News Leaders Association Announces the 2021 Emerging Leaders Institute for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Cohort
The News Leaders Association (NLA) is thrilled to announce the 2021 Emerging Leaders Institute for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ELI for DEI) cohort. The response to the program’s application process was outstanding and resulted in a large pool of exceptional candidates.
After the initial early bird selection, program facilitators instituted a random lottery for the remaining applicant submissions. Because of limited space, the NLA was unable to accept all of the candidates. However, applicants that did not get into the program this year will be given first priority for the next ELI for DEI planned for 2022.
The diverse group of 30 participants are from a wide range of media outlets, including NPR, USA TODAY, ProPublica, Voice of America, The Washington Post, the Des Moines Register, Gannett, KSLA News 12, the Arizona Republic and the Center for Public Integrity.
The participants for the 2021 ELI for DEI program are:
Sumi Aggarwal, Interim Editor in Chief/Managing Editor, Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting
Satarupa Barua, (Acting) Chief, Bangla Service, Voice of America
April Denise Bethea, Deputy Education Editor, The Washington Post
Bobby Blanchard, Director of Audience, The Texas Tribune
Ashley Brown, Senior Editor, All Things Considered, NPR
Ariel Cheung, Food & Travel Editor, Chicago Tribune
Ashley Clarke, Audience Engagement Editor, The Center for Public Integrity
Ciera Crawford, Supervising Producer, All Things Considered, NPR
Kara Edgerson, Southeast Manager, Digital Optimization Team, Gannett
Andrun Fisher, Executive Producer, KSLA News 12 Shreveport-Bossier
Stacie N. Galang, News Director, Ventura County Star
Nic Garcia, Politics Editor, Des Moines Register
Malaka Gharib, Editor, Global Health and Development, NPR
Stephani Gibilisco, Assistant News Director, KREM 2 News
Nimah Gobir, Writer/Producer, KQED
Nicole Hernandez, Engagement Editor, NPR
Emily Horos, Deputy Eports Editor, Arizona Republic
Martina Ibáñez-Baldor, Senior Art Director, Los Angeles Times
Taima Kern, Editor, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Lisa Larson-Walker, Art Director, ProPublica
Sandra Lemaire, Acting Service Chief, VOA Creole, Voice of America
Mary Kelli Palka, Executive Editor/Market Leader, Florida Times-Union
Neema Roshania Patel, Editor, The Lily, The Washington Post
Gabriel C. Pérez, Multimedia Producer, KUT Public Media Studios
Claire Thornton, Audio Editor, USA TODAY
Francisco Vara-Orta, Training Director, Investigative Reporters & Editors
Felecia Wellington Radel, Audience Manager, DEI, USA TODAY
Keiona Williamson, Editor, The Sacramento Bee
Ryan Wood, Executive Producer of Innovation, WFAA
Nancy Yang, Editor, MPR News
Excitement about participating in this year’s ELI for DEI is building. Upon receiving admission into the program, Ariel Cheung at the Chicago Tribune said, “Thank you so much for this! I am honored to accept and thrilled to be participating. I've heard wonderful things from my direct editor, who was in a past cohort.”
Many in the 2021 class said they are also looking forward to new networking opportunities, and as one new participant put it, to “work alongside like-minded journalists who share the common goal of growing a stronger, more inclusive and more diverse industry.”
NLA’s Emerging Leaders Institute for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is a six-month virtual program that begins September 9th and will conclude in the Spring of 2022. The goal of the Institute is to accelerate the rise of journalists from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented into the management ranks of news organizations and to support those who have already launched their leadership careers.
The newly revamped ELI for DEI builds on its tradition of leadership development with a format that enables the cohort of selected participants to learn, coach and network together over time. ELI’s curriculum includes sessions on leadership skills and values, change management, resource management and budgeting, strategic planning and goal setting, performance management, collaboration and innovation — all through the lens of leading a diverse, successful team.
The all-volunteer faculty includes some of the industry’s most innovative media leaders. NLA members Alfredo Carbajal and Jill Geisler co-lead the diverse faculty of expert presenters. Geisler stated: “As long-time co-leaders of this program, Alfredo Carbajal and I are deeply impressed to have top managers from all journalism platforms also volunteering their time and knowledge for this online ELI for DEI. Together we will provide leadership and management tools, techniques and tips — plus a powerful and lasting network of support.”
Carbajal is the managing editor of Al Día/The Dallas Morning News and past president of ASNE. Geisler is the Bill Plante Chair in Leadership and Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago School of Communication and an internationally respected voice on newsroom leadership. They have organized NLA’s programs for diverse emerging leaders since 2012.
Reflecting on this year’s ELI cohort, Carbajal said, “At a time of accelerated change and urgent need for substantive diversity in the news media, NLA is ready to help develop leaders committed to creating a culture of innovation, watchdog journalism, equity, and inclusion in their newsrooms. Jill Geisler and I couldn’t be happier with this year’s participants at the Emerging Leaders Institute.”
The News Leaders Association believes that diverse newsrooms are best at covering America’s communities and continues to focus its efforts on strengthening the pipeline of diverse leadership talent in the nation's newsrooms.
ELI for DEI could not be provided without the generous support of our sponsors: Loyola University Chicago School of Communication and The Dallas Morning News.
About News Leaders Association
The News Leaders Association (NLA) defends the First Amendment’s guarantee of a free press and advocates for independent, fact-based, truth-seeking reporting. NLA champions ethical journalism and empowers news leaders to build diverse, sustainable newsrooms that inform and engage the communities they reflect and serve.
To learn more about the News Leaders Association, please visit us at www.newsleaders.org, Make sure to follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Contact: Belinda H. Williams, bwilliams@newsleaders.org / 202.964.0912