WHYY News Civic Dialogue Summit
WHYY News and Bridging Blocks host their second civic news conference to explore best practices for newsrooms to engage their communities in the practice of civic journalism.
Madhu Bora
Managing Editor, WHYY News
Madhu leads suburban coverage and is an award-winning journalist, dancer, and educator. She has reported for The Inquirer and NPR, and founded the Sattriya Dance Company. She teaches at Lincoln University and speaks internationally.
Veronica Britto
Interim Chief, Free Library of Philadelphia
Veronica oversees adult services and neighborhood libraries, with over 20 years of library leadership. She holds a MLIS from PennWest Clarion and has led numerous youth and community engagement efforts across the city.
Naeema Campbell
Program Director, The Fund for New Jersey
Naeema leads grantmaking focused on environmental advocacy and social justice. Previously at the Dodge Foundation, she also serves on the board of HANDS Inc. She is a Tufts University graduate, pursuing a nonprofit leadership certificate.
Brisa Luzzi-Castro
Community Convener, WHYY News Community and Engagement
Brisa Luzzi Castro is a community convener on the WHYY News community and engagement team. She leads community conversations for WHYY’s Bridging Blocks program. Prior to working at WHYY, she was the community engagement and outreach coordinator at LCH Health and Community Services. She was previously a Social Justice Fellow at Georgetown Law.
Letrell Crittenden
Program Director & Assistant Professor, Thomas Jefferson University
Letrell researches journalism diversity and trains the next generation of reporters. A former journalist, he has led award-winning youth documentary projects and community media studies in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Tony Cuffie
Senior Manager for Community and Engagement, WHYY News
Anthony “Tony” Cuffie is a senior manager for community and engagement at WHYY News. The Philadelphia native leads the news team’s community-focused professionals and their corresponding activities, partnerships and programs. Tony joins WHYY after spending a year at a Philadelphia K-8 school as a team leader of climate and culture. Prior to working inside a city school, he spent about 30 years as the vice president of local advertising at The Philadelphia Inquirer. In addition to his professional work, Tony has directed the Mt. Airy summer camp, coached baseball and is active in martial arts.
Candice Fortman
JSK Fellow, Stanford University
Candice is a community-first media strategist and former executive director of Outlier Media. She serves on advisory boards for OpenNews, Cityside, and Baltimore Beat, and was a 2021 JSK Community Impact Fellow.
Jim Friedlich
Executive Director & CEO, The Lenfest Institute for Journalism
Jim leads the Lenfest Institute’s support of sustainable local journalism. Previously, he was CEO of Empirical Media and held senior roles at Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal. A media investor and advisor, he co-founded ZM Capital and served on boards including CNBC International and Bard’s Center for Civic Engagement. Jim holds an MBA from Stanford and a BA from Wesleyan.
Sarah Glover
Vice President of News & Civic Dialogue, WHYY
Sarah Glover is the Vice President of News & Civic Dialogue at WHYY. She is the former managing editor at MPR News, Minnesota Public Radio. She worked as a social media editor and digital strategist at NBC Owned Television Stations and NBC10 Philadelphia. She also previously worked as a staff photojournalist at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News.
Cherri Gregg
Host, WHYY’s “Studio 2” & Creator, Good Souls Project
An Emmy-winning journalist and civil rights reporter, Cherri is known for her deep reporting on social justice. She previously led KYW’s “Flashpoint” and served as president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists.
Angelique Hinton
Executive Director, PA Youth Vote
Angelique leads nonpartisan youth civic engagement efforts in Pennsylvania. Formerly with “My School Votes” and Vanguard, she also serves as president of the Norristown NAACP and sits on several nonprofit boards.
Jess King
Executive Director, The Center for Democratic Deliberation
Jess brings decades of experience in public policy and civic engagement. A former candidate for Congress and long-time leader in Pennsylvania nonprofit spaces, she champions inclusive democracy and economic justice.
Ashanti Martin
General Manager, WURD Radio
Ashanti is a media leader and former higher ed communicator. Known for her viral New York Times piece on “Black LinkedIn,” she brings 20+ years of journalism and marketing expertise and is a Rutgers alum.
Shawn Mooring
Head of Philadelphia Programs, The Lenfest Institute
Shawn directs grantmaking and sustainability efforts for local news. A Philadelphia native, he previously held roles at the Ford Foundation and Public/Private Ventures. He is a Sulzberger Fellow and an MPA graduate of the University of Delaware.
Rebecca Neuwirth
Nonprofit Leader & Board Member
Rebecca has held leadership roles at Define American, AJC, and more. A Yale alum with an MA from Free University in Berlin, she currently advises nonprofits and helps build community projects like urban gardens and volunteer networks.
Hector Nuñez
Founder, WooderIce.com
Hector launched Philly’s go-to culture and events site in 2014. A Temple alum and award-winning entrepreneur, he’s worked in PR, SEO, and marketing with brands like RocNation, Diageo, and the Philadelphia Flyers.
Samuel O’Neal
Editor-in-Chief, The Temple News
A senior journalism major at Temple University, Samuel has interned with major outlets, including The Inquirer and NBC10. He previously served as Chief Copy Editor and is passionate about storytelling and craft beer.
Johnny Perez-Gonzalez
Delaware Reporter, WHYY News
Johnny reports on Delaware and began at WHYY through the Delaware Community Foundation’s internship program. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware.
Emma Restrepo
Freelance Journalist & Radio Host
Emma covers the Latinx community through her radio show “DosPuntos” on WPPM and collaborations with Reentry and Broke in Philly. She’s a 2016 Pen & Pencil Club nominee and an advocate for community storytelling.
Jessica Richards
Director of Democracy & Civic Initiatives, William Penn Foundation
Jessica oversees civic grantmaking and regional funder collaborations. A former theater professional, she holds an MPA from Penn’s Fels Institute and serves on the Nonprofit Repositioning Fund’s Governance Committee.
Tamara Russell
Founder & Host, REVIVE RADIO
Tamara blends journalism and activism, creating spaces for community dialogue on politics, music, health, and youth empowerment. She also leads workshops and media engagement events across Philadelphia.
Nina Sachdev
Director of Communications, Media Impact Funders
Nina elevates the role of journalism and storytelling in philanthropy. A former editor and reporter at major outlets like The Dallas Morning News and Philadelphia Weekly, she also created the award-winning “Survivors Project.” Nina holds an MA in journalism from Temple University.
Timothy Shaffer
Director of Civic Engagement, University of Delaware
Timothy leads national civil discourse efforts and teaches at the Biden School. He also directs programs at Kansas State University and works with the SNF Ithaca Initiative to build student civic leadership nationwide.
Fred Sutherland
Retired Executive, former WHYY board chair and Philanthropist
Fred Sutherland served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of ARAMARK Corporation, a leading global provider of outsourcing services including food and facilities services, and uniform and career apparel services, until his retirement in 2016. With revenues of approximately $15 billion and 270,000 employees in 21 countries, ARAMARK has been consistently named one of “America’s Most Admired Companies” by Fortune Magazine.
Mr. Sutherland is a director (former Chair) of WHYY, Philadelphia’s public broadcast affiliate, and Board President of Episcopal Community Services, a Philadelphia-based anti-poverty agency. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Duke University, a trustee of the National Constitution Center and a trustee and past Board President of People’s Light, a leading professional non-profit theater in the Philadelphia area.
Mr. Sutherland is a director of Consolidated Edison, and chair of the Finance Committee. He is also a director and Audit Committee chair of Colliers International, a leading global commercial real estate services company, and a director and Audit Committee chair of Sterling Talent Solutions, a leading provider of employee background screening.
Mr. Sutherland received his undergraduate degree from Duke and an MBA from the Katz school of the University of Pittsburgh.
Dan Tsao (Yang)
Founder, New Mainstream Press
Dan founded one of the leading publications serving Philly’s Chinese American community. A Penn State grad, he’s an advisor to numerous nonprofits and serves as VP of the PA Chinese American Chamber of Commerce.
Afea Tucker
Reporter, The Trace
Afea oversees “Up the Block,” a resource hub for gun violence survivors. A veteran journalist published in WHYY and The Tribune, she is a Temple graduate and advocate for underserved communities.
Linn Washington
Professor, Temple University
Linn teaches investigative journalism and law, and co-founded the Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab. A former foreign correspondent and Yale Law fellow, his reporting spans continents and earned national recognition.