Felecia D. Henderson

Felecia D. Henderson is the Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Maynard Institute. Since 2020, she has trained journalists and newsroom leaders from more than 1,200 digital and broadcast news organizations on Diversity, Equity and Belonging. She co-led the Institute’s Newsroom Transformation Program in 2023, served as Executive-in-Residence for the Maynard 200 management training program at Texas Christian University’s Bob Schieffer College of Communication in 2024, and has co-led the Regional Training Series since 2025.

In her role as Senior Director, she partners with the Executive Directors to shape and implement initiatives that help news organizations build sustainable business models. She designs and facilitates programs, such as the Regional Training Series, to strengthen the leadership capacity of entry- and mid-level editors and managers. She also coaches newsroom leaders to develop and execute strategies that strengthen workplace culture and improve organizational performance.

Prior to joining the Institute, Henderson was an assistant managing editor at The Detroit News, where she led award-winning entertainment and lifestyle coverage and served on the senior management team responsible for newsroom operations. She began her journalism career at her hometown newspaper, The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky, and later held editing positions at the Detroit Free Press and the Cincinnati Post.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Radio-TV/Journalism from Murray State University, a master’s degree in organization development from Bowling Green State University, a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University, is a certified Emotional Intelligence coach and a 2021 graduate of the Media Transformation Challenge. She served as a Pulitzer Prize juror in 2018 and senior juror in 2019. She is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Award from Murray State University and a lifetime achievement award from the Society of Professional Journalists – Detroit Chapter.

Henderson is also a graduate of the Institute’s original Editing Program. Today, she considers it a full-circle moment to help develop the next generation of editors and newsroom leaders through the same institute that helped launch her leadership journey.