Presidential Candidate:

Dunia Elvir

About the Candidate

Dunia Elvir is an award-winning journalist and news anchor whose career spans more than three decades. She began her broadcast journalism career at Telemundo 52 Los Angeles in 1990.

Throughout her distinguished career, Elvir has earned some of journalism's highest honors, including 18 Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, an Edward R. Murrow Award, a National GLAAD Media Award, three Golden Mike Awards, and the 2025 National Gold Telly Award for Voices of Climate Change.

Elvir has interviewed over 10 presidents from Latin America countries, world leaders, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and internationally renowned actors, while making history as the first Latina to moderate a California gubernatorial debate in 2014 and the first Latina to participate in NBC and Telemundo's live bilingual Los Angeles mayoral debate in 2022.

Her contributions to journalism are permanently recognized by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where she is featured in both the ¡Escúchame! The History of Spanish-Language Broadcasting in the United States initiative and the bilingual exhibition De Última Hora: Latinas Report Breaking News.

Elvir is a passionate advocate for her community, supporting organizations that serve children with autism, mentoring incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth through storytelling. 

Elvir earned her MBA from the University of Phoenix and completed a journalism fellowship at USC and Harvard Business School’s ManageMentor leadership program.

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Presidential Candidate:

Julio-César Chávez

About the Candidate

My name is Julio-César Chávez, I'm a video reporter with Reuters in Washington D.C., born and raised in El Paso and Juárez. 

I started at KVIA-TV in 2015 as a weekend reporter while studying at El Paso Community College, and applied for a temporary video job with Reuters in D.C. in 2020 to be closer to my girlfriend. We married four years later and had our baby last year.

I was part of the Reuters team awarded a 2026 Pulitzer Prize for our special reports on Trump's retribution campaign as the video reporter on several stories. 

I first ran for NAHJ Broadcast Vice President in 2020, and one week later delivered the free hostile environment training I campaigned for. In 2025 we built a shareable ICE safety kit for journalists covering raids. I still have the physical scars from the rubber bullets police shot me with during the George Floyd protests, and have always wanted to give our members the same help I received. 

I hand-wrote much of the 2024 bylaws revision, and co-led the membership task force that created a retired membership and opened the door to more members. I have helped hire two executive directors and started the Broadcast Task Force to give audio and video reporters firm representation.

I've also tested ideas and set them aside when it became clear they exceeded our capacity. It’s important to know what to work on and what to sunset.

Let’s take the next step in NAHJ’s evolution, together.

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Vice President of Broadcast Candidate:

Samantha Rivera

About the Candidate

Samantha Rivera is a bilingual sports journalist (English/Spanish) who currently works as a host/reporter for ESPN/ESPN Deportes/SportsCenter. Most recently, she was a sports anchor/reporter for CBS Miami and in her hometown of Chicago for NBC5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago and NBC Sports Chicago. Other career stops include San Diego, Rockford, IL and Marquette, MI. The Chicagoland native is a proud alum of DePaul University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations and advertising.

Samantha is also the Region 4 Director of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, on their Sports Task Force board, a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and part of their Sports Committee. 

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Vice President of Print Candidate:

Nancy Preyor-Johnson

About the Candidate

Nancy Martinez Preyor-Johnson is an award-winning journalist and editor and a Senior Projects Reporter at the San Antonio Express-News.

Preyor-Johnson focuses on accountability reporting, investigative projects and opinion writing on immigration enforcement, ICE detention, policing, crime and government accountability. Her exclusive reporting on U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales’ affair with a staffer who later died by self-immolation preceded his resignation from Congress. 

She previously served as deputy metro editor, overseeing public safety coverage, and as deputy editorial page editor and columnist. Texas Managing Editors and the Headliners Foundation named her 2024 Star Opinion Writer of the Year. 

She serves as vice president of print for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, after joining its executive board as Region 5 director in 2023. She also served as president and treasurer of the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists. 

A native of the rural South Texas town of Mathis, she holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from UTSA and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. She previously taught in public schools. 

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Financial Officer:

Carlos Rodriguez

About the Candidate

Carlos Manuel Rodríguez leads Bloomberg’s Latin America editorial partnerships and serves on the editorial board of Bloomberg Business week México. He is executive producer of El Financiero Bloomberg TV and Bloomberg Línea, working across television, digital journalism and regional news initiatives. 

Rodríguez joined Bloomberg in 2006 as a Latin America reporter forBloomberg Television in New York. In 2009, he moved to Mexico as a correspondent covering energy and commodities, and in 2013 he was promoted to Mexico bureau chief, a role he held through 2019.During his career, Rodríguez has interviewed influential political and business leaders across the Americas, including Barack Obama, Enrique Peña Nieto, Felipe Calderón, Vicente Fox, Álvaro Uribe, OscarArias and Carlos Slim. 

He began his career in financial markets in 1998 as a trading floor clerk at AG Edwards in Chicago. He later worked as a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune’s Spanish-language publication before joining Univision as a reporter and assignment editor.Rodríguez holds a B.A. in Journalism from Roosevelt University and is the recipient of two Emmy Awards from the National Academy ofTelevision Arts and Sciences. He also serves as Financial Officer on the national board of the National Association of HispanicJournalists. 

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Secretary:

Arelis Hernandez

About the Candidate

Arelis R. Hernández is a national reporter for The Washington Post, where she’s worked since 2014. Her work covering immigration, breaking news, politics and natural disasters has earned her national and international honors. Hernandez’s most valued work has been the investigative and human-centered journalism produced by a team. But what she is most proud of is the opportunity to have mentored emerging journalists both at the collegiate and high school level as they developed into some of the best in the business. She is currently co-director of the Asian American Journalist Association’s high school journalism program, JCamp. 

Hernandez was twice elected to the NAHJ national board in 2020 and 2022, as the organization’s Vice President of Print where she undertook the first overhaul of the bylaws in a decade, supported and shepherded the formation of the Visual Task Force, worked closely to advocate for the Latino Reporter program and helped usher in new leadership. Her first NAHJ conference was in 2007 as a college sophomore working for the Latino Reporter. She also served briefly on the board of the Washington, D.C. NAHJ chapter. 

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Secretary:

Jackie Padilla

About the Candidate

Jackie Padilla is a digital media and communications leader, journalist, and advocate for Latino representation in journalism. She currently serves on the national board of the NationalAssociation of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) as Secretary, where she has spent the last two years supporting the organization's mission to advance Latino journalists and strengthen representation across the media industry. 

Before joining the national board, Jackie served as Secretary and Vice President of NAHJ's Washington, D.C., chapter. She is also a co-founder of the newly established NAHJ Tennessee chapter, helping expand the organization's reach and connect journalists across the state. 

Professionally, Jackie has built a career at the intersection of journalism, digital innovation, and storytelling. Her experience includes leadership roles at NewsChannel 5 in Nashville, POLITICO, NowThis, and other prominent media organizations. She has led digital strategy, developed audience growth initiatives, and worked with industry partners to explore new approaches to storytelling, content distribution, and revenue generation. 

Jackie is passionate about creating opportunities for the next generation of journalists and helping news organizations evolve to reach new audiences. As one of the youngest members of NAHJ's executive board, she brings a perspective shaped by digital journalism, emerging media platforms, and a commitment to ensuring that Latino voices are represented in conversations shaping the industry's future. 

She also serves on the Society of Professional Journalists' ethics code revision committee, advocating for more inclusive language and a journalism ecosystem that recognizes the voices and contributions of historically underrepresented communities. 

At the heart of Jackie's work is a belief in the power of community, collaboration, and bringing people together to create meaningful, lasting change.

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General At-Large:

Chris Peña

Chris Peña is a senior media executive and transformation leader serving as Vice President, Regional Content Director at TEGNA, where he oversees multi-market news and content operations across broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms. 

In this role, Chris partners closely with news directors, executive producers, and station leadership to evolve legacy newsrooms into 24/7, streaming-first, audience-centric content organizations. His responsibilities span editorial strategy, organizational design, talent development, and performance accountability, driving measurable growth in broadcast share, CTV streaming minutes, and digital engagement across multiple Midwest markets. 

Chris is known for translating audience research, analytics, and performance data into actionable newsroom strategy. He plays a hands-on role in building dashboards, defining success metrics, and coaching teams to use data to sharpen editorial judgment, accelerate change, and focus on stories that matter most to local audiences. 

Previously, Chris held senior leadership roles at multiple companies, including Univision Local Media and NBCUniversal. He led transformative digital and content strategies, launched new audience initiatives, and helped shape multicultural journalism at scale, including the launch of NBC Latino. Across his career, he has been deeply involved in performance-driven change, guiding organizations through moments of disruption and growth. 

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Academic At-Large:

Dr. Pedro Cabrera

About the Candidate

Dr. Pedro (P.J.) Cabrera is an award-winning leader, educator, scholar, media professional, and advocate for journalism education, guided by a simple belief: everyone has a story worth telling. Over the past decade, he has worked across K-12 education, higher education, and nonprofit leadership, helping students, educators, and communities use communication to learn, engage, and drive positive change. 

Currently, Cabrera serves as a Professor of Communication and Journalism in San Antonio, TX. In this role, he has developed innovative curricula, created new courses, mentored students, and strengthened journalism and communication education for the next generation of media professionals. He also helped launch a bachelor's degree in journalism and has contributed to major academic initiatives focused on student success and workforce readiness.

Before entering higher education, Cabrera built an award-winning scholastic media program that empowered student journalists to produce impactful work across print, digital, social, and multimedia platforms. His passion for mentoring young communicators continues to drive both his teaching and service. Beyond the classroom, Cabrera has led strategic communication efforts for major organizations, published research on journalism education, spoken at conferences nationwide, and served in leadership roles with organizations including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Journalism Education Association. Whether teaching, writing, mentoring, or speaking, his work focuses on media literacy, student voice, civic engagement, and preparing future communicators to thrive in an ever-changing media landscape.

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Spanish At-Large:

Genesis Samayoa-Hidalgo

About the Candidate

Genesis Samayoa-Hidalgo is a four-time Emmy award winning news producer for NBC Telemundo 52 in Los Angeles. She started her career in Denver, Colorado but her passion for journalism led her to pursue an opportunity in L.A., one of television’s top markets.

Genesis is a visionary, and her ingenuity and comprehension of the fast-developing news environment has led her to receive numerous recognitions within the industry and she currently serves on the board for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Genesis graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder, earning a B.S. in Journalism and a B.A. in Spanish. GO BUFFS!

Aside from enjoying her time in the newsroom, Genesis dedicates most of her time to family and church. 

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