2023 NAHJ CHAPTER ELECTIONS: WASHINGTON DC

The Washington DC 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 Washington DC Chapter members voters are able to access the ballot. If you're having trouble with the ballot, please contact us at [email protected].

Candidates Statements

President (uncontested):
Brandon Benavides		 Vice President (uncontested):
Silvia Foster-Frau
Financial Officer (uncontested):
Clara Dominguez
 Secretary (uncontested):
Jackie Padilla
At-Large Officer (uncontested):
Jason Zaragoza

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.

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

Brandon Benavides

I’m running for re-election to help rebuild our chapter following the pandemic. 

I joined NAHJ as a student in 2004. Over the past 19 years, I’ve been elected Region 6 Director, General At-Large Officer, NAHJ DC Chapter president (5 times) and National President. I’ve served on the NAHJ GLBT Caucus, By-Laws Task Force, Scholarship committee and ñ awards judging committee. 

I’m a content producer at NBC4 in Washington, D.C. In my spare time, I teach at Georgetown University and the University of Maryland.

Silvia Foster-Frau

As vice-president for NAHJ-DC, I look forward to increasing membership engagement and continuing to safely revive pre-pandemic NAHJ-DC events and activities. We must increase the number of Latinos in newsrooms to improve the coverage of our diverse community, and as NAHJ-DC vice-president I'll work toward that goal by nurturing and supporting both the professionals already in the industry and students or future journalists of color.

Clara Dominguez

I have served as Board Treasurer for the past two year for the local DC Chapter. NAHJ is an amazing organization and as we move forward I hope to contribute to the growth and impact of the group and would be honored to continue serving on the Board.

 Thank you

Jackie Padilla

Dear fellow NAHJ members,

I’m proud to be a part of such an incredible organization and I’d like to go a step further as a member of the board to be an even stronger advocate for you! Fresh voices and perspectives are critical for any organization to continue to flourish. One of my main goals is to strengthen mentorship opportunities within our local chapters. There are plenty of groups supporting journalists of color and I want to amplify NAHJ’s presence to ensure every Hispanic journalist knows about the community and resources that are available to them. I also want to be a point person that members know they can rely on to voice new ideas, needs or concerns, and to feel assured that they are seen, heard, and valued.

Jason Zaragoza

It has been an honor to serve on the NAHJ DC Board of Directors for the past year and to support our chapter leaders' efforts in reestablishing in-person gatherings after two years of isolation. I hope to keep that momentum going in the year ahead and do anything I can to support the efforts of our chapter President and Vice President. It's been energizing to reconnect with the NAHJ community in-person again and I think it's crucial for the next generation of Latino journalists in D.C. that we build on the past year and continue to create opportunities for chapter members to interact with, learn from, and support each other.

 

If you have any questions regarding this chapter's election contact Melissa Macaya, Washington DC Chapter Elections Chair. You can also email us at [email protected] with any additional questions.

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