The Maynard Institute is proud to announce the hiring of Nadia Campbell-Mitchell as our new Director of Development. As Director of Development, Nadia will be a strategic partner to Co-Executive Directors Evelyn Hsu and Martin G. Reynolds.

With a focus on expanding relationships with existing donors and identifying new philanthropic partners, her expertise in fundraising and nonprofit management is invaluable to the institute.

“This is a major milestone for the Institute,” said Reynolds. “It reflects the remarkable growth our team has achieved, especially since 2018, when we launched Maynard 200.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Nadia, who founded her own nonprofit at just 11 years old. Even then, she was focused on helping others and solving real problems. We’re lucky to have her, and we look forward to supporting her—as we work together to expand the Institute’s reach and strengthen journalism that truly reflects all of us.”

Nadia Campbell-Mitchell is a respected nonprofit leader, fundraiser, advocate, and founder whose commitment to service began at the age of eleven. Known among peers and community leaders for her integrity, leadership, and results-driven approach, she brings decades of experience building relationships, driving growth, and amplifying mission-driven work.

Inspired to action in the nonprofit sphere at a young age, Campbell-Mitchell’s strong desire to foster community, her investment in social justice, and her connection-building interpersonal interactions make her a natural fit for our organization and its many alumni and partners. She started her first nonprofit at only 11 years old, when after hearing about incidences of elder abuse and neglect in New York nursing homes, she started Victorian Hands, and connected youth volunteers to care homes and elderly patients.

With a strong foundation in both nonprofit development and sales, she combines strategic thinking with a natural ability to connect with diverse audiences.

Throughout her career, Campbell-Mitchell has led successful fundraising initiatives, supported organizational growth, and expanded access to resources for underserved communities. As a nonprofit founder, she brings a deep understanding of what it takes to build sustainable, community-centered programs from the ground up.

Her contributions have earned her numerous awards and honors, recognizing her leadership as well as her ability to inspire others to give generously and act with purpose.

An active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), she proudly served for several years on the board of AFP Long Island (AFPLI), where she mentored emerging fundraisers and contributed to strengthening standards across the field.

Whether working behind the scenes or engaging directly with donors, foundations, board members, or community partners, Nadia is known for her collaborative spirit, thoughtful communication, and unwavering dedication to creating lasting, positive changes in the communities she serves.

“I am honored to step into the inaugural role of Director of Development at the Maynard Institute,” Campbell-Mitchell said. “Being part of the legacy of Robert C. Maynard and the visionary founders who built this organization is deeply meaningful to me. The Institute has long been a trusted source of support for journalists of color and a champion for equity in media. I’m excited to help grow its impact and carry this mission forward with care, purpose, and gratitude.”

We look forward to Nadia Campbell-Mitchell’s contributions to the growth of the institute and the continued stewardship of its mission to diversify journalism and news.

Please join us in welcoming Nadia Campbell-Mitchell to the Maynard Family!

Changing Staff Roles

In addition to welcoming Nadia Campbell-Mitchell to the Maynard Family we would like to formally announce the evolution of other roles within the Maynard team.

Felecia D. Henderson, who was executive-in-residence for the Maynard 200 fellowship in 2024 and the institute’s Director of Cultural Competency, is now Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives.

Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, once the director of the Maynard 200 program, is now Director of the Maynard Communities of Practice and the Maynard Regional Training Series.

Alida Birnam is now our Operations Manager.

Amani Hamed is our Community Engagement Manager and Staff Correspondent.

The Maynard Regional Training Series kicked off April 5 and 6 in Detroit in partnership with the Journalism Institute for Media Diversity on the campus of Wayne State University.

The inaugural weekend-long training, led by 21 veteran journalists and educators, brought together an impressive cohort of nearly 20 emerging news leaders representing varied backgrounds from across the United States.

They represented a wide spectrum of media affiliations, including the Kansas City Defender, EducationNC, The Detroit News, The Associated Press, Detroit Free Press, The Conversation US, Telegram Newspaper, PBS News Hour, independent journalists, media consultants and students from WSU’s Journalism Institute for Media Diversity.

“The training sessions, helmed by executive-level faculty, aimed to advance their proficiency, confidence and resilience as frontline editors and mid-level managers in U.S. newsrooms,” said Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, director of two Maynard Institute programs – Regional Training and Communities of Practice.

“Their diverse perspectives are driving courageous news coverage and discourse, informing and emboldening audiences. Their work is vital especially in this volatile time, with relentless assaults on our industry, First Amendment rights, and truth.”

Trainees engaged in customized workshops, panels and group office hours led by faculty with extensive newsroom experience.

The Manager’s Mindset

Maynard Co-Executive Director Martin G. Reynolds set the tone for the weekend with a session on “The Manager’s Mindset” and what editors need to consider when stepping into leadership roles.

“I especially appreciated that Martin Reynolds emphasized the interpersonal aspects of management — that leadership is not just a title or a set of responsibilities, but a mindset you embody and uphold,” one participant wrote in a post-training survey. “His slideshow also offered thoughtful guidance on fostering belonging within a team, which really resonated with me.”

Leaning into your Fault Lines®

Maynard Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives Felecia D. Henderson facilitated a problem-solving discussion on management issues with Jean Marie Brown, associate professor of professional practice at TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communications.

Professor Brown led a session on “Leaning Into Your Fault Lines®,” built around the Maynard Institute’s signature Fault Lines® framework, which helps editors understand how their biases – unconscious and conscious – inform the ways they manage news coverage.

“This was my favorite presentation,” a participant wrote of the session. “I really appreciated that the approach to this topic wasn’t to villainize fault lines or personal identity in journalism, but rather to recognize that we all have them, and that they can be an asset in our coverage.”

Reporting on Race, Gender, and Culture

Alicia Nails, director of Wayne State’s Journalism Institute for Media Diversity, moderated a discussion on race, gender and culture reporting with panelists Laurén Abdel Razzaq of Bridge Detroit, Kat Stafford, global race and justice editor at Reuters, and anchor/reporter Demond Fernandez of WDIV-TV in Detroit.

“I thought this session was great,” an attendee wrote in the survey comments. “The panelists reinforced the aspect of belonging, which Martin had introduced the day before. I have tried to be intentional about looking out for and checking in with new people in the newsroom, particularly those who may be the only ones they see who look like themselves. I realize I need to do that more frequently and in a more sustained manner.”

Ethical Editorial Decision Making

Coach and consultant Maria Carrillo led two sessions: Ethical Editorial Decision Making and Coaching for Story and Building Trust.

“I hope to be as thoughtful to the people I mentor/supervise,” an attendee wrote of Carrillo. “She really drove home that managers are there to serve their people.”

Strategizing Innovation, Engagement and Sustainability for Teams and News Organizations

During the panel discussion “Strategizing Innovation, Engagement and Sustainability for Teams and News Organizations,” Erin Perry, editor of Outlier Media, Ruby Bailey, editor-in-chief of the Illinois Answers Project, and Martina Guzman, director of the Race and Justice Reporting Initiative at the Damon J. Keith Law Center, discussed the changing face of journalism and local news audiences with moderator Hayg Oshagan, associate professor of communication at Wayne State University and founder of New Michigan Media.

“I was blown away by some of the examples of engagement that were given and the lengths that some of the newsrooms are going to support their communities,” a survey respondent wrote. “It opened my mind to how innovative a news organization must be to truly serve and inform its audience.”

Closing Roundtable Discussion

In the closing roundtable discussion moderated by Vincent McCraw, regional manager of Report for America and president of Detroit NABJ, local and statewide leaders of legacy print and broadcast, nonprofit, and ethnic media discussed the challenges of covering news in the midst of distrust of local and national media and government.

“This was amazing!” one participant responded. “It was just really great to see some of the regional news leaders in Detroit all in one place and they had very insightful comments to share about the future of news, especially for reporters of color.”

Panelists included Laurén Abdel Razzaq, executive director of Bridge Detroit, Jeremy Allen, executive editor of the Michigan Chronicle, Nicole Avery Nichols, vice president and editor of the Detroit Free Press, Martina Guzman of the Damon J. Keith Law Center and creator of Spanish-language app VERDAD, Gary Miles, editor and publisher of The Detroit News, Kennan Oliphant, VP news and station manager for CBS Detroit, Levi Rickert, editor, publisher, and founder of Tribal Business News ad Native News Online, and Osama Siblani, publisher of Arab American News.

“The training concluded with a stirring roundtable of leaders from local, state, mainstream, nonprofit, and ethnic media—each offering a unique lens shaped by their communities and coverage. Together, they explored the evolving landscape of news coverage, showcasing the vibrancy of the region’s media ecosystem,” Alcazaren-Keeley said.

Participants enthusiastically told organizers they enjoyed learning from veteran journalists and connecting with fellow editors.

“This training was overall an amazing experience!” one participant wrote in the post-training survey. “I enjoyed connecting with the Maynard team as well as the other journalists in attendance. As a first-time editor and news leader, this was just what I needed to move forward confidently in my new position!”

The Maynard Institute will provide more training for entry-level and mid-career editors and managers this year. The next Regional Training weekend will be hosted July 17-18 by the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media at Chapel Hill.

The Maynard Regional Training Series is made possible thanks to the support of our generous funders The Ford Foundation and The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and donations from individuals who support our mission of diversifying journalism.

Questions?

 For more information about the Maynard Regional Training Series, please reach out to: Maynard Regional Training Series Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley@mije.org.

The inaugural Maynard Regional Training Series launches on April 5-6, 2025 with the program’s university partner, the Journalism Institute for Media Diversity at Wayne State University’s campus in Detroit, Michigan. The Maynard Regional Training Series is an ongoing in-person, weekendlong leadership and management training program for early- and mid-career journalists across the United States.

Faculty members will lead training sessions on ethical editorial decision making, reporting on race, gender and culture and strategizing innovation, engagement and sustainability for news organizations.

Guided by core Maynard training principles, these professionals lead the charge in building more inclusive, dynamic media spaces.

In partnership with universities, these sessions give entry- and mid-level editors and managers the tools and confidence they need to traverse the complexities of newsroom leadership.

Maynard Institute staff, journalism professors, award-winning journalists and subject-matter experts lead all trainings, which are focused on essential areas for news leaders.

Through this dynamic training series, the Maynard Institute continues to live out its mission to equip journalists with the skills, strategies and leadership mindset they need to thrive in an evolving media landscape.

Partners in the historic city of Detroit

This year’s program is made possible thanks to the generous partnership of Wayne State University and the Journalism Institute for Media Diversity.

The first full day of programming, April 5, will kick off with an assembly and breakfast followed by opening remarks by Professor Alicia Nails, Director of the Journalism Institute for Media Diversity as well as welcoming remarks from Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, Director of Maynard Regional Training and Communities of Practice programs, and Felecia D. Henderson, Maynard Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives.

Professor Alicia Nails, Director of the Journalism Institute for Media Diversity at Wayne State, is an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist with 40 years of experience in television, radio and print. She was named Journalism Educator of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists at the 2018 national NABJ convention in Detroit. During her several decades of experience,

Nails has reported breaking news and features, and worked as a writer and producer for broadcast news in Detroit, Atlanta, and New York City.

As a freelance journalist, her writing has also appeared in the Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News, the Michigan Chronicle, and BLAC magazine, where she also served on the advisory board. She also continues to freelance through her company, SaidWrite.

Nails also serves on the board of the Detroit Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists and the Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation.

The first training round is in partnership with Wayne State University’s Journalism Institute for Media Diversity. Director and Professor Alicia Nails will moderate a panel on: “Reporting on Race, Gender & Culture.”

“The proactive training of media professionals has never been more vitally important than it is at this moment. Bombarded by messages that all seem urgent, important and true, today’s journalists will have to use discernment to decipher – separating valuable content from the distractions that masquerade as news,” Professor Nails said. “Our role in society demands that we pay close attention as we distinguish ourselves from other content creators and relay accurate information with the sensitivity and context that the public deserves.”

About the Maynard Regional Training Series

The Maynard Regional Training Series is a new training program advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. It is designed for and serves the next generation frontline managers and editors in order to advance their career growth and leadership power in newsrooms and organizations.

Maynard Institute programs are open to all. We are committed to addressing the under-representation of people of color and other historically disadvantaged groups in media-related professions.

This professional development program provides customized training courses, resources and 1:1 mentorship by industry professionals, to fellows who have represented a wide spectrum of racial, gender and geographic backgrounds. The Maynard Institute’s new training programs are supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, and The Hearthland Foundation.

Questions?

For more information about the Maynard Regional Training Series, please reach out to: Director of Maynard Regional Training and Communities of Practice, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley@mije.org.

If you don’t know the name Luther Keith, you should.

Keith was the first Black sportswriter at a Detroit daily newspaper.

He was the first Black statehouse reporter in Michigan. In 1982, he became the first Black assigning editor. And 10 years later, he was appointed assistant managing editor, making him the first Black masthead-level editor in the paper’s history.

All of those firsts took place during his 33 years at The Detroit News.

The native son of Detroit died peacefully in his sleep on March 5. He was 74.

The trailblazing journalist loved to tell stories of everyday people, and in doing so, he strived to ensure that the city and residents of his beloved Detroit were portrayed accurately and fairly, and placed on the front page. For Keith, diversity inside and outside the newsroom was paramount.

Midway through a successful reporting career, Keith stepped away from the newsroom for a few years to become the founding director of the Journalism Institute for Minorities (JIM), an academic scholarship program at Wayne State University that serves as a pipeline to diversify media organizations. More than 300 students have graduated from what is now known as the Journalism Institute for Media Diversity. It turns 40 this year.

Keith took every opportunity he could to recruit diverse journalists, such as JIM graduate Mekeisha Madden Toby.

“It was an interview and a conversation and a chance that led to my first newspaper internship,” she said, “and that internship, at The Detroit News, opened too many professional and personal doors to count.”

After a negative portrayal of the city aired on ABC’s “Primetime Live” in the early ’90s, Keith was inspired to create a tabloid publication called On Detroit. The weekly section in The Detroit News showcased the residents, neighborhoods, schools, churches and businesses often overlooked by large media outlets.

On Detroit was the prototype for what is known today as community-centered engagement journalism.

Detroit Free Press columnist Darren Nichols got his start as a reporter covering the education beat for On Detroit.

“There literally isn’t a day I don’t use a lesson from Luther Keith,” Nichols said. “He taught me to eliminate the words ‘I think’ in my copy. Luther would say, ‘We know he thinks it because he said it.’ It’s not only a lesson I use, I teach it to young reporters that I mentor. Luther was full of all of these small things that would make you a better reporter.

“With On Detroit, our goal was to get good enough stories that would (run on) 1A,” Nichols said.

Luther Keith changed the trajectory of my career. I was set on becoming one of the top female design editors in the country. However, Keith saw me in a role I had dreamed of but thought was unattainable: He appointed me editor of On Detroit, a role that provided valuable experience in editing and management while leading a team of five. The lessons I learned from him allowed me many years later to follow in his footsteps as assistant managing editor at The Detroit News.

Most importantly, Keith and his family became my family.

“Luther was the soul of The Detroit News when he worked here. He loved The News, but loved Detroit more, so he left to start an organization serving the city’s neighborhoods,” said Detroit News editorial page editor Nolan Finley in a story published on March 6. “He had a personality that drew people to him. If I had to describe him in one word, it would be joyous. He radiated a love for life, no matter what he was doing.”

Keith was a mentor to many, including retired photo editor Charlotte Massey.

“When I arrived at The Detroit News in 1998, he took me under his wing and put me up for Push the Edges, a community/journalism fellowship with Wayne State University, the Poynter Institute, and the Ford Foundation,” Massey said. “It was an amazing introduction to the city and some of its most interesting citizens.”

A multiple award-winner over the years, Keith was the youngest inductee in the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in 1995.

Upon retirement in 2005, Keith was eager to do more for the city of Detroit. Ever the visionary, he created ARISE Detroit!, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping residents with the tools to tackle societal issues affecting their neighborhoods. Since its inception, the organization has sponsored “Neighborhoods Day,” an annual event the first Saturday in August for children, teens and adults to participate in service projects across the city.

Maynard alum Walter Middlebrook, a former assistant managing editor at The Detroit News, said Keith’s commitment to young people will be long remembered through his service as a trustee for the Rosa Parks Scholarship Foundation, which awards approximately 40 scholarships annually to graduating Michigan high school seniors.

Keith was part of the team at The Detroit News that created the foundation. The board voted to name a scholarship in his memory.

“(Luther) was considered the soul of the board and always jumped at the opportunity to help pick the awardees,” said Middlebrook, a member of the foundation board.

When Keith wasn’t serving the city of Detroit by day, his alter ego, “Badman,” was entertaining blues fans at night. The self-taught guitarist/singer/songwriter and his band performed regularly at clubs across the city. They even performed on Memphis’s famed Beale Street and at international blues festivals.

Winner of the Detroit Music Awards’ Outstanding Blues Songwriter, Keith released five albums over the past 26 years. One of his songs, “Cooking in the Kitchen,” was the jingle for the restaurant Captain D’s advertising campaign.

Keith was a dedicated member of Detroit NABJ and a former first vice president. President Vincent McCraw described him as the chapter’s North Star, known for his wisdom and humor, often showcased during celebrity roasts. He lent a hand whenever he could, always willing to support the chapter and its members.

“Luther’s unassuming warmth and genuineness was his calling card,” McCraw said. “For 16 years he never hesitated to perform at our Show the Love benefit to raise funds to support Metro Detroit journalists facing financial hardships. For decades, he made a difference in the lives of many of our members.”

Keith is survived by his wife of 36 years, Jacqueline Hall Keith; daughter, Erin Yvonne Hall Keith; loving siblings and extended family members; a grateful community; and countless journalists, who, like me, entered the Detroit market through doors he opened for us to walk through.

Detroit journalists stand tall on Luther Keith’s shoulders and are committed to honoring his legacy because a person’s spirit lives on as long as they are remembered. We will ensure his name endures for generations to come.

Felecia D. Henderson is Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Maynard Institute.

Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education Secures Historic Grants to Advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in Journalism

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news about the Maynard Institute. Two transformative grants will significantly bolster our mission to foster Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in journalism. The Ford Foundation has awarded us a $400,000 grant for general support between 2025 and 2026, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has committed an unprecedented $2.5 million over four years—the largest grant in our history.

These generous contributions, totaling $2.9 million, couldn’t come at a more critical time. As DEIB initiatives face increasing challenges nationwide, this funding empowers us to expand our signature Fault Lines® training methodology, create new programming, and deepen our commitment to building organizational cultures that truly reflect the diversity of our communities.

“Ford and Knight have been some of our longest-standing funding partners,” said Martin G. Reynolds, Maynard Institute co-executive director overseeing fundraising and external affairs. “A few years ago, at the height of the racial awakening and pandemic, supporting this work was a priority. Today, we are facing an entirely different climate, making these grants all the more important, impactful, and meaningful. These funds will super-charge our efforts to build journalistic institutions of belonging and help us hire our first-ever development director, as well as other support staff.”

“As an organization dedicated to pushing for accurate and fair representation, we don’t get to step back when attacks happen, or decide it’s a good time to do the work of belonging because the moment lends itself to an opportunity,” Reynolds added.

“This is who we are. This is the work we do, and these grants will help us and the people we seek to serve, immensely. We are deeply appreciative of Ford and Knight foundations for their continued support.”

Building on a Legacy of Support

The Ford Foundation’s $400,000 award follows its pivotal five-year BUILD grant, which supported our general operations, enhanced skill-building for our leadership team, strengthened strategic planning, and funded a website redesign that will launch later this year. This ongoing partnership shows Ford’s steadfast belief in ensuring we have the infrastructure and resources needed to sustain and grow our impact.

Building upon Knight Foundation’s 2019 investment of $1.2 million, which established the Equity and Inclusion Transformation Program and supported our work to infuse Fault Lines® into the Table Stakes initiative, the Maynard Institute will expand its focus to journalism infrastructure organizations. While the previous project paired DEIB training specialists directly with GBH News in Boston and the Cedar Rapids Gazette in Iowa, this new effort will elevate the cultural capacity and organizational cultures of the entities tasked with supporting news publishers.

“The Maynard Institute is igniting a wave of new programming, building on the transformative power of the Maynard 200 Fellowship. It is an experience many alumni describe as career and life-changing, as it has propelled their professional growth and leadership voice,” Odette Alcazaren-Keeley said. Alcazaren-Keeley directed the Maynard 200 program and will direct two new programs: Maynard Communities of Practice and Maynard Regional Training.

“The support from the Ford and Knight foundations will supercharge these two initiatives, helping us deliver even greater impact for frontline editors and managers, executive leaders, storytellers, media entrepreneurs, and others of all backgrounds, especially those who have been historically underrepresented,” Alcazaren-Keeley explained.

“These programs will provide specialized instruction, peer dialogues, collaborative solutions-based endeavors, dedicated coaching, and a resilient community of support.

Our new programs will benefit all institute alumni and the next generation of media professionals across America, whose work is reshaping the face of the journalism industry,” Alcazaren-Keeley added.

This work is essential, as these organizations, which create products and services for an increasingly diverse media ecosystem, must be mindful of blind spots and biases when engaging with news publishers. Additionally, it will benefit these infrastructure organizations to foster hospitable environments where people of diverse backgrounds can thrive and innovate.

Over the grant period, the Institute will conduct three year-long initiatives for journalism infrastructure organizations, which will be chosen over the coming months.

Additional Grant-Supported Efforts

This new funding will also support efforts to:

• Train 50 journalists and media leaders annually.
• Launch a “communities of practice” initiative for Maynard alumni, fostering sustained engagement and professional growth.
• Bring on new team members to enhance program evaluation, development, and program-delivery capabilities to ensure our long-term impact.

Rooted in Founders’ Vision

All of this work is grounded in the vision of our co-founder, Robert C. Maynard, who fought to ensure diverse voices were integrated into journalism. In his 1972 essay, Perspective: A Black Journalist Looks at White Newsrooms, Maynard wrote, “The picture of America as seen through the lens of the mass media is badly distorted.” He believed that bringing minorities into the management structure of media organizations was critical to providing a fuller and more accurate view of society. “When a singular or narrow perspective dominates the news landscape, no American has full access to truth, even if their perspective is represented,” Maynard wrote. “It is this, I think, that hinders the fulfillment of democracy.”

A Commitment to Truth and Democracy

Since our founding, the Maynard Institute has stood firm in our mission to advance equity in journalism, developing programs that meet the moment and have trained generations of reporters, editors, news leaders and media entrepreneurs. These historic investments will allow us to expand our reach and deepen our impact, aligning with the belief that a diverse media landscape is essential to a thriving democracy.

We’re deeply grateful to the Ford Foundation and Knight Foundation for their unwavering support of our mission. Together, we’re building a future where every voice is heard, every story matters, and every newsroom belongs to everyone.

The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education is now accepting applications in our search for our first Director of Development. An ideal candidate is an organized and self-motivated team player. They will be an experienced fundraiser excited to build and grow development systems and processes to support the mission of the Maynard Institute. Most importantly, they are passionate about building supportive communities that promote belonging and are interested in developing engaging virtual and in-person experiences for journalists. Experience in diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging (DEIB) programs, journalism or news media is a bonus but not required.

The Maynard Institute is a virtual organization. The position is 100% remote and can be based anywhere in the United States

Position Overview

The Director of Development is an inaugural role for the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. Working in partnership with the Co-Executive Directors, they will drive a comprehensive and multi-faceted revenue strategy for the Institute that includes traditional philanthropic support, corporate partnerships, institutional giving, public policy opportunities and earned income streams, such as fee-for-service. The Director of Development will lead all aspects of fundraising and revenue generation and create meaningful connections to build authentic relationships to fuel Maynard Institute’s mission. They will focus on philanthropic, corporate and institutional donors as primary funding sources, with individual donors as a secondary focus.

Through engagement with existing donors and donor prospects, the Director of Development will help raise awareness and elevate the profile of the Maynard Institute. They will work closely with a tight-knit team of 7 staff to create, execute and iterate on virtual and in-person programming and cultivation events to appeal to new and existing donors.

Primary Responsibilities

Development Strategy, Planning, and Execution

• Serve as a strategic partner to the Co-Executive Directors, Evelyn Hsu and Martin G. Reynolds, and staff to build a culture of philanthropy across the organization and with the Board of Directors.
• Create annual development plan and goals that align with the mission, manage the execution of the plan, and ensure goals are met.
• Diversify the revenue stream by:
  • Creating the vision, strategy, and plan for robust philanthropic, corporate, and institutional giving programs.
  • Maintaiing and growing individual giving program.
  • Expanding relationships with existing donors, program alumni and faculty.
  • Streamlining donor acknowledgment.
  • Identifying potential new institutional donors.
• Create and manage clear success metrics, holding yourself and others accountable for achieving those goals, and develop periodic reports on progress.
• Engage with Board members on fundraising initiatives and present fundraising reports at regular board meetings.
• Strategize with Co-Executive Directors and staff to identify, qualify and prioritize prospects and funders and facilitate relationship development through regular communications and a calendar of touchpoints.
• Stay abreast of program initiatives, trainings and success metrics.
• Collaborate with staff to craft compelling periodic appeals and communications with potential donors.

Development Process and System Infrastructure

• Evaluate existing structures and processes in a Salesforce database and customize processes and procedures related to fundraising.
• Train staff on processes and systems and supervise the appropriate use of them.
• Maintain funder, donor, grants and foundations records in the database.
• Oversee the development of a fundraising “calendar” of activities including project/task management and follow up with staff on their to-dos.
• Develop protocols and templates for creating periodic fundraising reports.
• Complete grant applications and reports for funders.

Qualifications

The Maynard Institute understands that restrictive job requirements may exclude historically marginalized groups from applying to jobs for which they are qualified. We take an equitable and holistic screening approach. If you feel you have demonstrated experience and expertise relevant to perform this role, please don’t hesitate to apply!

• 8+ years of experience working in or with nonprofit organizations including at 5+ years in frontline fundraising.
• Professional and friendly demeanor; ability to diplomatically interface with staff and external stakeholders as a public-facing representative of the Maynard Institute.
• Ability to juggle projects and connect with people across time zones
• Passion for teamwork and collaboration across disciplines, lived experiences and generations
• Savvy interpersonal, problem-solving and critical thinking skills
• An attention to detail and a track record of idea generation to execution
• Ability to work in a virtual, team-oriented setting with a stable internet connection using virtual meeting tools such as Zoom
• Willingness and ability to travel for events and funder meetings when necessary
• Bachelor’s degree preferred, but significant professional or military experience may be a substitute for educational credentials, especially where credentials may pose a barrier to candidates from traditionally underrepresented groups.

Compensation and Benefits

This position is full-time exempt with a full compensation range of $125,000 to $150,000 with the exact compensation dependent on experience.

Contact and Apply

Fill out a Talent Profile with executive search firm Koya Partners, who have been exclusively retained by the Maynard Institute for this engagement. Please submit a compelling cover letter and resumé with your Talent Profile.

Maynard Family Update: Momo Chang joins Civil Eats

The Maynard Institute congratulates Momo Chang on her new role as Senior Editor at Civil Eats, a news source for critical thought about the American food system. Chang joined the Maynard Institute to manage the Oakland Voices alumni program in November 2019, a few months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She quickly adapted to the Oakland Voices alumni program to meet the moment. Chang launched virtual events and led a wave of alumni reporting on the pandemic and other community stories.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Momo at the Oakland Tribune and Oakland Voices. She is a wonderful person, journalist and editor. She is thoughtful, insightful and has always had the capacity to connect with different kinds of folks, a skill that made her a perfect fit to engage Voices alumni,” Martin G. Reynolds, Co-Director of the Maynard Institute, said of Momo Chang.

“Under her direction, we significantly increased the stories coming from Oakland Voices alumni, created new learning opportunities for them, and also benefited from Momo’s connections to the wider journalism community through annual meet-ups she would help coordinate. She also began to widen her work with the Maynard Institute around events and thought leadership before this new opportunity emerged. I am sad to see her go but happy for Civil Eats, and will do my best to find a way to bring her back into the Maynard family fold.”

Looking back at nearly five years with Oakland Voices

“It’s been my honor and privilege to work with so many community journalists from all backgrounds, who each brought their own unique perspectives and experiences,” Chang said.

“We had no idea what the times ahead would look like,” she said in a written statement to the Maynard Institute. “Together, and mostly virtually for the first year, we gathered to talk about Oakland, the pandemic, and to share stories and story ideas.”

Even through the logistical difficulties presented to all journalists by the COVID-19 pandemic, Chang helped steer the Oakland Voices newsroom towards impactful choices and stories that both reflected and informed the community and its unique struggles and community heroes.

As co-director of Oakland Voices, Chang’s dedication to Oakland and its people was evident in her fidelity to the stories of the ever-changing city. In addition to contributing articles, she also devoted time to the Oakland Voices alumni and their growth as journalists and storytellers.

Meaningful stories and mentorship

“Oakland Voices is a small but mighty community journalism program that’s made waves in the local community. This is in large part due to the journalism academy members and our alumni group of correspondents who continue to harness the power of telling stories that reflect the diversity of the Oakland community. We covered school closures, health equity issues, our winning basketball teams, the teachers and firefighters of Oakland, arts and culture, and so much more,” Chang wrote.

Though her time with the Maynard Institute has come to an end, Chang’s mentorship of the Oakland Voices alumni leaves a lasting mark on the small-scale, hyper-local outlet, and though her journalism journey is far from over, her influence on Oakland community journalists will forever be part of her legacy.

“I’m especially proud of Oakland Voices’ alumni network of dozens of community journalists, who’ve contributed stories and their voices to the Oakland Voices site,” she continued. “Our alumni have also published their works in outlets such as the The Oaklandside, Guardian US, NOSH, SF Chronicle, and many others. I know that the journalism academy and our alumni will continue to use their voices to tell meaningful stories about Oakland.”

“I wore many hats over the past few years, including editing stories, collaborating with partners like Oaklandside, putting on events… How lucky I am to have worked with some wonderful people, to help tell stories of a town that is near and dear to my heart. Oakland has its challenges, but one thing I know is that the people are what makes its heart beat.”

Maynard Family for Life

“I want to thank Maynard co-executive directors Martin Reynolds and Evelyn Hsu, and Oakland Voices co-director Rasheed Shabazz — and all of the staff members and our board members, who I’ve learned so much from. Working alongside everyone the past few years has been a joy, and these are experiences I’ll carry with me through the rest of my career,” Chang said.

Rasheed Shabazz co-led Oakland Voices with Chang, and worked closely with her in mentoring and devloping the Oakland Voices Community Correspondents.

“Momo was already an accomplished reporter when she came to Oakland Voices. It was amazing to work with her as she deepened her skills as an editor, facilitator, social media maven, and mentor,” Shabazz said. “My predecessor Brenda Payton invited her to speak to the 2016 class. I invited her in 2019. I look forward to the 2025 class learning from her.”

Left to right: Momo Chang, Marabet Morales Sikahall, Brandy Collins at an Oakland Voices session. Photo credit: Rasheed Shabazz.

Maynard 200 Fellow Class of 2023

When the Maynard 200 Fellowship expanded to include a curriculum track designed for frontline editors and managers, Chang joined the thriving professional network of over 200 fellows.

“It was always a great joy to collaborate with Momo, and it is fitting that one of her last projects was a reporting piece that leveraged the expertise of Oakland Voices and Maynard 200 journalists,” said Maynard 200 Director Odette Alcazaren-Keeley.

I am thankful to have had the opportunity to connect her editorial leadership with one of her fellow M200 alums, Mason Bryan of Prison Journalism Project. This piece is but one example of various impactful coverage she has expertly guided, empowering diverse journalists to tell more authentic stories. It’s a testament to the totality of who she is — a news leader, empathetic colleague and an inspiring friend.”

Left to right: Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, Martin G. Reynolds, Evelyn Hsu and Momo Chang during the 2023 Maynard 200 Fellowship at TCU’s Bob Schieffer College of Communication. Photo credit: Jaida Joiner.

Contributions to Professional Community Building

Chang also helped organize and execute Maynard Institute events such as our recent data training for journalists on heat-related incidences of gun violence, featuring her Maynard 200 Fellow alum Helina Selemon and Maynard 200 Faculty Aaron Glantz, “Data for Journalists Covering Climate Change and Gun Violence.” Chang also wrote a recap of the resources from this training.

The Oaklandside invited Chang to participate in a sold-out panel discussion on Bay Area Journalism as part of their Culture Makers lecture series in 2023. Later that year, she teamed up with co-host Pendarvis Harshaw to organize a recurring networking meetup for Bay Area journalists.

Left to right: Martin G. Reynolds, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, Phil Yu, blogger of Angry Asian Man and co-author of RISE, Momo Chang, Jeff Chang, creater of They Call Us Bruce podcast and co-author of RISE, and Evelyn Hsu at the Maynard Family AAJA Happy Hour. Photo credit: Michelle Felix.

When professional associations were returning to in-person conferences in 2022, Chang helped coordinate and co-host the Maynard Institute’s outdoor happy hour reunion at the Asian American Journalists Association convention in Los Angeles. She was instrumental in recruiting guest speaker authors of the book Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now. Chang also contributed to a conference panel session on freelancing.

About Civil Eats and the intersectionality of food stories

As a longtime journalist, editor, and organizer, Chang served nearly five years as co-director of Oakland Voices. We agree the new role at Civil Eats is a great fit considering Chang’s experience as a culturally sensitive food writer.

Founded in 2009, Civil Eats is an online outlet delving into stories about sustainable agriculture and encouraging critical conversations on the American food system in an effort to “build economically and socially just communities.”

Like Momo Chang, Civil Eats “doesn’t shy away from pursuing difficult or complicated stories.” Both solutions-oriented, centering human wellbeing and community, and focused on the overlooked layers of context and detail missing from many other publications, Chang and Civil Eats are a great fit for one another.

Civil Eats recently took to X, formerly Twitter, to announce Momo’s new role, saying “We are very excited to announce that veteran journalist Momo Chang will be joining the Civil Eats team as our senior editor!”

“I’m delighted that I’m now a part of Civil Eats as their senior editor, to work with this award-winning team of journalists, and to tell stories about our food systems, farmers and farming, fishing, and national and local policies on food that affect all of us,” Chang said.

“I look forward to helping build on the canon of work that Civil Eats has been publishing for the past 15 years,” she responded to Civil Eats on Twitter.

We look forward to watching Momo continue her journalism journey growing and shaping the incredible work of Civil Eats. She will always remain part of the extended #MaynardFamily.

Maynard Institute fellows, faculty and alums continue to create change in journalism and in their communities, breaking into new roles and winning awards for their consistently humanizing, community-oriented, and groundbreaking journalism across myriad beats and investigative paths. Join us in celebrating their accomplishments and contributions to the field of journalism.

Awards and Fellowships

Maynard 200 alum and CEO of the Institute for Nonprofit News Karen Rundlet was named one of The NonProfit Times’ Power and Influence Top 50.

Block Club Reporter and Maynard 200 alum Rachel Hinton was honored with a DePaul Distinguished Alumna Award.

Joshua Barajas, 2024 Maynard 200 Fellow, and the PBS NewsHour team received the 2024 Newsletter Journalism Award from the National Press Club for their newsletter “Here’s the Deal.” Even more critical in a historic election year, “Here’s the Deal” breaks down and simplifies Capitol Hill happenings and their relevance to the everyday lives of Americans.

Eleanore Catolico, Maynard 200 alum class of 2021, won second place in the Society for Features Journalism writing competition for the category “Inclusion and Representation in Features.”

Walter Smith Randolph, Maynard 200 class of 2023, was selected to the NABJ Leadership Academy Cohort 2024.

Angela Chen, Maynard 200 class of 2021, has been awarded a Carter Center Fellowship.Recipients of the Rosalyn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism pursue groundbreaking mental health journalism projects, reporting on the mental health’s biggest challenges, reducing stigma surrounding mental illness through storytelling, and driving change through community-oriented journalism.

Heidi Chang, 2002 Maynard Cross-Reporting Fellow, received the AAJA Award for Excellence in Audio Storytelling.

Rachel James-Terry Maynard 200 class of 2023, was named a “Woman to Watch” by PR Week.

Boston Globe mental health reporter and 2018 Maynard 200 alum Esmy Jimenez won one First Place and two Second Place awards from SPJ Washington.

2024 Maynard 200 Fellow Erica McIntosh received an Edward R. Murrow Award for her reporting on mini-documentary “Miss Gen from Georgia” with Connecticut Public Broadcasting.

2019 Maynard 200 alum Natasha S. Alford received her Masters in Public Policy from Princeton University, and her young son participated in awarding her degree, a moment which was captured for posterity.

2022 Maynard 200 alum Joe Ruiz was selected for a John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship. JSK fellows receive nine months of support at Stanford exploring and testing practical solutions to journalism’s systemic problems and urgent questions from AI to misinformation and mistrust in journalism.

Jasmine Vaughn-Hall, Maynard 200 class of 2021, won Best of Show from the MDDC Press Association.

Allison Jing Yang, 2024 Maynard 200 Fellow and Senior Editor of Initium Media, was recognized with a 2024 Human Rights Press Award for Investigative Writing.

Helina Selemon, Maynard 200 class of 2023, was recognized with a Solutions Journalism Award for her story on the heat crisis and gun violence. Last month, Helina co-presented data reporting methods for heat-related gun violence with faculty member Aaron Glantz.

Josh McGhee, Maynard 200 alum class of 2023 received several awards in quick succession: Josh was awarded a McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism and will be investigating how hospitals profit from involuntary mental health treatment laws.

He was also recognized with a 2024 Community Media Awards Studs Terkel Award for his work on criminal justice and mental health with MindSite News, and won Best Collaboration in the inaugural Stillwater Awards recognizing excellence in prison journalism.

Josh also received a Gold Award from Digital Health Awards for his coverage of criminal justice and mental health.

New Books and Podcasts

Dr. Jonathan P. Higgins, Maynard 200 class of 2018, just announced the release of their book, “Black Fat Femme,” based on their award-winning podcast, coming out March 25, 2025.

Maynard Media Academy alum Ebony Reed released “Fifteen Cents on the Dollar, How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap” with co-author Louise Story, and embarked on a successful press tour, giving many interviews explaining the concepts of wealth, debt, and generational security and how nearly 200 years after the end of chattel slavery and the first proposals of reparations, the Black-White wealth gap persists.

Industry Impact and Events

Brianna Tucker, Maynard 200 class of 2022 and Deputy Campaign Editor with the Washington Post, was voted NABJ Chair of the Political Task Force for 2024.

Anniversaries

Marian Chia-Ming Liu, 2021 Maynard 200 alum-turned-faculty, marked five years at the Washington Post. She also spearheaded the AAJA Style Guide project, an essential guide to covering Asian American and Pacific Islander communities with cultural competence and sensitivity.

Faculty and Leadership Updates

Faculty Member Ron Nixon was awarded the Dorothy Butler Gilliam Trailblazer Award by the Washington Association of Black Journalists for his own trailblazing career as an exemplary investigative journalist and for being an exceptional leader in journalism. The award was established in honor of Maynard Institute co-founder Dorothy Butler Gilliam, who in 1961 became the first Black woman reporter at the Washington Post and still retains a board position with the Maynard Institute.

Steve Padilla, Maynard 200 faculty member and Editor of the LA Times’ Column One, inducted into the NAHJ Hall of Fame.

Faculty member Aaron Glantz began his resident fellowship at the Center for the Advanced Study of the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and will be using the same office in which Palestinian academic titan Edward Said wrote his most famous work, “Orientalism.” Building on his experience at the Carter Center, Glantz aims “to incubate an initiative that builds resilience for investigative journalists, human rights advocates, and others dedicated to social change.”

Board member Kevin Merida won a 2024 Richard M. Clurman Award for his superb on-the-job mentorship of young journalists from the University of Michigan Wallace Center for Journalists.

Sandra Clark, Maynard 200 faculty member, was listed as one of Editor & Publisher’s “15 over 50.”

Mei-Ling Hopgood, consultant and member of the extended Maynard Family was honored with a University Teaching Award.

Role Transitions and New Beats

Penda Howell, Maynard 200 class of 2019, joined the National News Publisher’s Association/The Black Press.

The Maynard Institute is proud to see Momo Chang join Civil Eats as their new Senior Editor after serving nearly five years as Co-Director of Oakland Voices.

Alison Saldanha, Maynard 200 class of 2022, left the Seattle Times and is headed to Dallas News.

The Maynard Family Continues to Grow

The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education is proud of all members of our Maynard Family. We’re excited to continue this work with optimism and passion for diversity and belonging in journalism, and can’t wait to see what our Fellowship graduates and Fault Lines training recipients will do next to build inclusive and equitable news ecosystems in the new year.

Our work is made possible by individual donors, The California Endowment, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Democracy Fund, Ford Foundation, The Hearthland Foundation, Inasmuch Foundation, Knight Foundation, Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation, The Reva and David Logan Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation.

About the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

Since 1977, the Maynard Institute has fought to push back against the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. Founded by Robert C. Maynard, the Institute promotes diversity and antiracism in the news media through improved coverage, hiring and business practices. We are creating better representation in U.S. newsrooms through our programs , which gives media professionals of color the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs.

Are you an alum with exciting professional news?

Contact Community Engagement Coordinator, Amani Hamed, at ahamed(at)mije(dot)org to be featured in our next Maynard Family Update.

As we count the days until the Maynard 200 Fellowship reconvenes at TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communications in July, we’re celebrating the achievements of the Maynard Institute fellows, faculty and alums as they continue to create impact in their roles. Join us in celebrating all they have already accomplished in the last few months.

Role Transitions and New Beats

We celebrate the newest addition to The 19th team, Fernanda Santos, who joined as the new managing editor.

Congrats to former news editor Carolyn Copeland on her new role at Prism as managing editor.

Dorany Pineda started a new beat covering water, climate, and the environment in Latino communities across the U.S.

Jacob Simas, was recently promoted to Community Journalism Director at Cityside, which launched a new publication, Richmondside.

Awards and Fellowships

Rachel James Terry, director of Jackson State University’s Public Relations, was recognized with an award for Outstanding Professional of the Year by the Public Relations Association of Mississippi. She was also welcomed by ForbesBLK, “a platform and community that amplifies the voices of Black entrepreneurs, professionals, leaders, and creators.”

Aallyah Wright and the Capital B team won a Silver Anthem Community Voice Award for Human and Civil Rights News and Journalism for Wright’s work on a 2023 story on Black voter and candidate suppression: “In 2023, Aallyah Wright, Capital B’s rural issues reporter, set out to tell a shocking story that uncovered years of racist harassment and intimidation targeting Patrick Braxton, a Black mayor in rural Alabama, who was blocked from taking office in his majority Black town by its majority-white council (none of whom were elected themselves).”

Eleanore Catolico joined the Journalism and Women Symposium 2024 class of Health Journalism Fellows, and is working on a solution-based long-form story examining efforts to increase the number of people of color participating in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s drugs.

Luella Brien, founder of Four Points Media was awarded another prestigious fellowship and became a member of the inaugural Emerging News Leadership cohort at CUNY.

Helina Selemon, health and science reporter for the Blacklight investigative unit at New York Amsterdam News, was selected to be a Society of Environmental Journalists diversity fellow.

2024 Maynard 200 Fellow Allison Jing Yang was selected for yet another prestigious fellowship with The Ford Foundation! One of 26 members of the Ford Global Fellowship cohort, Jing Yang told the Ford Foundation she “believes that journalism needs to take new approaches to engaging and informing readers. She believes that games and new mediums can change how people think about issues of inequality and challenge stereotypes and biases.”

New Books and Podcasts

Natasha Alford published her memoir American Negra and began her multi-city book tour! The examination of identity and the American dream is fresh off the presses, and Alford has made appearances on CNN, ABC, and Good Morning America to discuss the genesis of her memoir and her experiences as an Afro-Latina of African American and Puerto Rican origin.

Ashton Lattimore, Editor-in-Chief at Prism Reports, published “All We Were Promised,” her debut novel and a work of historical fiction set in 1837 Philadelphia, in which a housemaid and an abolitionist plot to help an enslaved girl escape after she’s brought to the city, then a powder keg of tension between pro-slavery rioters and abolitionists. Though only two weeks into publication, the book is receiving excellent reviews on platforms like Goodreads.

Ngoc Nguyen began crowdfunding for her forthcoming podcast “The First Wave,” about the first 120,000 Vietnamese refugees to reach American shores after the fall of Saigon.

Meena Thiruvengadam traveled to Antarctica, her 7th continent. She also made it into not one but two Lonely Planet guidebooks.

Bourree Lam and Julia Carpenter published The Wall Street Journal’s first guide book in 20 years, the New Rules of Money.

William Sanchez II is keeping everyone on their toes by hinting at the release of his new podcast.

Industry Impact and Events

Alicia Ramirez, founder of Riverside Record, spoke at the informational hearing of the senate committee on judiciary about the importance of journalism in the digital age and to call on state legislators to make sure small local news publishers are at the table for any potential legislative solution to the local new crisis. (Jan) The Riverside Record was also included in a roundup of Local Journalism Worth Reading by the New York Times.

Amanda Barrett served as a coach with the Media Transformation Challenge Program and shared “I am so blessed to serve as a coach and witness their growth and development.”

Brandon T. Harden, editor at Bloomberg Business, moderated a panel on the Commodification of Black Creativity, Safe Spaces, and Ownership for the Black Professional Community at Bloomberg.

Anniversaries

Maynard 200 alum Jahna Berry celebrated four years as COO of Mother Jones.

In May, Annie Guo VanDan will celebrate 18 years as president of Asian Avenue Magazine.

Corinne Chin celebrates two years as Director of News Talent/Recruitment with the Associated Press.

Dalila-Johari Paul celebrated one year of being National Editor with Capital B News. Capital B News “is a local-national nonprofit news organization that centers Black voices, audience needs and experiences, and partners with the communities we serve.”

Emily Elena Dugdale celebrates 1 year with the Fuller Project. Dugdale is a seasoned investigative journalist covering criminal justice. As a member of the Fuller Project Team, Dugdale has been investigating allegations of serial rape against a Colorado cardiologist, digging into court records and investigating the possibility that dating apps used by the serial attacker to find victims knew of his dangerous behavior.

Maria Bastidas celebrated one year of her Latina Leads program. Bastidas said, “Over the past year, we’ve had the privilege of serving over 300 young Latinas through our Leadership Workshops, equipping them with essential skills, boosting their self-esteem, and providing them with tools to confront bullying and prepare to create inspiring social media content, videos, and sketches.”

Tierra Hayes was voted employee of the month at the Chattanooga Times Free Press for the second time. Hayes just celebrated one year as the Digital and Engagement Editor at the Chattanooga Times Free Press, and is already making waves and hiring new team members.

Faculty and Leadership Updates

Aaron Glantz will be joining the Stanford Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences as a fellow. The Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences is an interdisciplinary research lab at Stanford University and fellows conduct research in a variety of fields including anthropology, archaeology, business, communication, economics, geography, history, language and literature, law, medicine, political science, psychology, and sociology.

Maynard Institute Board Member Kevin Merida, former Executive Editor of the LA Times, and Ron Nixon, Maynard200 Faculty member, cofounder of the Ida B. Wells Society, and VP of investigative, enterprise, grants and partnerships with the Associated Press, celebrated Oscar wins!

Kevin Merida shouted out former colleagues on Twitter after “The Last Repair Shop” won for Best Documentary Short. The film followed the team that repairs instruments for the Los Angeles Unified School District music classes, and was distributed by The Los Angeles Times Studios and Searchlight. This Oscar win marked a first for the LA Times.

Ron Nixon congratulated the team and quoted “20 Days In Mariupol” director Mstyslav Chernov, who used his acceptance speech to draw attention to the “humanitarian catastrophe” in his native Ukraine, and said he wished he had never had to make the film.

Nixon had led some of the original coverage of Russia’s attacks on the Ukrainian city, and guided the film as VP of investigations with the Associated Press. The feature-length documentary was a joint venture between the Associated Press and PBS Frontline.

The Maynard Family Continues to Grow

The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education is proud of all members of our Maynard Family. We’re excited to move forward into 2024 with optimism and passion for diversity and belonging in journalism, and can’t wait to see what our Fellowship graduates and Fault Lines training recipients will do next to build inclusive and equitable news ecosystems in the new year.

Our work is made possible by individual donors, The California Endowment, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Democracy Fund, Ford Foundation, The Hearthland Foundation, Inasmuch Foundation, Knight Foundation, Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation, The Reva and David Logan Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation.

About the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

Since 1977, the Maynard Institute has fought to push back against the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. Founded by Robert C. Maynard, the Institute promotes diversity and antiracism in the news media through improved coverage, hiring and business practices. We are creating better representation in U.S. newsrooms through our programs , which gives media professionals of color the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs.

Are you an alum with exciting professional news?

Contact Community Engagement Coordinator, Amani Hamed, at ahamed(at)mije(dot)org to be featured in our next Maynard Family Update.

We at the Maynard Institute were saddened to learn of the passing of William G. “Bill” Connolly on December, 12, 2023. In addition to working at The New York Times for 30 years as an editor, Bill served as a Maynard Institute faculty member. His staunch allyship serves as enduring inspiration for us all. The obituary in the New York Times describes how “He sought diversity in the newsroom and oversaw the paper’s ethical guidelines.” A statement shared online by his family adds, “Bill was proudest of the work he did to advance the careers of young journalists, including 20 years as a senior faculty member at the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education’s program for BIPOC journalists and decades of workshops for the Dow Jones News Fund’s residency programs.”

We reached out to some members of our extended Maynard Family to share their memories of Bill for this blog.

Stephen Montiel, president of the Maynard Institute from 1988 to 2000, shared the following:

Bill Connolly, a fierce defender and supporter of the Maynard Institute’s Editing Program, selflessly shared his passion for editing excellence with a generation of journalists, mostly people of color, who made the transition from reporting to editing.

The Maynard Institute had conducted an Editing Program pilot in 1979 in conjunction with the Summer Program for Minority Journalists at the University of California, Berkeley. With Frank Sotomayor as its first director, the Editing Program for Minority Journalists was launched at the University of Arizona Journalism Department in 1980.

Bill, then an editor at the New York Times, was among the first journalists to step forward as a faculty member. In that era, the program ran for an entire summer. Some participants left jobs in order to be in the program and accepted the job placement offered by the institute. Many of the faculty would teach for weeks at a time and some used their vacations to be part of the program.

Always the consummate editor, Bill was also a heroic leader of efforts to diversify the content of news during the 1980s and 1990s.

Bill’s students in the Maynard editing program integrated the editing ranks of daily newspapers and became newsroom leaders.

Bill remained steadfast in his commitment to the program as it changed and opened its doors to white participants, becoming simply the Editing Program, and operated in different locations. He always was true to the rigor and principles of editing.

Photo of Walter Middlebrook and Bill Connolly, courtesy of Walter Middlebrook.

Former Detroit News assistant managing editor and Maynard Institute instructor Walter T. Middlebrook Jr. also his memories:

As a young 1983 fellow in the Editing Program for Minority Journalists at the University of Arizona, I left the program with two major lessons from the curmudgeonly Bill Connolly: eliminate “the echo” and that a good copy editor would have saved the Washington Post from publishing the journalistically disgraced “Jimmy’s World” story that forced the paper to relinquish a Pulitzer Prize.

To see and hear his dissection of “Jimmy’s World” laced with the questions a good copy editor would have asked was masterful. It instilled a respect for copyediting and the copy desk that helped guide me through my progression as a newsroom manager. And the echo lecture – about avoiding repeating information in a story that was given earlier – is a recurring note in my edits of the work of students and seasoned writers.

While the man, who had scared me to death in those early meetings, taught my fellow classmates how to become better editors, he would become a father-figure to me in my journalistic pursuits and a “brother” as I got older. He loved EPMJ and the mission of the editing program. Our bond and EPMJ were among the many topics we discussed during our periodic meetings over the years for conversation, food and drink. Those gatherings often would include my other father figure/brother Rich Holden, a top Dow Jones executive who taught for decades in the Editing Program when he was director of what was then called the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, or just the two of us after Rich died.

It was during those sessions that I would learn of the many layers of the teacher – his love of the often-derided semicolon, the lifelong prankster, the family man, but most of all, the hidden artist who had been painting since forever, even up to his death. Who knew? He never shared his art, but it adorned every wall in his home.

I always had fun teasing Bill about how the masterful copyeditor’s name was often misspelled in research papers and other works related to his participation with the American Copy Editors Society and in his contributions to The New York Times, particularly the paper’s published style manual.

The teacher, the father-figure, the brother left an indelible mark, and he will be missed.

Here is a link to an impactful page of collected memorials and obituaries that his family created at bit.ly/WGCJrobit

The stories, the man … personify to me what the Maynard family is all about.

We extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Bill Connolly. We join our Maynard Family in celebrating his life and legacy.