The Poynter Institute is pleased to announce the 38 journalists selected to attend Essential Skills for Rising Newsroom Leaders, one of Poynter’s hallmark leadership seminars.
These journalists will meet in late 2024 at Poynter in St. Petersburg, Florida, for a dynamic, five-day, in-person workshop that will focus on the critical skills that new managers need to help forge successful paths to leadership.
The program is led by faculty members Tony Elkins and Fernanda Camerena. The goal of the seminar is to build a strong foundation among these leaders, giving them the tools they need to help their teams excel and succeed.
Participants will get personalized feedback from colleagues about strengths and challenges; instructions on leading a staff through turmoil and uncertainty, as well as growth and opportunity; customized advice for addressing pressing concerns; and small-group coaching sessions with Poynter instructors.
Poynter faculty Tony Elkins said that stepping into a leadership role for the first time can be an intimidating and challenging career move.
“New managers may be familiar with the day-to-day work of journalism, but might not be well-equipped to handle all the human-centered skills it takes to become a great leader, like managing your time better, how to connect with your team and even how to run one-on-one meetings,” Elkins said. “This seminar will give them the skills to elevate those skills and connect with a cohort that will be with them the rest of their professional careers.”
Co-lead faculty Fernanda Camarena said that being a first-time manager is tough.
“It can at times feel lonely, overwhelming and intimidating, but it’s a beautiful moment filled with opportunities to have an impact in your newsroom and with your team,” she said. “How you show up to this role will not only shape your leadership style but will also influence everyone around you. Our program will provide new managers with skills and help them build on the fundamental pillars of their leadership.”
The 2025 participants are:
- Yousef Baig, California Voices editor, CalMatters
- Elena Becatoros, chief of bureau, Southeast Europe, The Associated Press
- Tyler Borchers, operations director, RNS
- Todd Buell, editor-at-large, Law360
- Heghine Buniatyan, language service director, RFE/RL
- Julie Bykowicz, business and enterprise editor, The Baltimore Banner
- Igor Derysh, managing editor, Salon
- Maydha Devarajan, interim executive editor, CityView
- Heather Doyle, deputy editor, Newsday
- Gareth Evans, supervising editor, BBC News
- Maggie Goodhall, operations manager, NPR
- David Guzman, director of visual journalism, The Dallas Morning News
- Kristen, Holliday, regional editor, Castanet
- Paige Jones, acquisitions and engagement editor-in-chief, Tax Notes
- Brett Kaprelian, senior producer, KSDK
- Erin Keever, executive producer, WUNC
- Bryan Keogh, managing editor, The Conversation U.S.
- Dean Knetter, executive producer, Wisconsin Public Radio
- Tovin Lapan, food editor, Cityside
- Dasha Litvinova, senior correspondent, The Associated Press
- Sara Llana, Americas/Canada bureau chief, deputy international editor, The Christian Science Monitor
- Brittany Martin, vice president of operations, The New Wine Review
- Jonah Newman, managing editor, Injustice Watch
- Haruka Nuga, Southeast Asia news director, The Associated Press
- Andrew Pantazi, editor, The Tributary
- Tyler Pratt, deputy managing editor, Gulf States Newsroom
- Priya Ramanujam, assistant managing editor, newsroom development and social issues, Toronto Star
- Vincent Rodriguez, digital content manager, KOAT-TV
- Scott Saloway, deputy editor, audio, The Wall Street Journal
- Robert Scheer, deputy managing editor/visuals, The Post and Courier
- Mark Shimabukuro, assistant editor, weekend editor, national desk, New York Times
- Stephanie Sigafoos, managing producer, Lehigh Valley Public Media
- Claire Stremple, managing editor, KTOO News, KTOO Public Media
- Phil Trexler, editor-in-chief, Cleveland, The Marshall Project
- Bryan Vance, director of digital strategy, City Cast
- Del Wilber, editor, The Associated Press
- Nick Williams, prep sports team leader, Star Tribune
- Kaitlyn Young, news editor, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
