Ken Lemon elected NABJ’s 23rd President

New VP-Broadcast, VP-Digital, Student Representative Elected

Three Board Members Reelected

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) announced its 2023-2025 Board of Directors election results at a press conference during its annual Convention & Career Fair on Friday evening in Birmingham, Alabama.

The unaudited results are in, and NABJ’s 23rd President-Elect is Ken Lemon. The total number of voters participating in this year’s overall election was 2,261.

Lemon is a reporter at WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina, and outgoing NABJ VP-Broadcast. He received 467 votes. His opponent, Tre’vell Anderson, received 236 votes.

Lemon, a two-term NABJ Vice President, has earned an Edward R. Murrow Award, three Emmy Awards, two AP Awards, two RTNDA Awards, an NAACP Image Award and other recognitions. He is a founding member of the reestablished Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists, and was elected to two terms as the chapter’s president.

“I am really honored for this opportunity — for this chance. I am grateful for all of the people who came out to vote,” said Lemon. “Thank you to everyone that heard my message, and more importantly made sure I heard them. That’s what this is about! I am ready to do great things with our members.”

Walter Smith Randolph Voted NABJ Vice President-Broadcast

Walter Smith Randolph, former NABJ Treasurer was elected as NABJ Vice President-Broadcast. Smith Randolph received 636 votes. He ran unopposed.

Smith Randolph, Investigative Editor and Director of The Accountability Project at Connecticut Public Broadcasting, is an award-winning investigative journalist and newsroom manager. He has worked for both commercial and public media stations across the country.

Amir Vera Re-elected NABJ Vice President-Digital 

Amir Vera, a Breaking News Editor for CNN Digital, was reelected NABJ Vice President-Digital, receiving 448 votes. His opponent, Vance Lang, received 206 votes.

Vera has served as President and VP of Print for the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and as Public Relations Chair and Vice President for Hampton Roads Black Media Professionals. An editor on the Live News Team for CNN, Vera was a writer on CNN’s national desk, where he reported on global breaking news events and wrote enterprise and trending stories.

Madison Carter Re-elected NABJ Secretary

Madison Carter, an award-winning investigative journalist at WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina, was reelected NABJ Secretary. Carter ran unopposed, receiving 635 votes.

Carter was elected Secretary of NABJ in 2021. She has served as President of the Buffalo Association of Black Journalists and has worked in markets including Syracuse, New York; Charlottesville, Virginia; Buffalo, New York; and Atlanta, with her work focusing on uncovering corruption, racism and political accountability.

NABJ Region I Director

Due to vacancy, this position will be appointed by the President-Elect.

Eva D. Coleman Reelected Region III Director

Eva D. Coleman, a national award-winning multimedia producer, college and high school media educator, was reelected NABJ Region III Director. Running unopposed, Coleman received 235 votes (100%).

Coleman is a Telly Award-winning producer with more than 28 years in television, radio and newspaper in Dallas-Fort Worth. She is the Lifestyle and Culture Editor for I Messenger Media LLC in Dallas.

Grant Hines Voted NABJ Student Representative

Grant Hines, a recent graduate of High Point University, was elected NABJ Student Representative, receiving 31 votes. He defeated his opponents, Alex Perry, who received 29 votes, and Anthony Council, who received 24 votes.

Hines is pursuing his master’s degree in communication and business leadership at High Point University. At High Point, he has served as President of HPUV, the on-campus broadcast club, and as Vice President of the School of Communication Advisory Board.

Below are the results of constitutional amendment proposals NABJ members cast their votes on during this election cycle.

CHAPTER 2 Article I. Elected Leaders. Section 4. Board of Directors.

Proposal No. 1

PROPOSAL SUMMARY: Service on the Board of Directors is volunteer-based. NABJ Board members may not take a salary from NABJ. Board members may only be compensated for preapproved required expenses related to their Board service, per operating procedures.

Proposed Language: (d) The Board of Directors shall not receive any salary or compensation for their services. Any Board member may be reimbursed for prior approved, out-of-pocket expenses.

Current Language: There is no language in the constitution addressing whether Board members should be compensated beyond preapproved required Board expenses.

YES: 599 (88%)

NO: 85 (12%)

CHAPTER 4 Article I. Composition of the National Membership and Membership Eligibility.

Proposal No. 2

PROPOSAL SUMMARY: Emerging Professional Members, members with less than five years experience in journalism, will be eligible to serve on the NABJ Board but not the NABJ Executive Board Committee i.e. President, VP-Broadcast, VP-Print, VP-Digital, Secretary, Treasurer and Parliamentarian. Previously, Emerging Professional members were not eligible for any Board position.

Proposed Language: Section 4. Emerging Professional Members. Emerging professional membership shall be open to anyone who otherwise meets the criteria for professional membership as provided above but is also within the first five years of their journalism career. Emerging professional members are ineligible to seek election to executive Board positions but may be elected for other Board of Directors positions and may vote in any NABJ matter calling on the entire membership to decide, except for the election of the academic, media-related or student representatives to the Board of Directors.

Current Language: Section 4. Emerging professional membership shall be open to anyone who otherwise meets the criteria for professional membership as provided above, but is also within the first five years of his or her journalism career. Emerging professionals may not serve on the Board of Directors, but may vote in any NABJ matter calling on the entire membership to decide, except for the election of the academic, media-related or student representatives to the Board of Directors.

YES: 573 (85%)

NO: 103 (15%)

CHAPTER 4 Article I. Composition of the National Membership and Membership Eligibility.

Proposal No. 3

PROPOSAL SUMMARY: Membership may be terminated/suspended for malfeasance i.e. misappropriation of funds, other criminal acts and inappropriate behavior as defined by NABJ Operating Procedures, Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics. This proposal formalizes an appeal process, puts it in the Constitution backing up what is already said in the Operating Procedures Code of Conduct and strengthens a Board’s decision.

Proposed Language: Section 14. Suspension/Termination of Membership: Membership shall be terminated immediately upon the death or resignation of a member, or upon the members failure to renew dues in arrears of no more than 30 days. Membership may also be terminated if: (i) the member commits acts of financial misconduct, or physical violence associated with their local chapter or the national organization, or (ii) the member violates the Code of Conduct. Any person whose membership is terminated shall be informed in reasonable detail at least 10 days prior to the effective date of the termination by a written notice sent to the mailing address and email address of the member listed on their membership application with the national office. The member can file an appeal and request to be heard by the Board of Directors. If an appeal is requested, the termination of membership will not be effective until the hearing process has been completed and the Board of Directors has rendered a final decision.

A membership can be suspended or revoked based on terms outlined in the Operating Procedures and Code of Conduct. If a membership is suspended or revoked, a subsequent Board of Directors cannot overturn that decision.

Current Language: There is no current language in the constitution instead it is in Operating Procedures under Code of Conduct.

YES: 561 (83%)

NO: 119 (18%)

Chapter 4, Article II. Membership Meeting, Powers and Voting Section 3. Voting and Voting Eligibility | What Constitutes a Quorum?

Proposal No. 4

Proposal Summary: This proposal brings clarity to what constitutes a quorum that is needed to conduct business at the annual conference. 51 percent of voting membership must be at the conference which is well over the normal attendance and only 5 percent need to be at the business meeting for members to vote on a resolution or business matter affecting the organization.

Proposed Language: Any member as defined in Chapter 4, Article I, Sections 2-6, can vote in accordance with this Constitution, the Operating Procedures and Election Committee guidelines.

A quorum of 51 percent of a majority of the voting membership must be registered at the convention, and no less than 5 percent of that number must be present at a duly called and authorized annual meeting for any resolution to be considered adopted and binding on the organization. The membership shall have the authority to adopt, subject to ratification by a simple majority of those members.

Current Language: Any member as defined in Chapter 4, Article I, Sections 2-6, can vote in accordance with this constitution, the operating procedures and election committee guidelines. A quorum of 51 percent of a majority of the voting membership must be registered at the convention. The membership shall have the authority to adopt, subject to ratification by simple majority of those members voting at a duly called and authorized annual meeting, any appropriate resolution, including, without limit, any emergency resolution.

YES: 563 (84%)

NO: 104 (16%)