2025 Board Nominations & Elections

Bec Feldhaus Adams - News Director, Louisville Public Media

I’m running to join the PMJA board because I believe in our industry and this organization. We are up against unprecedented challenges to the future of journalism, and I’m ready to help strategically, operationally and in the trenches alongside PMJA leaders, the board and the entire membership to ensure a strong and sustainable path forward.

I’ve been in public media for nearly 15 years, and I’ve had the honor of observing it from a number of different, crucial perspectives. I was a reporter at WKMS, a small university licensee; a connector of talent and director of training at AIR in Boston; an editor and project manager at WAMU in Washington, D.C.; a reporter and editor at NPR; the founding news director of the local newsroom at WHRO in Norfolk, Virginia; and now the news director at Louisville Public Media, a mid-sized station in my hometown.

I have been where our members are in their careers. I’ve navigated many of the challenges that face PMJA members and partner organizations. I’ve tried things, made mistakes and honed a sharper path forward, and I will use the skills and experience I’ve gained to help PMJA step into its next excellent iteration.

I have faced the hard realities of the current news landscape first hand. I’ve been through layoffs and restructuring where I have been left to lead and support the remaining team through a depletion of trust and morale so that we can continue to do the work that matters so much at this point in history. Despite this, I’m truly optimistic about the possibilities of local news and the potential of innovation.

Throughout the entirety of my career, mentorship has been a cornerstone. I have a track record of strong mentorship and development at both the individual and organizational level. I’ve helped countless colleagues find their footing in public media, regardless of where they are in their career. I’m eager to use this experience to support PMJA as a destination for meaningful training mentorship opportunities.

I want everyone to win. I don’t let ego get in the way of the best moves. I will delight in helping PMJA make the best decisions, even if they don’t come from me. I can rally people around a strong vision, identifying how each individual fits into the greater plan. And, perhaps more importantly, I can get that plan done.

If you ask current and former colleagues about me, they will tell you that one of my highest priorities in my work is seeing the humanity of the journalists who I have the privilege of working with everyday. I understand that cultivating that humanity is a prerequisite for cultivating the great journalism that will result, and I know that PMJA shares that vision.

I deeply appreciate your consideration for my candidacy as a PMJA board member. We can do a lot of good together.

Holly Edgell - Managing Editor, The Midwest Newsroom, KCUR

As a public media news leaders for more than seven years, I have specialized in building and supporting collaborative journalism initiatives that center people and issues that may not always get attention from news gatekeepers. I hope to bring my perspectives to the PMJA Board.

In 2017, I became the editor of "Sharing America," a four-partner collaboration based at St. Louis Public Radio focusing on race, identity and culture. Later, I served as an assistant editor and project manager for Side Effects Public Media, a multi-station collaboration based at WFYI that focuses on public health. Currently, I am managing editor of The Midwest Newsroom, a multi-partner collaboration that focuses on investigative and enterprise reporting in four states.

These experiences have allowed me to build strong relationships with people at a number of member stations across the country. I work closely with several people at NPR, including leaders of the Collaborative Journalism Network.

Through these relationships, I have developed an understanding of the opportunities and challenges our colleagues across the system face on a daily basis. For each member station, there are unique needs and points of pride. There are nuances and differences as well as shared systems and priorities.

I think deeply about how our journalism and community engagement work is meeting audience needs and where these efforts may be falling short. As a leader who has developed editorial strategy and recruited team members who can fulfill a shared vision, I am determined to play a role in securing the future of public media as a vital pillar of the journalism profession.

Before working in public media, my career journey took me to television news, a digital start-up network and academia. I believe every stop along the way has brought me to my current position, the most fulfilling role of my career. Reaching new audiences is vital to our survival and ability to thrive. I believe my professional experiences have prepared me to help PMJA address this issue as the organization provides programming and training for members.

As a member of RTDNA, the National Association of Black Journalists and Journalism and Women Symposium, I am connected to fellow journalists from many corners of our profession. I would bring the benefit of these relationships to my role on the PMJA Board.

Megan Kamerick - News Director, KUNM

I have been a journalist for 30 years, the last 13 of them in public media, although I grew up as a back-seat NPR kid and it was always part of my life. When I became a news director nearly four years ago, I was desperate for some guidance and camaraderie with other managers in public media to help guide me. I immediately signed up for the PMJA editor training. But I feel fortunate that not long after that, PMJA really began expanding its programming to bring together colleagues from across the country for meet-ups and other virtual events. That has been a lifeline for me in helping me become a better manager and finding support from colleagues.

I have since tried to pay that back by leading some of these discussions, holding a session at the last national conference with other news directors so we could just share information and ask questions, and by volunteering for the PMJA conference committee.

I want to continue serving our members by being on the board as we all navigate these very challenging times. We’re all going to need a lot of support and combined brain power to keep public media going. The PMJA board can be a terrific resource for members by listening to what they need and delivering programming and connections. It is especially important for smaller stations that may not have a lot of other support. I want to help us figure out how to keep these folks engaged so they don’t have to figure everything out by themselves. Also, I’d like to give them the opportunity to showcase their own innovations, borne out of necessity and scarce resources.

We can only get through this if we all work together and figure out what the future of public media will be.

Kamila Kudelska - News Director, Wyoming Public Media

I have nine plus years of experience in public radio. During that time, I was a reporter, podcast producer, editor and director.  Most of my experience has been at Wyoming Public Radio. The only NPR affiliate in a rural state. I believe my experience growing and learning at a station like WPR has been pivotal. During this time I’ve seen the challenges and opportunities that a small and rural public station can face…small budgets, travelings hours for a field interview and making sure to communicate with the variety of communities across the state. And I’ve realized the importance of radio in a state like this. I want to share the experience of small and rural public radio stations with others in PMJA. And make sure to advocate for trainings and workshops that can help these type of stations continue to grow.

Doug Nadvornick - News Director, Spokane Public Radio

Hi, I'm Doug Nadvornick, the news director at Spokane Public Radio. I'm asking for your vote for another term on the PMJA board. I'm finishing my third year on the board. I've served as vice president the last two years. I chair the committee that is planning this year's conference in Kansas City. In past years, I chaired the committee that re-evaluated and rewrote some of the organization's bylaws. I also led the awards committee that re-evaluated the PMJA contest and added several new feature categories. I'm especially proud of my work to promote mentor matches at the conference, giving folks like me, who are longtime members, a chance to meet and share our experiences with early career professionals. I'm excited about PMJA's future as the organization that's in the best position to advocate for local public media. I'm excited to continue to represent small newsrooms like mine as we work to better serve our communities. Thank you for considering me for another term. I ask for your vote.

Priska Neely - Training Manager, Report for America

I am a journalist and leader, passionate about providing the training and mentorship needed to strengthen public media and make newsrooms more reflective of the communities they cover.

Since joining the PMJA board in 2022, I've worked to raise the profile of the organization and to make its mission to serve all members of newsrooms (rather than only news directors) a reality. So much uncertainty lies ahead in public media, the wider journalism industry and the country and I have the experience and leadership abilities to help guide the organization in this next chapter.

I started in public radio as an intern at NPR in 2010 and worked my way from temp to producer in Washington, D.C. and at NPR West in Culver City. I was a reporter at KPCC/LAist for four years and truly learned the power of local journalism and stations. I went on to build the Gulf States Newsroom as the founding managing editor creating a powerhouse collaborative of journalists at public media stations in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. I understand the power of collaboration and innovation in the face of tight budgets and staffing limitations. I've participated in a number of leadership programs including CPB's Editorial Integrity and Leadership Initiative and APM's Emerging Leaders Program.

In January 2025, I stepped into the role of training manager for Report for America where I help journalists in local newsrooms across the country gain the skills they need to succeed. I still work closely with the corps members at NPR stations and provide audio training and mentorship.

I am proud of the progress that PMJA has made in recent years — supporting stations with Editor Corps, providing training throughout the year and supporting pipeline development. I would love the opportunity to continue supporting that growth.

Mary Shedden - News Director, WUSF Public Media

Serving on the PMJA Board of Directors is a way I can support public media newsrooms and individual journalists across the country. I would appreciate your support in allowing me to serve a second two-year term.
What I bring is the experience I’ve had in nearly 12 years in public media. I eagerly share what I have learned and believe that our mission is to provide support, resources and training for newsrooms, no matter the size.
Our team at WUSF in Tampa is proactive in creating new ways to tell stories and to report news on a daily basis region where more than 5 million people live.
I am committed to multiplatform journalism, from on-air broadcast to on-demand social media videos and podcasts.                                                                            
As a leader in PMJA, I want to share the knowledge WUSF has gained as part of the America Amplified community engagement journalism project. Since 2018, we’ve actively sought out ways to connect with different sources and to elevate the number of voices being heard in local media.
Collaboration also is at the core of the work I do, and it’s something I think PMJA highlights and celebrates regularly.  At a time when our resources are uncertain, I believe it is critical that PMJA create a connection so local newsrooms are at the heart of public media journalism. It all needs to start with the people telling stories about the places where they live.
What are the stories we can share to avoid redundancies? What knowledge can we share openly to create better accountability? Where can we share skills honed at individual stations and help improve the day-to-day journalism our communities crave?
I am passionate that now is the time for local newsrooms to forge a tighter bond, and I believe PMJA is the organization that can help weave us into a stronger collection of stations. And I would be honored to serve you as a member of the board and continue to connect us better than ever.