand the board, cut spending, and restructure our membership tiers. I think we can charge some rank-and-file members less and some more based on their roles in their newsrooms.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

Perspective and a history of keeping a budget. Yes, things have changed since the glory days of SPJ, but the board is wholly responsible for the poor shape we’re in now.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

We are still valued as a go-to expert on journalism issues. Other organizations are dedicated to various sub-specialties or identifiable groups. We are out there with a mission to help everyone.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

It’s difficult to say. I’ve had my share of good stories, but I’m especially proud of the people I hired who went on to high-profile positions at The Associated Press and elsewhere. It’s a great feeling to look at a byline and recall hiring the person years or decades ago.

Do you support the current structure of the national board? Or do you favor returning to a larger board? Why?

I’d like to see a larger board, but maybe not 23. We were told that a small board would be more “nimble” and that we could address issues quickly. I’m not seeing it. Boards can get in the way of executive directors (though, at times in our history, we had to or should have). Also, the way the world is wired now, having 15 wouldn’t be a communication nightmare.

What is your assessment of SPJ’s current financial status? What specific changes, if any, would you make to SPJ’s current budget?

We aren’t as bad off as we were, but we also aren’t positioned for success. We need to demonstrate to members and the Foundation that we know how to keep our affairs in order. Tiered membership fees might boost numbers and eventually we could grow.

What is the smartest decision the national board has made in recent years? The biggest mistake?

Canceling this year’s convention was the smartest. Biggest mistakes include some hiring decisions and letting key SPJ staff leave for other organizations.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

I believe my experience in the office and other SPJ positions is needed during this difficult time for the organization.

What is a specific change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

I was on the board for the discussions about making it smaller. I also participated in discussion about the ethics code, although not on the Ethics Committee. On the state level I worked to get the chapter leadership out of a geographical rut of holding all events in Central Jersey.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

I hope to bring the regional coordinators together for discussion on how to run the best conferences we can, including holding joint conferences when appropriate. I will also work to strengthen the relationship between campus and pro chapters.

Why is SPJ important to you?

Our code of ethics is the standard in the industry. Our commitment to the first amendment and legal defense of journalists is second to none. We can accomplish so much if we work together.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

I have belonged to SPJ since 1983 and active in the New Jersey Pro Chapter since the early 2000s. I replaced Stephenie Overman on the chapter board in 2005 and worked closely with David Levitt on the regional conference the next year.

I later served as vice president of the board under Barbara Reed and then served three terms as president, during which time we produced another regional conference. I was Rebecca Baker’s #2 when she was regional director for three years, then served as RD/RC for five years.

I was regional director caucus chair. During my tenure, I assisted with several very successful regional conferences. I worked toward reinstating the Philadelphia chapter, unsuccessfully, but I did recruit some interest. I also served on the board during the transition.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

My first priority is to meet with the pro and student chapter presidents to determine what they are looking for in an RC. Our chapters have different needs — some financial, some membership and some other things. Second, I will work with schools in our region to start, restart or rebuild student chapters. Third, as always, I will work with journalists in Philly to meet their needs, whether it is a new pro chapter or a collaboration between organizations that exist in the city.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

Experience. I’ve done it before. I know the movers and shakers of each chapter. I have the time management and leadership skills the position needs.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

I remind them we are the largest and most broad-based journalism organization. The ethnic and more specialized organizations are all well and good, but we have the knowledge and resources to work for the needs of all journalists. I talk to them about our track record with First Amendment issues and our ethics code, but mostly I tell them they will find an opportunity to help other journalists and to enrich their professional lives.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

I could be snarky and say it was being the first reporter on Gov. Murphy’s enemies list, but I won’t. Twice, I scooped larger papers on major stories: the return of passenger service to Hackettstown, N.J., and the closing of Waterloo Village. I did a series of stories that contributed to the closing of a Southland Chemical plant. After all these years, it’s hard to single out one moment or achievement.

She is also a journalism professor at Marymount Manhattan College and a consultant at First Amendment Watch, which she helped launch in 2017. Previously, Serafin was a staff writer at Forbes and co-editor of the magazine's annual "Billionaire's List," initiating coverage of billionaires in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She began her career in management consulting, advising multinational corporations on strategy and competitive positioning.

Serafin has an MFA in creative writing from the New School, an MA in business and economic reporting from New York University, and an MA in Central European and Russian studies, and a BS in foreign service from Georgetown University. You can find her at tatianaserafin.com.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

With college journalism programs being cut because of shrinking college budgets or worse - administrative censorship - we need to provide support to college journalism programs and make sure the next generation is trained to do this important work. SPJ has the resources to share and a fantastic network to tap. I also think it is important to create partnerships with other organizations to broaden our reach. I remember taking advantage of the SPJ-Facebook training several years back and students loved it.

What is a specific change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

I hope to have the opportunity to help SPJ reach more students and support the next generation of journalists.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

I have my students study the SPJ Code of Ethics in my Media, Law & Ethics class. I would love for SPJ to do more to share this code of ethics will a wider audience so that news consumers understand the ethical guidelines under which journalists work. My work with the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs was steeped in discussions around ethics and how we need to make that a part of our daily conversation and study and I would like to continue this at SPJ.

Why is SPJ important to you?

When I went freelance full-time, SPJ was an important link to a network and to resources that I had in a newsroom. As a journalism professor, SPJ is my go-to resource for the Code of Ethics to job opportunities for my students to industry information.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

This is my first role within SPJ. Previously, I brought SPJ to campus with the SPJ/Google training workshops several years back and I use SPJ resources in all of my journalism courses.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected?

What specific changes, if any, would you make?As a journalist and journalism educator, I have been thinking a great deal about how we train and prepare the next generation of journalists — and also how journalism programs are under cost-cutting pressure.What does this mean for the future of journalism? I think networking and resource organizations like SPJ can play a bigger role in supporting journalism programs and this is the main motivation for me to increase my SPJ involvement as RC for Region 1.I want to expand the SPJ network at many more colleges, including community colleges with communications programs. I think we need more communication across the region.Region 1 is a large region and we need to focus on both our large media centers in NYC and Boston, but also all of our local regions because local papers and local news are so important to support.Along the lines of expanding our college network, I would also like to expand our local news network and perhaps encourage partnerships between the two.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I believe the RC serves as an “amplifier” for SPJ connecting the work that we at SPJ do with a greater number of people. I think we can do a great deal more on socials to engage our rising journalists. I am hearing the need for change from my students and I want to reflect this in the outreach SPJ has with rising journalists.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

My students use the SPJ Code of Ethics from Day 1 and all know about the important role SPJ takes to defend journalism and journalists in this perilous time. We lean into SPJ’s resources and network and they know the value of joining.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

Every graduation, when I see my students proud to hold their journalism degree, I know I have done my job. My students have gone on to many great jobs and graduate programs — but more importantly, they are committed to journalism. This is what we need. On a personal note, I am proud that my podcast episode won a Sigma Delta Chi award in 2022.

Michelle is a 2021 IRE fellow, a 2022 SPJ Diversity fellow, and a Louisiana State University graduate. She also serves on the Deadline Club's Executive Council.

During her two-year tenure as VP of SPJ GA, the group won chapter of the year as well as the Circle of Excellence Award for Professional Development. Under her leadership, SPJ GA held two sessions aimed at helping keep MMJs safe while out on the job. The first session had more than 200 attendees. After the two successful sessions, SPJ GA worked with SPJ national to create a task force to implement a Code of Safety for MMJs nationwide.

As Region 1 coordinator, Michelle hopes to increase a diverse membership through networking with other national leaders to help bridge the gap between local, national, and freelance partners. She’s also working to make sure Region 1 has the best convention of 2025.

Michelle is hoping to breath new life into Region 1 by strategizing across regions to put on events that every journalist needs.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I want to help diversify the SPJ office and help amplify stories from people of color.

What is an example of a change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

I have done everything in my power to help increase membership and tell those about all the great opportunities SPJ has to offer. I've also worked with Frank LoMonte on the SPJ Foundation board to help spearhead fundraising initiatives

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

I want to get more national network involvement. That is a must for me. I will start with working to get tours and events held at CNN's NY office in the Hudson Yards area.

I plan to reach out to all of my other friends, working at other networks, to help increase network based membership within SPJ. I also want to work to diversify the board — whether that's in small chapters or big chapters.

I would love to bridge the gap between regions too as I've now served in two regions and help communicate internally between regions

Why is SPJ important to you?

I saw a lot of change under president Rebecca Aguilar, and even more under Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins — my hope is to be the voice to a younger and newer generation of change. That starts with me and all of what I bring to the table.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

SPJ GA VP from 2021-2023. A 2022 Diversity fellow for SPJ National. A current executive council member for the Deadline Club.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

1) Increase membership 2) Diversify leadership 3) Get more national network organization involvement

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I’ve been involved with the organization now for a few years now and I want to make an impact that is more than just local.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

The network possibilities and toolbox opportunities are endless. No matter where you are in your journalism career (like early career or a seasoned professional), you, too, can learn from SPJ.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

Working on the frontlines/helping CNN with covering the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, FL.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I feel that the region needs more women’s voices, and I believe I can help promote the SPJ in our area and support the organization.

What is an example of a change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

I haven’t had the chance to make any changes yet, but look forward to taking advantage of this opportunity to improve the footprint of the organization.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

As mentioned above, bringing more of a woman’s voice to the region.

Why is SPJ important to you?

Their support and educational opportunities are immense and what the organization stand for is so important, especially in these political times.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

I have a longstanding, successful career within news, media, and publishing organizations. My experience as a local SPJ leader has allowed me to further my leadership skills, while working hard with other chapter members and leaders on many notable programs and events in Cincinnati and throughout Region 4. Through regional conferences and other SPJ membership-wide events, I have also had the opportunity to get to know and work with many of the chapter leaders and members in our region. I am committed to SPJ and desire to work together with others on a local, regional, and national level to accomplish SPJ’s initiatives and goals. I'm devoted to furthering journalism and SPJ's mission.

What is a specific change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

I’ve been actively involved with SPJ for more than a decade and have worked alongside strong leaders in Cincinnati including Hagit Limor, Tom McKee, Jenny Wohlfarth, and Patti Newberry, among others in the region, including Kevin Smith, Nerissa Young, Angela Gartner, and others. I also have built lasting relationships with many SPJ leaders and members throughout the region and on a national level. I am an encourager and cheerleader, who is passionate about SPJ's mission.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

As Region 4 Coordinator, I would like to help further the efforts of the professional and student chapters in the region. I hope to be a resource to aid chapters and chapter leaders as we all work together to achieve SPJ’s goals. The work of a journalist has never been more important and SPJ’s voice is not only beneficial for all of us, but critical in these unprecedented times. Region 4 has many outstanding members and leaders throughout the region, and I’m so happy to be able to further the work of SPJ alongside all of you. I’m excited about the opportunity to further SPJ’s mission. I hope to help continue to strengthen SPJ over the next two years and look forward to furthering the organization’s strategic goals and initiatives.

Why is SPJ important to you?

I am a award-winning career journalist who is committed to serving other journalists and industry professionals. SPJ's vision aligns with my personal goals and mission. I would like to be a part of shaping the future of journalism.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

SPJ Freelance Community — board member and vice chair. Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter president — multiple terms. Region 4 coordinator — multiple terms. SPJ Membership Committee.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

I would like to continue to serve our chapters and members. Address their concerns and act on their ideas. Listen and be a voice for members and chapter leaders

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I have experience, but I’m also open to new, out of the box ideas. I am hard working, focused, and believe in the mission of SPJ.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

SPJ is the premier journalism organization. It supports journalists and their work. SPJ has been vital to me throughout my career and in my work.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

A couple key moments include receiving the Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Chapter Member Award and being named Freelancer of the Year several years in a row.

Nicole currently serves as the Region 5 Coordinator for the Society of Professional Journalists and serves as at-large directors for the SPJ Florida Board and the Freelance Community Board. She also served as the Regional Coordinator Caucus Chair, as chair for the Generation J Community and as Region 5 Assistant Coordinator. In addition, Nicole completed a 10-month grant writing fellowship and has secured more than $50,000 in grants throughout the last two-years, mostly for nonprofit news. She graduated from DePauw University in 2016 and was a recipient of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program in 2012.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

I’m seeking re-election for this SPJ office because it has been one of my goals throughout this last term to create systems within Region 5 to support our chapter leaders and to connect them with one another. Region 5, like SPJ nationally, has been working to rebuild and reconnect following the COVID-19 Pandemic, and there’s still work that I would like to see through.

What is a specific change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

Throughout my most recent term as Regional Coordinator in Region 5, there are two things I am most proud of.

First and foremost, this year, as RC Caucus Chair, I helped seek clarification surrounding the regional conference stipends. These stipends granted to each region to help offset the cost of hosting a regional conference. Through asking questions and advocating for another region, each region was awarded an additional $250 from SPJ Headquarters, for a total of $750 in support ($500 from SPJ and $250 from The Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism).

Secondly, in my first year as Regional Coordinator, two of Region 5’s chapters achieved the honor of winning Chapter of the Year. My role was to support, advocate for and nominate these exceptional chapters, but the real credit goes to the chapter leaders who put in the hard work and dedication that earned this recognition. I was glad to see them recognized for the amazing work which included offering continued public records training to journalists through FOIA Fest and advocating for and successfully changing Indiana law to allow cameras in the courtroom.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

If I am re-elected a Regional Coordinator, it is my goal to continue to foster communication and collaboration between the chapter leaders in my region. One of the goals that I have not yet been able to accomplish is to create quarterly get-togethers and leadership trainings for the chapter leaders to learn from and with one another.

Additionally, I want to make sure that I utilize the deputy or assistant regional coordinator position to provide the training and support for the next SPJ leader to take on this position. It is important to me as a leader that I support others in their leadership capabilities as well.

Why is SPJ important to you?

Personally, I owe much of the journalist I am today and the career that I have had to SPJ either directly or indirectly. I know that I am not the only journalist that has benefited from the work that SPJ does. I am constantly working to find new ways to support SPJ's mission and to volunteer for it. At the end of the day, I want to constantly serve SPJ, give back to it and play a role in improving it along the way.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

I have been a member of SPJ for over a decade and have served in various national leadership roles since 2016. Currently, I am the Region 5 Coordinator and chair of the Regional Coordinator Caucus. I also serve as an at-large director on both the Freelance Community Board and the SPJ Florida Board. Previously, I chaired the now-defunct Generation J Community for two terms and have been a member of the Membership and Nominations Committees.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

If I am elected, my top three priorities are:

1. Implement rigorous financial oversight and stability measures

SPJ’s long-term fiscal health has to be the top priority. While the reinvestment plan from the SPJ Foundation has created breathing room and hope, if the national board does not prioritize sustained, strategic financial management to address the current financial challenges, the reinvestment from the SPJ Foundation will only delay SPJ’s bankruptcy. SPJ must review existing financial practices, continue to identify areas of cost-efficiency and explore new revenue streams.

2. Resolve membership database issues with long-term solutions

SPJ is a membership organization that can’t accurately track its membership. It’s a problem that directly impacts SPJ’s revenue and finances, and it leaves SPJ unable to accurately look at membership trends to target new members in growth areas. Not fixing the database creates negative member experiences, inaccurate records and missed communication within SPJ. To be clear, the failure is with Impexium and not our headquarters staff, who spend countless hours “fixing” the same issues time and time again, much to their frustration. Both as a leader in the Freelance Community and as a regional coordinator, I have seen that the biggest and most frequent complaint within SPJ involves the ineffectiveness of Impexium.

3. Expand local programming and develop national initiatives

SPJ’s strength lies in the innovative local programs created by chapters, but many of these programs aren’t scaled to have a broader impact. Additionally, SPJ lacks national programming that offers training and networking opportunities. Effective programming enhances member engagement, drives retention, attracts new members, and secures grant funding, reducing reliance on SPJ and the Foundation’s resources. In addition, SPJ has lacked specific and intentional partnerships with and programming for nonprofit newsrooms. While SPJ cannot be everything to everyone, there has not been a concentrated effort to make SPJ membership affordable to nonprofit newsrooms or to partner with organizations such as the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) or LION Publishers.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

My experience as a nonprofit leader and founder of a rural, local nonprofit newspaper gives me a strong background in community journalism, nonprofit best practices, grant-writing and fundraising. These are all skills that are crucial to helping SPJ navigate its current financial crisis.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

Frankly, with no national programming, this has been a challenge this year. Generally speaking, I talk about the valuable networking, professional development and advocacy work that SPJ does on both the national and local levels.

Specifically in Indiana, I highlight the crucial efforts of the Indiana Pro Chapter’s advocacy work to allow cameras in courtrooms. In addition, when asked how SPJ differs from the other great journalism organizations that exist, I go back to the very basics and core of SPJ — our Code of Ethics. Finally, I share my personal SPJ story and discuss how SPJ has helped support me through all of the stages of my career thus far.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

My biggest achievement in journalism is founding and leading The Owen News, which is Indiana’s first and only nonprofit newspaper. In addition, this nonprofit newspaper is in a rural, low-income community, which statistically has suffered the most from news loss. My leadership and vision led the news outlet from conception to publishing and base-level operational sustainability within two years. The Owen News is currently a semifinalist for nonprofit of the year from the Owen County Chamber of Commerce.

Do you support the current structure of the national board? Or do you favor returning to a larger board? Why?

The exclusion of regional coordinators, who serve as vital connectors between the national organization, chapters, and members, is problematic. Additionally, the current structure does not adequately represent students and communities. From a nonprofit governance best practices perspective, boards should not have more than one-third turnover annually, yet SPJ’s structure allows for up to two-thirds of the board to be new in any given year.

What is your assessment of SPJ’s current financial status? What specific changes, if any, would you make to SPJ’s current budget?

SPJ is in a financial crisis. While the SPJ Foundation’s reinvestment plan has provided a temporary solution, the organization is not yet financially stable. The financial transparency necessary to recommend current changes hasn’t been part of SPJ’s culture.

That being said, I am prepared to help pursue earned revenue, develop fundraising strategy and write grants to support SPJ. It is also important to note that most organizations focus on revenue, and while that is important, it is more important to closely examine expenses.

What is the smartest decision the national board has made in recent years? The biggest mistake?

The smartest decision that the national board has made in recent years is the decision to agree to the SPJ Foundation memorandum of understanding and focus solely on SPJ’s finances this year without deviation or distraction.

However, the biggest mistake was made three and four years ago, when the board failed to provide the adequate fiscal oversight necessary to uphold their fiduciary responsibility to SPJ. Financial oversight was left up to the executive director, finance committee chair and finance committee at the time instead of each of the SPJ board members making a specific effort to monitor SPJ’s finances. This lack of oversight, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, has contributed to SPJ’s current financial difficulties.

After studying journalism and Spanish at Southern Utah University, she went on to more than a decade as a reporter and editor at Deseret News in Salt Lake City where she covered courts, crime and community, and led a team of award-winning journalists.

A member of the Society of Professional Journalists since her freshman year in college, she is a board member for the Utah Headliners Chapter and has been proud to represent journalists in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico as Region 9 coordinator. She is a passionate advocate for open meetings and records, ethical reporting and the future of journalism.

Candidate Q&A

Why are you seeking this SPJ office?

I am deeply immersed in and proud of journalism in the West. The journalists in Region 9 have been a source of knowledge and inspiration for me ever since I joined SPJ as a college freshman to attend my first national convention and Region 9 conference. I have appreciated the opportunity to represent Region 9 journalists for the past two years as we have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, and would be grateful for the chance to continue serving them.

What is a specific change you have made or helped make within SPJ?

I have worked with the Utah Headliners board and chapter to update our contest entry and judging system, and to draw more student entries into our contest, hopefully as a gateway to professional membership for them.

What is a specific change you would make within SPJ if you were elected?

I know local chapters are struggling to keep engaged members on their boards. I want to look at the organizational requirements for local boards to ensure we are not creating unnecessary, bureaucratic barriers to recruiting and retaining board members.

Why is SPJ important to you?

SPJ has been a steady source of support and inspiration for me, from my college years to internships to my first job, and through my professional development. It has been a gateway to meet and learn from skilled journalists, whether that has been members of my own local chapter and region or the high-profile convention speakers that the organization brings in.

Candidates also were asked the following questions in a supplemental round, conducted by SPJ Ethics Committee member Andy Schotz.

What roles have you held within SPJ?

I have served in SPJ leadership from being a board member and president of my college chapter to more than a decade of service on the Utah Headliners Board, including four years as president. For the past two years, I have represented Region 9 (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming) as regional coordinator.

What are your first three priorities if you’re elected? What specific changes, if any, would you make?

My first three priorities would be:

1. Speak with chapter leadership in Utah, Colorado and New Mexico about their biggest needs, then strategize with them on addressing those needs.

2. In the current absence of a professional chapter in Wyoming, build a list of SPJ members in that state in order to connect with them.

3. Evaluate the challenges that chapters are facing keeping active volunteers on their boards and see what I can learn from the best practices seen by other regional coordinators in order to offer those ideas here in Region 9.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

Because we are journalists and not politicians, I think we have a difficult time proclaiming ourselves the “best” candidate. But I will say, I am a candidate who is passionate about SPJ and is willing to work. Just as I benefited from years of mentorship and encouragement from the people I met in SPJ, I want to help our chapters and members in Region 9. I have a deep knowledge of news in the West and know what it’s like to lead a chapter here. I want to support our chapters, as I know they are struggling to maintain volunteers in our increasingly strained industry.

What do you tell people who ask why they should join SPJ?

For me, SPJ has been important in two ways:

First, in connecting me with other journalists as I was building my career, whether it was to simply offer advice and encouragement or to more directly make an introduction or recommendation. The sessions and speakers at national conventions and regional conferences have inspired me and given me energy in my work. And I have learned so much in my years serving on my chapter’s board as I have helped plan educational opportunities for other journalists.

Second, I am proud of the long history SPJ has, its reputation as an advocate for journalists facing barriers in their work, and its championing of ethical journalism that upholds the highest standards of our field. Whether it is joining the call for liberation of journalists like Evan Gershkovich during his wrongful imprisonment in Russia to supporting a small, local publication like the Marion County Record as it defends its First Amendment rights in its hometown, SPJ is a powerful voice for the Fourth Estate.

What is your best moment or achievement in journalism?

Frankly, my greatest achievement in journalism might be BEING IN JOURNALISM. This is not an easy job, nor is it an easy industry to succeed in. I am proud to be a woman in leadership, both in my job and in SPJ, and I love the work that I do.