Another year has gone by for NAHJ-NV -- seems like it was just yesterday when journalists Michelle Rindels, Luz Gray, Hernando Amaya, Luis Hernandez, and Vincent Hernandez became the new leaders and board members for our chapter. We thank them for contributing to a year full of accomplishments. 
Our group wants to keep moving in the right direction and new leaders are ready to bring the best of their talents to the continual success of NAHJ-NV. Please take a moment to learn more about the candidates for the new 2014/2015 new board and other support roles.
All officers are running uncontested for their seats. Candidates and voters must be up-to-date on their membership dues to participate in this year's elections, held at noon on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Hispanic Museum of Nevada at the Boulevard Mall in Las Vegas.
To renew your membership, visit nahj.org.
To renew your membership, visit nahj.org.
Candidate for President: Yesenia Amaro
Yesenia
Amaro is a reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where she covers social
issues and immigration. She moved to Las Vegas for this job in
April 2013. Prior to joining the Review-Journal, Yesenia was a health care reporter
for the Merced Sun-Star, a daily newspaper in California's Central Valley and
owned by McClatchy. During her time there, She was selected as a USC Health
Journalism Fellow and was invited to join a small group of reporters from
across the state to work on an investigative series on Valley Fever, a fungal
disease found in California and Arizona. She has received a first place award in
beat reporting from the Utah-Idaho-Spokane Associated Press and has been part
of a regional Edward R. Murrow Award winning team for investigative journalism,
among other awards.
Yesenia Amaro is interested in
running for the president position for the Nevada chapter of the National
Association of Hispanic Journalist "because I share current President Luz Gray's
vision to strengthen the organization as we make it grow out of its infancy.
Together we can continue to foster that vision to make the best out of it and
offer a rewarding experience for all those involved."
Yesenia has been involved with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists off
and on since her senior year in college, 2007-2008.
Candidate for Vice-President: Mónica Prado
Mónica Prado is a Journalist from Ecuador. She has lived in Las Vegas since 2005. She got her journalism degree from
Universidad Laica Vicente Rocafuerte in Guayaquil, Ecuador in
1995.
She currently works as an Independent Spanish voiceover talent and as a freelance journalist. Her professional background includes Spanish radio, TV and magazines.
For the past 11 years, Monica has been working for
production agencies and clients around USA, Latin America and Europe. She has also worked as host and co-host for different radio and TV programs including news, talk shows
and musicals in Ecuador, California and Nevada.
Monica says she "is very motivated to work with all the members to reach excellence as Hispanic communicators." Monica Prado has been an NAHJ member since 2013.
Candidate for Treasurer: Ana Ley
Ana Ley covers public
safety and legal affairs at the Las Vegas Sun. Before packing up for
Sin City a year ago, she worked on the criminal justice and business desks of
the San Antonio Express-News. There, she served as treasurer of the San Antonio
Association of Hispanic Journalists, a group whose primary mission is to foster
diversity in media by giving away scholarships to students in financial
need.
A native of
Tamaulipas, Mexico, Ana grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and graduated
from the University of Texas-Pan American. Her first news internship and job
were at the McAllen Monitor.
Ana became an NAHJ
student member in 2005, and through the organization obtained an
internship with the Associated Press in Houston that helped launch her
journalism career. In August, she served as a mentor at the NAHJ Student
Projects in San Antonio.
She feels forever
indebted to the organization and is eager to give back as treasurer of
NAHJ-Nevada.
Candidate for Secretary: Sandy Lopez
"When I joined the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in 2012, I was on the brink of graduating from San Francisco State University and eyeing job positions to start my career. Through the help of the organization, I went from being one of the first NAHJ Nevada interns to a full-time reporter at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. My intent to run for secretary centers on supporting NAHJ just as the organization has supported me. As secretary I plan to not only keep detailed minutes of meetings and maintain up-to-date member information, but also to reach out to other Latino journalists in hopes of recruiting them to create a larger and more diverse group.
The industry is constantly changing and journalists are not only expected to report and take photos, but they also need to know about social media, multimedia and other skills to succeed.
If elected secretary, I hope to contribute project ideas and workshops that will aid members towards a secure future and protect diversity within the newsroom and other media outlets.
As a former intern and recent graduate, I’d also like to contribute to the internship committee to seek out aspiring journalists and guide them towards their future.
I hope you consider me for this position so that I can continue to support the group, just as it has supported me."
Candidate for Social Media Manager: Erik Verduzco
"As
a NAHJ Nevada chapter member, I have seen the group rapidly evolve over a short
period of time. It is easy to say that I
share many of the ideas and goals of the chapter, and this is why I plan to
continue contributing in more ways.
As
a multimedia journalist, I have developed skills to help me engage readers
through social media with flash news postings and my photos. For this reasons,
I seek to be or to share the title of social media manager to help develop our
chapter's online audience. I want to highlight the work from our members, and to
become a source of information for readers looking to find a more diverse
source of news.
I
would also like to show my interest in organizing fundraising events, and more
specifically, the photography fundraiser. Through my new job and connections, I
feel confident we can have the strongest images from the most diverse group of
photojournalists to date."
Candidate for Associate Regional Director: Luz Gray
Luz
Gray obtained a bachelors degree in journalism in 1998 in Mexico City. She has
a solid background as a journalist, having worked as a correspondent for the
print media in Mexico, including Mexico City’s Reforma Newspaper, El Norte de
Monterrey Newspaper, Guadalajara’s Mural Newspaper and Mexico City’s El Dia
Newspaper. In radio, she worked for Nucleo Radio Mil in Mexico City.
In
Las Vegas, she worked as a reporter and as an editor for various
Spanish language entertainment magazines and newspapers.
Luz was an On Air Personality for 99.3 FM Recuerdo and KISF La Nueva 103.5 FM.
In
November 2010, Luz received
an Electronic Media Award by Nevada Broadcasters Association for “Radio
Station-Hispanic Public Service Program.”
For
almost 8 years, Luz has been the host for “Contacto con Luz," the Univision
Radio community affairs show. Luz works as a Production Director for Univision Radio Las Vegas.
She is the current president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists-Nevada Chapter.
She is the current president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists-Nevada Chapter.
