2023 ELECTIONS TIMELINE

Ana Johnson
President Nominee

Nick Valencia
Vice President Nominee

​​My name is Nick Valencia and I’m running to be the Vice President of the NAHJ Atlanta Chapter. Many of you know that I was the founding member of this chapter and worked for four years as chapter president. My time serving on the Atlanta board was one of the best times of my life. After stepping away from NAHJ leadership the last few years to start my family, I decided it was time to come back and serve again. Things are different in this city since the last time I served. Our Latino community is more established and there is an even bigger desire for organizations like ours to add value to the city. I hope to continue to help carry the message of inclusivity and use my passion for NAHJ to help invest in the next generation of journalists.

Luis Jaime Rodríguez
Treasurer Nominee

Hello, 

My name is Luis Rodriguez. I am honored and proud to run for the Atlanta Chapter treasurer position. If elected, I look forward to serving to the best of my ability to help this region run as effectively as possible.

Secretary Nominee

Dear NAHJ Atlanta Chapter members:

Saludos! My name is Christopher Abreu, and I am running for the Secretary position of the NAHJ Atlanta Chapter board. I am new around these parts, so I hope this short read can serve as a quick intro to who I am.

I am based in Atlanta, work at CNN, and am originally from NYC. I spent many years in PA as well, and have most of my family up in that region still. I am a Penn State ‘15 and UGA ‘20 grad, and am now trying my hand at a completely new role as Secretary for NAHJ Atlanta Chapter. I went to the NAHJ convention in Miami this year, and truth be told I was really nervous going into it. It was my first one as an attendee, and I really didn’t know what to expect. Fortunately, I was quick to realize how incredible the experience would be. I gained so much admiration and inspiration for all of the Latinos that have trail-blazed their way through the rankings of the broader media industry. The sense of community was palpable. When I reflect on 2023 in the future, this time spent with NAHJ will be one of my highlights.

Secretary Nominee

Saludos NAHJ, I am a new face and a passionate unifier. 

I am running to be NAHJ Atlanta secretary because I believe the metro area needs a “homebase” for Latinx journalists and I’d love to contribute to a resource that can serve as a support system for budding and veteran journalists.

If elected, my goal will be to engage new members and re-engage those who have already been committed to the chapter. I hope to do this with a monthly newsletter, themed-virtual meetups, and fun networking opportunities that focus on taking care of ourselves and each other as we navigate an evolving industry. There are a lot of opportunities to help with professional and personal growth - my hope is to make the chapter a vehicle to realize those opportunities and be a space where our careers meet culture and is celebrated. 

The support and knowledge of Hispanic journalists in this area seems scattered around the metro which ultimately does a disservice for the overarching Atlanta community. My hope is building back our NAHJ community by setting small achievable goals with our chapter leadership and, as secretary, holding us accountable to these initiatives.

My suggested goals are to:

- Review our membership list and collect feedback from those still in the area on what they want to see
- Host a meet-and-greet/happy hour
- Host a mental wellness event/outing that ties to our culture (reggaeton yoga anyone?)
- Create a two-year plan for the chapter
- Create a newsletter with job openings, membership features, National announcements, freelance opportunities and chapter initiatives

But I’m not just here to work on goals leadership may set for the chapter - I’m here to make sure the chapter becomes what members hope to see. I will always be a listening ear and work to serve chapter needs as transparently as possible.

As a five-year member of NAHJ, I humbly ask that you give this Cubanita-Panameñia a chance. We need more #LatinosInNews - and we need to stick together.

Secretary Nominee

My name is Paola Suro and I'm a bilingual reporter for 11Alive in Atlanta. As NAHJ Atlanta's former secretary, I am running for NAHJ Atlanta Secretary one more time. Hoping to continue the important work we've been doing in our community.