Nearly 4,000 Black journalists from across the country gathered in Birmingham, Alabama, in early August to learn and network at the . The multi-day event included panel discussions, workshops and lectures where journalists discussed current trends in the news media, as well as the importance of the Black press.

Among those in attendance were several prominent School of Communications alumni, including Eugene Daniel ’11, Crystal Moyer ’11, Zora Stephenson ’15 and Emmanuel Morgan ’19. All four have enjoyed early career success, landing in positions with broadcast news, the NBA and The New York Times, respectively. Additionally, current students Chloe Franklin ’24 and Naomi Washington ’24 also attended this year’s convention, accompanied by Karen Lindsey, assistant professor of strategic communications.

For Franklin and Washington, this was their second straight year attending the NABJ conference – albeit this time there was no national interview.

Nonetheless, the journalism majors enjoyed their extensive access to current news professionals and insightful workshops on news writing and television production. They also attended a career fair and networked with journalists and media executives. Both students said they decided to attend the Birmingham NABJ conference because of how impactful their first trip was.

“After my first experience at the NABJ convention, I realized how crucial it was for me to go again because I am in my early career,” said Washington, who is serving as executive director of during the 2023-24 academic year. “Being able to make connections and go to sessions on how newsrooms work will help me lead Elon News Network. The other benefit of going is getting to visit a new city because the convention is somewhere different every year.”

Washington said she enjoyed a panel titled “Producing 101,” which featured top network producers who started their careers in local news before climbing the professional ladder. “It really assured me that everyone has to start somewhere, and with hard work, I can move up in this industry, too,” she said.

Lindsey, who was attending her first NABJ convention, left impressed with the programming, the shared insights, and the camaraderie she encountered. She reasoned it was an ideal setting for two aspiring news professionals like Franklin and Washington.

“The world of news and journalism continues to experience rapid change,” Lindsey said. “As these students approach their senior year it is even more important to spend time learning from and networking with industry professional and alumni.”

Washington said she left both conferences “feeling inspired by the incredible journalists who share the same identity as me.” Franklin echoed those sentiments, explaining that she could truly see herself in the working professionals in attendance.

“It is nice that there is a conference for Black journalists where I can feel seen and valued,” Franklin added.

While both students applauded the conference’s formal programming – and its benefits – Franklin and Washington agreed the highlight of the experience was their interactions with Elon alumni. The highpoint was a dinner with Daniel, Moyer, Stephenson and Morgan on the convention’s first night.

“The support they’ve given Chloe and me has been valuable,” Washington said. “My main takeaway from connecting with them was that we have the potential to be great journalists and all our hard work will pay off after graduation.”

Added Franklin, “It was amazing to talk to people who graduated from Elon in the School of Communications, hear about their Elon experience, and their time in the professional world, and receive their advice. There wasn’t just one conversation that left a lasting impression; the entire dinner left a lasting impression.”

While graduation is still a few months off, Franklin and Washington have already built impressive resumes. This past summer Franklin interned with KDFW-TV FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, working with the affiliate’s digital team, assignment desk and reporters. She is working part-time this fall – her final full semester – as a content center producer at WSOC-TV Eyewitness News in Charlotte.

Not to be outdone, Washington completed her third internship with NBC News this summer, working out of the organization’s Washington, D.C., bureau. While in the nation’s capital, she assisted reporters and producers in the field, conducted research, and pitched stories for NBC Digital.

During the award presentation in the Snow Family Grand Atrium, Dean of the School of Communications Rochelle Ford highlighted Holloman’s success on and off campus, noting he was a “standout” long before reaching the NBA.

For photos of the Holloman award presentation and School of Communications Homecoming events, .

In her remarks, Ford recalled that as an Elon ľĂľĂČČ Holloman was studious, thoughtful and driven, evident by the work he completed Under the Oaks. As a student, he landed an internship with the Daytona International Speedway, and later conducted ľĂľĂČČ research on the purchasing habits of NASCAR fans. Holloman also worked in promotions, marketing and operations for Elon Athletics, and helped develop a marketing plan for ľĂľĂČČ’s women’s basketball tournament. He was also a leader in the inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference case study competition.

After graduation, Holloman continued building a strong resume, working for AEG Management in Connecticut, home of the XL Center, which hosts the UConn basketball programs and other major entertainment events. In 2012, he transitioned to the NBA and the Orlando Magic, overseeing the activation and retention of corporate alliances, responsible for partnerships with Heineken, Chick-fil-A and many other corporations.

In 2018, Holloman led the strategy for the Magic’s partnership with one of the NBA franchise’s biggest accounts, Anheuser-Busch. This partnership, which included an original content series along with distinctive activations through the team’s app, was .

“Brad was the type of student that changed the trajectory of our department,” said Associate Professor of Sport Management Tony Weaver, one of Holloman’s former instructors. “For the Sport Management Department, he defined what experiential education should look like – case studies, ľĂľĂČČ research, service learning, leadership, internships. Brad did it all. More important than his work, Brad is a wonderful ambassador of our program, school and university.”

Both Ford and Weaver commended Holloman for maintaining a close relationship with his alma mater, welcoming Communications Fellows to his Orlando Magic offices and returning to campus in 2017 as the keynote speaker of the Sport Management Department’s senior banquet.

At that end-of-year celebration, Holloman shared with students and attendees the importance of “building relationships” – both professional and personal ones. He stressed how networking in the sport industry never really stops, but it’s more than just learning names and job titles. “It’s not about the number of business cards you collect, it’s about the connection,” he said.

In her conclusion, Ford thanked Holloman for sustaining a bridge between himself and the School of Communications. “When you think about alumni that the world needs, Brad Holloman has demonstrated that he continues to be that through the relationships he builds and maintains,” she said.

Holloman attended Homecoming weekend with his wife, Elon alumna Sarah Smith Holloman ’09. She works as a social media marketing specialist for C4 Social, a full-service digital agency in Winter Garden, Florida.

While in Tampa, the Communications Fellows – all of them first-year students – conducted several group visits, touring Diamond View, Poynter Institute, PP+K, 22Squared, Company Man Studios, Nielsen and the Tampa Bay Lightning's arena. During their visit with the NHL franchise, students met with Elon alumnus Brian Fink '08, the organization’s video production manager. Fink has been with the Lightning since the 2010-11 hockey season.

Additionally, while in Florida the students split into smaller groups based on their respective interests and toured Marketing for Change, Wyndham Destinations, Tupperware and Uproar PR. During these more intimate shadow visits, the students spent between three to four hours on site with company employees and supervisors.

The class also mixed in some fun and volunteerism, visiting four Disney parks, spending a day at Clearwater Beach, and helping at The Mustard Seed of Central Florida, a nonprofit organization that provides donated items (furniture, appliances, household items and toys) to economically qualifying families and individuals.

During the trip, Kathryn Watson wrote: “As we conclude our last day of company visits, I am surprised at how much we learned in such a short amount of time. The amount of real life experience, expert advice and general knowledge about the field of communications that we learned is crazy and will definitely help me in my future.”

Added Kate Lengyel, “What I’ve learned most overall is that you have to love what you do, whatever you do. This trip has made me more excited than ever to be a part of Elon’s communications and I can’t wait to see where this takes me.”

In addition to Lengyel and Watson, the Communications Fellows who traveled to Florida included: Maeve Ashbrook, Abby Bailey, JoyceLyn Bentley, Paloma Camacho, Victoria Cuciniello, Leah Day, Ciani Foy, Hannah Garcia, Anita Hallberg, Emily Jacob, Savannah Lowry, Alyssa Merhy, Catherine Nester, Jeremy Palladino, Sam Porozok, Alexander Reynolds, Luke Stoddard, Emily Thomas, Ted Thomas and Mackenzie Wilkes.

To highlight their experience, .

This is the second year Moser has teamed with Lecturer Hal Vincent to co-led the annual Winter Term experience – though Vincent has chaperoned previous Florida visits.

For Hubler, it is his second regional Emmy Award. Before heading to West Palm Beach, the Elon graduate also served as a news director in Albany, New York, and worked for media outlets in Orlando, Atlanta, Miami and Charlotte.

The recognized WPEC-TV team members included Adam Henning, Carl Pugliese, Liz Quirantes, Lynda Figueredo, Michael Buczyner and Brittany Silverstein.

Alumni of all generations are encouraged to attend as we kick off a new year of chapter events. Family, friends and guests are welcome to join. Free food and Elon gear will be available at all events. This is an opportunity to connect with other local Elon graduates and hear from chapter leaders about what is in store for the upcoming year.

Learn more and register for your chapter’s event by clicking the name of your city below: 
 

Alumni chapters in Alamance County, the Triad (Greensboro), Richmond, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. hosted events in mid-August. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@elon.edu or (336) 278-7500.

Attendees then heard remarks from Book, who touched on the history, motivations and passions that led her to a career in higher education. She shared updates about the university’s upcoming priorities as well as the eight new facilities that will come online at Elon this fall, in addition to recognizing the Citrone and Doherty families for their philanthropic leadership at Elon.  

The event was the final Evening for Elon until fall 2018 and concludes a successful year for the series that has engaged thousands of the university’s partners, advocates and investors across the country. Upcoming Evening for Elon events are scheduled in Boston and Washington, D.C., in September and New York City in October.

 “The Evening for Elon series provides an excellent environment to highlight the philanthropy, community and progress happening within our university,” says Jim Piatt, vice president for university advancement. “The Citrones’ hospitality during this event and generosity throughout their relationship with Elon is a testament to leadership by example.”

Both the Citrone and Doherty families are among Elon’s most loyal supporters. The Citrones are former members of the ľĂľĂČČ Parents Council and have generously supported a range of university priorities, endowing two Horizons National Scholarships within Elon’s Odyssey Program and funding a Design Thinking initiative at Elon. They were lead donors for the recent School of Communications expansion, and the school’s Citrone Plaza is named in their honor. In addition, the couple previously contributed significant matching gifts during the annual Elon Day programs. Their daughter, Gabriela, graduated from Elon in 2017 and serves on the university’s Young Alumni Council.

Ed and Joan Doherty P’07 of Saddle River, New Jersey, have endowed eight Edward W. and Joan K. Doherty Scholarships in the Odyssey Program. They have also established the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Elon’s Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and endowed the Doherty Emerging Professor of Entrepreneurship. In addition, they host New York City’s annual Evening for Elon events and are former members of the university’s Parents Council. Their daughter, Kerry Doherty Gatlin ’07, serves on the President’s Young Leaders Council.

Visit the Evening for Elon webpage for more information about the series.

The Orlando Alumni Chapter will host an #ElonDay Party as part of this global celebration. 

Orlando Alumni Chapter #ElonDay Party
Tuesday, March 7, 6:30 p.m.
World of Beer
431 E Central Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32801

Please contact Jennifer Boozer, assistant director of regional alumni engagement, at (336) 278-7443 or jboozer@elon.edu with any questions. To learn more about #ElonDay, visit .

In a , Palka detailed the paper’s top priorities entering 2017, emphasizing the publication’s need to provide investigative reporting and in-depth storytelling on local topics. “Investigative reporting is among the most time-consuming and taxing work we do at the Times-Union,” she wrote. “It’s worth it.”

After citing the paper’s fruitful investigation of a local politician, Palka also noted the Times-Union’s desire to present comprehensive news coverage, not just the “community’s troubles.”

“I love our stories about the good in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, about the successes, virtues and strength of the people who live here, and about the trends and issues facing our community,” she wrote.

Less than a week into her new role, Palka explained the paper’s renewed emphasis on in-depth reporting – a trend she played a prominent role initiating.

“We’ve really ramped up the investigative reporting and more in-depth narrative writing in the last few years by reprioritizing what we do. The investigative reporting is what I love to do and the narrative writing is what I also love to read,” Palka said. “As managing editor, I reduced some of the daily stories that didn’t move the needle in favor of telling the more in-depth stories that set us apart and that readers want to see. I want to continue with that focus in mind as I take on this new role.”

​Palka embraces the opportunity to cover Jacksonville, having grown up in the region before she relocated in middle school. As she prepares for her new role, she said she’ll lean on her experiences working at The Pendulum, as well as the Burlington Times-News and later in Southwest Florida.

“It’s a huge responsibility to work as a journalist in any community because of the level of trust needed to write about what’s happening and hold public officials accountable,” she said. “It’s an absolute honor to now serve as editor of my hometown newspaper. And the response from the community has been great. I think many people are excited about the idea of a hometown person holding this position.”

In the release noting Palka’s promotion, Nusbaum championed the new editor’s readiness to lead the publication, stressing her journalistic chops and sincere interest in community news.

“She is a proven editor, who knows the X’s and O’s of investigative and enterprise journalism as well as any editor I have ever worked with,” said Nusbaum in the release. “She also cares very, very deeply about Jacksonville.’’

While it’s been two-plus decades since she graduated from Elon, Palka said the lessons learned on campus and in the classroom endure. Most importantly, she came to understand the fundamentals of reporting and the importance of journalism in society. 

Additionally, Palka fondly recalled her time working on The Pendulum – calling it the place where she “fell in love with chasing a story and sharing it with readers,” she said. This passion and the lifelong friendships she formed at the student paper have persisted.

“I can’t stress enough how important my education at Elon has been to my success as a journalist,” Palka said. “We did important journalism that made a difference, and I was proud to be a part of that publication.”

BFA Acting alumna Kimmi Johnson ‘15 opens Monty Python’s Spamalot tonight at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Kimmi is an Acting/Education Intern for their 2015-2016 season. This is the first of a multitude of productions she will be a part of over the next nine months as a part of their program. Spamalot runs through October 11th.