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2023 NAHJ CHAPTER ELECTIONS: CENTRAL FLORIDA
The Orlando-Central Florida Chapter elections committee is pleased to open the ballot to vote on this year's board election. Polls will close on June 15, at 5 p.m. ET and results will be announced soon after. You can find the list of candidates who appear on the ballot below.
Only current eligible Orlando-Central Florida Chapter members voters are able to access the ballot. If you're having trouble with the ballot, please contact us at [email protected].
President (uncontested):
Valezka Gil-Wester |
Vice President (uncontested):
Emilio Ramos |
Financial Officer (uncontested):
Laura Gonzalez
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Secretary:
Open position
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At-Large Officer (uncontested):
Alibeth Suárez
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NAHJ professional chapter officers’ general guidelines to keep in mind:
Officers of Professional Chapters
(a) Officers. Each professional chapter (i) is required to have a President, a Vice President, a Treasurer and a Secretary and (ii) at the discretion of the Chapter Board also may have a single at-large officer with such responsibilities as the Chapter Board shall determine.
(b) Qualifications. The offices of President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary may be held only by Regular Members in good standing. Any Regular Member, Academic Member or Associate Member, in good standing, may serve as the at-large officer.
(c) Holding Multiple Offices. Any elected officer may concurrently hold two or more offices, except that in no event shall the President serve simultaneously as the Treasurer or the Secretary.
(d) Election. Chapter officers shall be elected annually. The President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary shall be elected by the Regular Members and the Academics Members of the chapter. The at-large officer, if any, shall be elected by the Regular Members, the Academic Members and the Associate Members of the chapter.
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2023 ELECTIONS TIMELINE
• May 12th: Call for Nominations
• May 26th: Deadline to submit 5 unique signatures before 11:59 p.m. Deadline to become a member in good standing and be eligible to vote
• May 29th – 31st: Vetting process. The Elections Committee will screen candidates.
• June 1st: Online voting begins (Polls open two weeks before the polls close)
• June 15th: Polls close at 5 p.m. ET and results are announced. |
Candidates Statements
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Valezka Gil-Wester
Valezka Gil is a 4X EMMY® & 3X SPJ® and 2X The Communicator Award® Winning Journalist who works as a Consumer Investigative Reporter and Producer for Telemundo 31, the local station that serves the Spanish-speaking community in the Central Florida area.
Since helping launch the Telemundo 31 Responde Unit in April 2019, Gil has aided in recovering more than $542,000 for Telemundo 31 viewers who felt their consumer issues had remained unsolved for far too long.
Gil, a native of Venezuela, graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2013, where she helped launch the very first Spanish newscast, Noticias UCF Knightly. She received numerous journalism scholarships while in college. That same year, in 2013, after graduating from UCF she joined the Telemundo 31 news team as an anchor, reporter and producer.
In 2017-2018 Gil served as president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists of Central Florida, where she helped raise thousands of dollars in scholarship funding that was awarded to UCF journalism students. |
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Emilio Ramos
I’m currently working for Telemundo as a Content Lead Producer and Reporter. I started my career as an assignment desk editor at WCCO (CBS) in Minneapolis, Minnesota and then began as an MMJ in Univision Orlando. I then moved to Dallas, Texas to work as an MMJ where I worked for five years at the Telemundo and NBC station.
During my time as a reporter, I have covered stories like the Pulse Nightclub shooting, the Sutherland Springs church shooting, tornado and hurricane coverages and special assignments in Puerto Rico.
I would like to be a part of the board to continue to engage in conversations about our constant evolving journalism experience as Hispanics in the industry and help other colleagues reach what they aspire to do in their career. I enjoying sharing wisdom to help build character, discipline and passion to keep the strong meaning of the written word alive.
Thank you! |
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Laura Gonzalez
It would be a privilege to belong to the board of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) to continue learning from this side and create more spaces of conversation for journalists of this region in Florida to exchange ideas, experiences and talk about what they need to continue growing in this field.
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Alibeth Suárez
I am passionate about news and supporting humanitarian causes. Over the years, I have worked in different organizations to strengthen the role of journalists, and I want to continue consolidating our guild and our skills. At the same time, I would like to generate and reinforce opportunities for more Latinos in news.
Informing and educating the Hispanic community has always been a priority. Nothing makes me more proud than being part of a board that will keep supporting all Hispanic journalists' unique cultural identities, interests, and concerns. I am your nominee for the At-Large position, and I hope I can count on your vote.
I am open to your comments and advice. Together we can build a better chapter.
Please, Vote for Alibeth Suarez |
If you have any questions regarding this chapter's election contact Cecilia Figueroa, Orlando-Central Florida Chapter Elections Chair. You can also email us at [email protected] with any additional questions.
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