The SPJ DC Pro Chapter year for this election is June 2026 to June 2027.
Here is the excerpt from the DC Pro Chapter Constitution about officers and directors.
Article Four – Officers
Section 1: The officers of this Chapter shall be a president, a vice president, a recording secretary, a corresponding secretary and a treasurer.
Section 2: The officers shall be elected for one-year terms, which shall begin at the next annual installation of officers and shall end at the following installation.
Article Five – Directors
Section 1: There shall be elected from the membership of this Chapter six directors who shall meet at least nine times per year with the officers of the Chapter to formulate plans and procedures. These directors together with the officers of the chapter and the immediate past president shall constitute the Executive Board.
Section 2: Three directors shall be elected each year for a term commencing at the next annual installation of officers and expiring at the installation two years thereafter.
The following is an excerpt from the DC Pro Chapter’s Bylaws about duties of officers.
Article Six – Duties of Officers
Section 1: The president shall preside at all meetings, shall exercise general supervision over the affairs and activities of the Chapter, and shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees.
Section 2: If the president is absent or incapacitated, the president’s duties shall be assumed by the vice president. The vice president shall also serve as program coordinator for the Chapter.
Section 3: The recording secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings of the Chapter and send records of the proceedings to members of the Executive Board.
Section 4: The corresponding secretary shall be the custodian of all Chapter records unless a special officer shall be appointed for that purpose, shall maintain the Chapter roster, including all records and reports on membership enrollment, and shall conduct all correspondence of the Chapter, as required.
Section 5: The treasurer shall receive all Chapter funds, keep them in one or more federally insured depositories approved by the Executive Board, and pay out funds only by direction of the Executive Board. The treasurer shall make a written monthly report to the Executive Board of all disbursements, receipts and balances.
These are the candidates for officer positions. Officers serve one-year terms.
President – Georgena Mierow
Vice President – Cheyanne M. Daniels
Corresponding Secretary – Amy Fickling
Recording Secretary – Alexandra Goncalves de Oliveira
Treasurer – Dan Kubiske
These are the candidates for the Board of Directors.
The at-large directors serve two-year terms. There are six directors. Three are elected each year. Sometimes there are unexpired terms, and even if someone is appointed to the seat, if a year remains in the term, that seat must be elected at the next election.
For two-year terms (no more than three may be elected)
Laken Kincaid
Sam Lisker
Randy Showstack
For a one-year term to fill a board seat with one year unexpired
Sonya Laurence Green (to serve remaining year in the term that will be resigned by Georgena Mierow, elected in 2025, if she is elected to the office of chapter president for 2026-2027)
Meet the candidates.
Officer candidates
Georgena Mierow is a video producer and journalist with experience at The Hill and Newsweek, where she specializes in visual storytelling and multimedia reporting. Her work spans writing and producing both editorial and opinion content, covering Congress, the White House, and major national and international stories. In addition to her reporting and production work, Georgena has served as a union negotiator for The Hill Guild, representing and advocating for her colleagues during collective bargaining negotiations. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors from the George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA), earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications. She later completed her master’s degree in media and strategic communication at SMPA, along with a certificate in documentary filmmaking. She was elected in 2025 to a two-year term as an at-large director on the board of directors of the Washington, D.C., Pro Chapter of SPJ, and is a member of the National Press Club. In 2021, she was recognized by the American News Women’s Club and honored alongside renowned journalist Lesley Stahl.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: It is no secret that journalism is facing unprecedented challenges. Newsrooms across the industry are shrinking, with some of the most significant impacts in Washington, D.C. Threats to press freedom are also rising, including government searches of reporters’ homes. At the same time, AI-generated content and “pink slime” journalism are reshaping the landscape. The Washington, D.C., chapter of SPJ is uniquely positioned, both in the heart of the nation’s capital and as an organization, to meet this moment and support fellow journalists. These conditions demand action. Supporting and strengthening our professional community is more important than ever. I am running for president of the SPJ DC Pro Chapter to bring a leadership-driven, action-oriented approach. My priority is to meet journalists where they are and respond directly to the challenges of today’s media environment, while advancing advocacy, connection, and a shared commitment to ethical, trusted journalism. Accessibility will be central to my leadership. My background in visual storytelling has demonstrated the importance of a strong social media presence for organizations seeking to grow and engage audiences. If elected, I will prioritize expanding and strengthening the chapter’s digital platforms to better engage members, highlight local journalism, and build a more connected community.
This is also a pivotal moment for students and early-career journalists entering the field. Many are questioning whether to pursue journalism, even as the need for a strong, independent press has never been greater. I will work to strengthen connections between students, early-career journalists, and our chapter. In addition, I will focus on meeting journalists’ immediate needs, including networking opportunities for those affected by layoffs. I will also expand accessible, skills-based programming such as webinars and workshops to help journalists navigate the evolving digital media landscape. I would be honored to serve as president of SPJ-DC and help amplify our chapter’s impact while supporting journalists at every stage of their careers.
Cheyanne M. Daniels is a breaking news reporter at POLITICO, where she covers national affairs with a focus on the intersection of race, gender and politics. Beyond her reporting, she serves as vice chair for stewards on the PEN Guild Unit Council. She previously served as the race & politics reporter for The Hill, where she spearheaded the 2023 launch of “The Switch Up.” As the creator and host of the podcast, she led deep-dive conversations on Washington’s political landscape with prominent Black and Brown civil rights leaders. A Chicago native, Cheyanne began her career at the Chicago Sun-Times as a Report for America corps member covering the city’s South and West sides. She holds a Master of Science degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School, specializing in politics, policy and foreign affairs. She’s also a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: As a reporter with POLITICO, I am deeply committed to supporting the journalists who make this industry home. My experience has taught me that “trusted sources” shouldn’t just be a tool for our reporting, but a standard for how we support one another’s collective success. If elected vice president, I would work closely with the president to create forums that offer real-world support. This means moving beyond standard networking nights and into deeper, more intentional conversations: from the art of advocating for your reporting to balancing empathy with professional objectivity to identifying practical ways to protect our well-being within a truly 24/7 news cycle. My goal is to ensure we are building a sustainable industry — not just for those of us here today, but for future journalists. I would be honored to serve as your vice president and work toward a community that is as restorative as it is professional.
Amy Fickling has during more than 35 years as a DC Pro Chapter member held every office on the board and been an at-large director; she’s also been on the national SPJ board as Region 2 director. She has served as chapter corresponding secretary for several years, and previously performed the duties while also being chapter treasurer. In addition to being in charge of the chapter membership roster in this role, she has been doing chapter correspondence in several forms, including communicating with members through emails, the chapter newsletter and posting of material on the chapter’s website. She was honored as the chapter’s Distinguished Service Award winner in 2019, recognizing long-time service to the DC Pro Chapter while working as a reporter and/or editor at a variety of media outlets in the metropolitan area, including as assistant news editor at the McClatchy-Tribune News Service (was there when the service was closed in 2014). She is currently an editor at Warren Communications News for the specialty publications International Trade Today, Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily and for the newly launched Trade Strategies Today. She notes that thanks to the Trump administration’s focus on tariffs, she and her colleagues have been extremely busy covering all the federal angles. She is a National Press Club member and serves on the committee that produces the Club’s weekday daily newsletter in rotation with several other editors.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: Having been chapter president (1991) and a two-term national SPJ board member — in my role as Region 2 director (1993 to 1997) — after moving “up the ladder” in the DC Pro Chapter and continuing service to the organization to the present, I’ve been helping with institutional memory as we’ve gained participation by some younger generations of journalists, many of whom have acquired tech skills that are new to me but second nature to them. So we all learn from each other — as it should be! The broad-based efforts for all journalists that SPJ stands for, and the sense of family it gives to long-time members, still are our crown jewels. I want to see the chapter continue to attract new minds and voices that carry our efforts forward into the future — especially on journalism ethics and seeking truth to report it. And I want to see them feel like they are part of a family they continue to be involved and serve with for years to come. Our chapter works well with other journalism organizations in town and on the national level, some of which are focused on niche aspects of the field, but we need to make the effort to grow our membership organically and remind journalists that our mission is for all journalists, “whether of the Society or not.” Building on the sense of belonging to something larger than ourselves as underpinning in the profession is key.
We have the core values to withstand the onslaught we’ve been dreading for years that has come to fruition with the taunts and outright aggression coming from the current administration and many of its supporters. We need to capitalize on our strength in membership to keep the profession viable and vital to our democracy, which is the institution that also protects us.
Alexandra Goncalves de Oliveira is a native Washingtonian, and I’ve built a 15-year career in journalism right here in our nation’s capital. I grew up abroad in Brazil, and that is where I first became interested in being a journalist. Fast-forward 20-something years, I’m currently a producer for C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, where I get to live my dream of being a journalist every day. I book high-profile guests driving policy and news, and I produce content based on gavel-to-gavel coverage in our government and public affairs. The best part about what I do is that there’s no agenda, we truly strive to be unbiased by making sure ALL voices are heard and represented. Before embarking in the media industry, I graduated from the School of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University in 2011. I fell into digital journalism in my first job out of college working as a digital video producer for Thomson Reuters. I then went on to lead the video department at The Hill in 2014, in the beginning days of their video production. I held several internships while in college, most notably at C-SPAN where, in a full circle moment, is where I now work!
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: I wish to be the Society of Professional Journalists’ next recording secretary. Having spent 15 years as a journalist, I’ve seen, lived and navigated through the changes in our industry, and would bring that perspective to the organization. As a Latina, and part of the ADA community, I would bring my lived experiences to amplify diversity in our community of journalists. I’m passionate about telling people’s stories, and I’m lucky to have done so as a video and broadcast producer. Our profession was once highly regarded as the truth bearers keeping our leaders honest, the Fourth Estate. In the last decade, we seem to have lost some of the public’s trust, but I want to be at the forefront working to change hearts and minds. I would be honored to be part of SPJ and help protect our work as journalists.
Dan Kubiske is the current treasurer of SPJ DC Pro Chapter, and is seeking re-election. He also is the chair of the SPJ International Community, an online group within the national SPJ organization. He has covered environmental, human rights, political and commodity issues around the world, and has worked as a freelance journalist in Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Honduras, as well as in the Washington, D.C., area for more than 35 years. In addition to longtime SPJ membership, he is a member of the National Press Club in Washington and remains a (distant) member of the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club, where he once served on the board of governors. He was president of the DC Pro Chapter before traveling and living abroad for a number of years.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: I like to think of myself as part of the living memory of the DC Pro Chapter and as one who encourages newer members to step up and take over the reins to move the chapter in new and exciting directions. For now, I continue to do what I can to help the chapter grow and remain an important part of the Washington journalism community.
Board of Directors candidates
Laken Kincaid is a political journalist who is currently a production associate and researcher with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the longest running television show in history. Along with this role, Kincaid also contributes political pieces and research to NBC’s digital politics team. Kincaid is also a proud past Tim Russert fellow with “Meet the Press.” Previously, Kincaid also worked as a political news assistant with PBS “NewsHour” where they helped cover pivotal events in American politics, including the Charlie Kirk assassination and the initial Jeffrey Epstein document fallout for the network. Before entering the industry, Kincaid received their Bachelor of Arts with majors in political science and communications: digital media and a minor in leadership development from John Carroll University in May of 2024. Regarding experience with the Society of Professional Journalists, Kincaid previously served as the president of John Carroll University’s student chapter of SPJ and was a member of the inaugural cohort of SPJ’s Student Leadership Institute. Kincaid has previously received two regional Mark of Excellence Awards from SPJ and the Terry Harper Memorial Scholarship to attend MediaFest 2025. They currently serve on national SPJ’s journalism education committee.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: I am running for the SPJ DC Board of Directors because I want to help strengthen and connect the journalism community in Washington at a moment when the profession is rapidly evolving. Through my work at “Meet the Press” and with NBC’s digital politics team, I’ve experienced firsthand the pace, complexity, and responsibility that come with covering national politics today. From breaking news to long-term accountability reporting, journalists are being asked to do more across platforms while maintaining the highest ethical standards. At the same time, many early-career journalists are navigating an increasingly competitive and often unclear path into the industry. My involvement with SPJ, serving as president of my university’s chapter, participating in the Student Leadership Institute, and now contributing to the national journalism education committee, has shaped how I think about the role professional organizations can play in supporting journalists through these challenges. SPJ has the ability not only to connect journalists, but to create meaningful opportunities for mentorship, professional development, and collaboration across experience levels and mediums. I’m particularly interested in helping ensure that the DC Chapter continues to reflect the realities of today’s media landscape, while remaining accessible and relevant to journalists at every stage of their careers. I would be excited to contribute my perspective as someone working across both broadcast and digital political journalism, as well as my long-standing commitment to SPJ’s mission. I see this role as an opportunity to both give back to an organization that has shaped my path and to help support the next generation of journalists entering the field.
Sam Lisker is currently a senior congressional producer at Scripps News, where “I’ve worked since 2023. I’ve been a journalist in Washington, D.C., since 2019, where I’ve helped produce news coverage on national politics around the region for local news stations across the country. My work has taken me on the campaign trail during presidential and off-year election cycles. In addition to Congress, I also cover federal and Supreme Court cases. Before entering the workforce, I graduated from Ithaca College, where I studied corporate communications and politics. I’m originally from Fairfax, Virginia, and have lived in the DMV for most of my life.”
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: I’m drawn to journalism because I thrive in breaking news environments under tight deadlines. I also enjoy doing research on a variety of topics. The industry is evolving fast and drastic changes have left the future looking uncertain. With those changes means reduced headcount and remaining reporters having to balance multiple beats. Access to resources — whether it’s from peers or experts — are critical in keeping this profession thriving. That is something I would champion if elected to the DC Pro Chapter board of directors. I hope that if elected, I will have the opportunity to work with my fellow board members to bring more seminars and additional resources for journalists covering multiple beats. I am a believer in SPJ’s mission, and it would be a privilege to serve alongside so many other talented journalists that are so committed to the importance of this profession in our country and world.
Randy Showstack had been a member of the DC Pro Chapter of SPJ for about 20 years before he decided to get involved with the chapter leadership. He attended a membership appreciation celebration the chapter held on a Saturday in January in about 2017, met with other honorees and board members at the gathering and knew then and there he needed to become more active. Not long after, he found himself running for chapter president, and took the gavel in June 2019. As the chapter year progressed, he unbeknownst to him was heading to the historic distinction of guiding the chapter through the changes in operation required of living through a pandemic.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: I am pleased to run for re-election to the board of SPJ DC Pro Chapter to continue to help the chapter maintain and build on its strong leadership role in support of journalism and journalists in the Washington, D.C., area. I have a long history of voluntary service on the board. I served three consecutive terms as president of the chapter from 2019-2022, and I have been a member of the chapter board since 2017 in various roles, involved with numerous issues related to the chapter and to journalism in the DC metro area. In my day job, I am an independent journalist focusing primarily on environmental, science, and public health issues. Previously, for many years I was the senior staff writer for Eos, the daily news service published by the American Geophysical Union, where I extensively covered environmental and Earth and space science issues, and where I also mentored other journalists. I earned my master’s degree in journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. I would be honored to have your support for me to continue to be a member of the board.
Sonya Laurence Green is a veteran journalist and editor who most recently served as supervisory assignments editor in the Voice of America News Center in Washington, D.C. In that role, she managed the bureau chiefs in the Africa, Middle East, South Asia, Eastern Europe, and New York bureaus, as well as supervised the host of the “Flashpoint Iran” podcast, and the executive producer of “The Inside Story” television program. Previously, she was chief of VOA’s English to Africa multimedia service, leading a team of 48 journalists producing radio, television and digital content for an audience of 25 million across Africa. She also founded VOA’s South Sudan Radio Project. Green spent 15 years working in Africa, including eight years reporting from VOA’s Nairobi bureau. Her coverage has included famine and United Nations intervention in Somalia, the genocide in Rwanda, civil conflicts in Sudan, Burundi and Zaire, and democratic transitions across the continent. She also has served as a spokesperson for the U.N. in Somalia and as Africa Information Officer for USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. Earlier in her career, she worked in New York producing documentary content for public television. She is a graduate of Harvard University and holds a graduate degree in journalism from the University of Nairobi. Green is active in volunteer work, including leadership roles in Rotary, moderating local election debates, and serving as a poll worker. She currently chairs a volunteer initiative supporting displaced VOA journalists, providing job resources, training and mentorship.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: I am seeking a position on the Society of Professional Journalists board at a moment of profound disruption—and opportunity—for journalism. Across the U.S. and globally, journalists are navigating political pressure, economic instability and rapid technological change. SPJ’s mission to protect press freedom, uphold ethical standards, and support journalists at every stage of their careers has never been more essential. My career has been grounded in these principles. As a senior editor and manager at Voice of America, and earlier as a reporter in Africa, I have worked in environments where access to accurate, independent journalism could not be taken for granted. I have seen firsthand the consequences when press freedom is constrained—and the vital role journalists play in informing and empowering communities.
I am particularly committed to supporting journalists in transition. In the past year, I have led a volunteer initiative assisting displaced VOA media professionals, connecting them with job opportunities, training and mentorship. This experience underscored the urgent need for stronger professional support networks, as well as new pathways for journalists to adapt, whether through entrepreneurship, nonprofit models, or emerging platforms. If elected, I would focus on strengthening SPJ’s role as both an advocate and a resource: expanding support for journalists facing job displacement, reinforcing ethical guidance in a rapidly evolving media landscape, and fostering innovation in sustainable journalism models. I would also bring an international perspective to the board, helping connect SPJ’s work to the global challenges—and opportunities—facing our profession. At its core, SPJ represents a commitment to truth, accountability, and public service. I would be honored to help advance that mission.
Rest of Board for 2026-2027
Once the newly elected officers and at-large directors are sworn in, the immediate past president becomes an ex-officio member of the board.
Ex Officio for 2026-2027
When her term ends in June 2026, Celia Wexler, who served two consecutive terms as chapter president (2024-2025 and 2025-2026), becomes immediate past president.
Also, if a chapter member is serving on the board of the national SPJ organization, that member can choose to also serve on the chapter board in an ex-officio capacity. Stephenie Overman ran for a national board seat in the 2025 national SPJ election but was not elected. Following the election during MediaFest25 last fall, she was appointed to a national board seat. She chose to accept chapter ex-officio status for the length of her national board term.
The regional coordinator for Region 2 — the national SPJ region number for the DC Pro Chapter and other chapters in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and North Carolina — can be an ex-officio member of the DC Pro Chapter board if also a chapter member. Overman was Region 2 coordinator for several two-year terms, and chose to serve as an ex-officio member of the chapter board for 2024-2025.
Overman did not run for Region 2 coordinator in 2025 when she ran for the national board, and a new Region 2 coordinator was elected. That person is not a DC Pro Chapter member.
At-large directors in second year of terms
The three board members who will be in the second year (2026-2027) of their two-year terms are:
Micha Green
Jessica Jerreat
Georgena Mierow (will resign the second year of her two-year term upon election to the office of president for 2026-2027; candidate Sonya Laurence Green is running for the 2026-2027 year remaining in the term)
Micha Green is the managing editor for the Washington Informer. She is a storyteller and actress from Washington, D.C. Micha received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University, where she majored in Theatre, and a Master of Journalism degree from the University of Maryland’s prestigious, Philip Merrill College of Journalism. She worked as D.C. and Digital Editor for the AFRO American Newspapers for four years before transitioning to Features Content Editor at the Baltimore Sun. Micha is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Xi Omega Chapter. In her spare time, Micha teaches Zumba, enjoys running and participating in races, and cuddles with her dogs.
Jessica Jerreat is an award-winning journalist who directs global coverage on press freedom for the international broadcaster VOA. She has nearly 25 years’ experience editing international and regional news in London, New York and Washington. A former senior editor for the Committee to Protect Journalists, Jerreat, since 2020, has set up and run the Press Freedom Desk at VOA, winning around 10 industry awards for documentary and multimedia packages, including two National Press Club Arthur Rowse awards and a NY Festivals TV & Film award. Jerreat is an active member of the National Press Club’s Press Freedom Committee, where she co-organizes workshops for exiled journalists. She holds a master’s degree in Press, Propaganda and Conflict from the University of Kent at Canterbury. Jerreat is currently part of the legal and assistance efforts to restore VOA’s journalists to their newsroom after a President Donald Trump executive order cut broadcasts to their weekly audience of 360 million.
Thank you for your service, officers, directors who are not seeking re-election.
Kaela Roeder (who also served as recording secretary prior to becoming the chapter’s vice president for 2025-2026)
Giang Nguyen (who served a two-year term that ends in June 2026)
Zach Theiler (who was elected in 2025 to serve the remaining year in an unexpired board director’s term and marking his debut on the chapter board)
Anthony “Tony” Cabral (who joined the board in 2025 when he was elected to a one-year term as recording secretary)
The board member terms that will be ending with the current election
Randy Showstack (served a two-year term — and is running for another two-year term)
Giang Nguyen (served a two-year term)
Zach Theiler (who was elected in 2025 to serve the remaining year of a former board member’s unexpired term)
ALSO, the ex-officio board term of immediate past president (for two years in a row) Denise Dunbar will be ending when Celia Wexler becomes immediate past president in June.