Congratulations to 2023 Board Election Winners

Advocating for the incredible talent that works in public media, and the audiences that benefit from their public service has been the singular passion that has powered my professional life so far. Public service journalism --- what we do each day in public media (at least the good days) --- is about community; making sure the ones we serve have the information they need to thrive, and the opportunity to appreciate the humanity in their neighbors through stories that empower and inspire. I am not the world’s best reporter; or the most detail-oriented editor, but cheerleading and problem-solving in service of this incredible system is my renewable source of joy. This work is often incredibly lonely: To serve your community, and be a part of that same community is a gift, and a huge challenge. Added to that, the reality that so many of us are “the only” at our shop; be it the only digital-first journalist, only parent with young kids to juggle, only woman, only person of color --- sometimes even the only one making journalism at all at your whole organization. The collective power of finding community has saved me time and time again as I navigate my way through some of those onlys, and making sure that community is available for others couldn’t be more important. Serving on the PMJA board, in the hopes of sustaining one of those essential spaces for our incredible community of journalists to come together, would be a dream. My only hesitation --- is that there are so many individuals I admire, adore, and would put ahead of myself -- running for these positions. Ki Sung has been inspiring me since the very early days of my career and is a leader on the frontlines of our digital-first public service. I have had the joy and the pleasure to serve on the Conference Committee alongside Joey Palacios, and I am sincerely not sure he sleeps; he’s always hustling to make this year’s conference incredible, on top of the award-winning and inspiring journalism he moves mountains to create each day. Priska Neely is the GOAT. No disrespect to the others, Priska has built a newsroom that proves time and time again just how powerful public media can be --- if the right leadership is given a chance to shine. Not to mention, a tireless champion of each and everyone of us in this industry that I can only hope in some small way to keep up with. So if there’s space, and a way for me to help, it would be a huge honor. That said, getting to cheer these exceptional leaders on from the sidelines will give me life, and I am sure only make serving this community easier in my professional and personal time. Thank you kindly, EAJ

View Emily's profile

I’m Doug Nadvornick, the news and program director and Morning Edition host at Spokane Public Radio in Spokane, Washington. I’m in my fourth stint in public radio, totaling nearly 25 years. My small newsroom (there are three of us) serves eastern Washington and northern Idaho. During most of that time I’ve been a member of PRNDI/PMJA. I was appointed last summer to fill a vacant seat on the PMJA board and I’m running for the chance to serve two more years. Serving on the board has been one of the highlights of my career. It gives me the chance to look beyond my everyday work at my radio station and consider the whole of public radio and public media, to learn about the trends and what others are doing. I like working with the staff members of PMJA and fellow board colleagues to plan our June conference in San Antonio. This past year, I’ve chaired the Bylaws and Governance Committee. For last summer’s conference, before I was on the board, I proposed and put together a conference mentorship program, matching members attending for the first time with veterans who had been to many conferences. Beyond the conference, I judge PMJA contest entries. I reach out to members when needed. It’s really fulfilling work. I’ve been able to advocate for small news departments. I’d like the chance to serve two more years. I’m asking for your vote. Thank you for considering me.

View Doug's profile

I care about public media *almost* as much I care about my beloved houseplants. The same way that I love to watch new shoots develop and new leaves unfurl, I am passionate about helping journalists grow and blossom. PMJA is in a moment of growth as well and I'm glad to be part of the board. I started serving as Vice President in 2022 and stepped into the role of President when that's what the organization needed earlier this year. I've spent the last 13 years working in public media — working my way up from intern to producer to reporter to editor. Since 2020, I've been building the Gulf States Newsroom — a collaboration among stations in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana — as a managing editor. PMJA has so much potential to help all members of newsrooms grow and develop with training, mentorship and peer support. I'd love the opportunity to continue serving on the board as PMJA blossoms.

View Priska's profile

Hi PMJA member! I'm currently the City Hall Reporter at Texas Public Radio were I have worked for the past 12 years in my hometown of San Antonio. My stories have been heard on NPR, Marketplace, the BBC and seen on PBS. I joined the PMJA Board as the Large Station Representative following the Seattle conference last year as an appointment. On the board, I serve as the conference committee chair for our upcoming PMJA 2023 conference here in the Alamo City. My previous journalism organization experience includes serving as the a former president of the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists. As a member, conference attendee, presenter, and now board member, PMJA has boosted my skills and confidence as a journalist. It has offered the opportunity to meet many incredible journalists in our industry and I want to help continue building upon this long standing essential association for our current and future journalists. Also, as a gay and Latino journalist from a majority-Latino city, I can help bring needed perspectives to the association's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. I would be honored to have your support in assisting the organization's mission for a full two-year term. Thank you.

View Joey's profile

Empower. Improve. Excel. Those three powerful words in the PMJA Mission Statement reflect values I embrace as a journalist, an editor and as a public media newsroom leader. I’ve made it a priority to infuse those ideas into the culture at WUSF Public Media in Tampa, where I’ve been news director since 2015. Now I want to expand my passion for local journalism by serving on the PMJA Board of Directors. I’ve been part of PMJA since joining WUSF in 2013, and active on PMJA committees for four years. I’ve been part of in-person panel discussions, and developed online workshops on topics ranging from helping white journalists advocate for more inclusive newsrooms to navigating ethical decisions. I believe public media newsrooms of all sizes are capable of excellence. But many of the journalists working in them feel overwhelmed with the daily news grind, or lack a place where they can regular connect with others in similar settings. Webinars, and annual conferences are helpful and inspiring. And PMJA has been making significant strides supporting local newsrooms in the past few years, such as monthly group gatherings, the invaluable PMJA Editor Corps and its ongoing efforts to amplify diversity, equity and inclusion. But PMJA can also be where a newsroom sends a team member new to a job learn the basics and get continuing education. And where we can collectively work to make public media a more supportive place for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ journalists. That’s our goal at WUSF, where we serve the greater Tampa Bay region. We’ve doubled our staff in the past decade and increased our commitment to reporting on topics that matter to all its residents, not just the traditional public radio audience. We’re active in collaborating with newsrooms, from locally Black-owned newspapers to national public media initiatives to increase community engagement. We’ve made steps, and know we also can always do even better. And in Florida, I’m also proud to be part of a statewide support system. Since 2017, I’ve facilitated a monthly gathering of news managers at public media newsrooms in the state, where we share ideas, collaborate on projects, or work out problems a newsroom is trying to solve. Every one of these newsrooms – from a five-member staff to newsrooms with 20-plus journalists – has a voice. And this community has created ongoing conversations about coverage among managers and with reporters on specific beats. We share the workload on multiple projects and individual stories – both on broadcast and digital platforms. Public media journalists don’t conveniently fit into commercial trade organizations. PMJA is the one such group dedicated to our distinct public service journalism model. I would be honored to share my experience and energy in making PMJA an indispensable part of every public media newsroom in the country.

View Mary's profile