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OAKLAND, Calif. (October 30, 2002) -- A change of leadership will occur next week at the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. As of Nov. 1 the Institute's chairman, Mark N. Trahant will relinquish his position of CEO, returning to his role of board chairman and passing the (operational) leadership mantle to Dori J. Maynard. President Dori J. Maynard will assume the title of President and CEO and direct the day-to-day operation of the Institute, the nation's leading organization for training journalists of color and for helping the news media reflect the nation's diversity in staffing, content and business operations. Maynard was appointed president of the Oakland-based Maynard Institute in January 2001. Prior to being named president, Maynard served as the Institute’s Communications Director, headed the History project which leads the way in preserving and protecting the contributions of those courageous journalists of color who broke into the mainstream media against the backdrop of the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, and directed the Fault Lines project, a framework that helps journalists more accurately cover their communities. Before joining the Institute, Maynard was a reporter for The Bakersfield Californian, The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, Massachusetts and the Detroit Free Press. "It is an honor to lead an organization that has served as both the conscience and the catalyst for the industry. As we look forward, it is clear that the Institute must continue in its role of bringing innovative thinking and bold action to the issue of journalism and diversity," she said. "Dori will be a fabulous advocate for journalism and diversity," Trahant said. "She has deep passion for our craft. She knows it could be better — and understands the connection between a journalism that reflects all of America and our very national character. She understands the challenges facing the non-profit sector and is dedicated to the notion that this work is important and must continue." For more than 25 years, Maynard IJE professional development programs for managers, editors and reporters have prepared hundreds of journalists of color for successful careers. Maynard graduates have helped change not only the face of American newsrooms, but the business of journalism as well. Together with other members of the multiracial Maynard IJE "Family," they are in the forefront of institutional change and creativity within news companies across the United States. |