Gavin Smith has had to withdraw from the race.
Dear SEJ Committee:
I am Gavin P. Smith, founder and editor/journalist for Civilian Exposure. I am seeking board membership for the Society of Environmental Journalists.
In 2008, I lost my father to acute leukemia. Five years later, my mother phoned me while watching a local newscast about toxic water contamination at Camp Lejeune (where my father had worked for 25 years). I began researching and approached various advocacy groups to get answers. I was invited to become a member of a special CDC community panel, where I was given detailed timelines and data summarizing CDC findings on Camp Lejeune toxic groundwater contamination that occurred from 1953-1987. I confirmed with CDC researchers that my father's records were, in fact, part of their Civilian Mortality Study for Camp Lejeune. This study proved higher incidence rates of leukemia and other cancers among base civilian workers. I knew then that I had to get this information out to everyone in all forms of media, and relied on my marketing knowledge and prior broadcast skills to launch Civilian Exposure (www.civilianexposure.org), a non-profit news organization providing investigative reporting on toxic chemicals, health conditions and environmental policy challenges for base communities nationwide.
That has been my mission ever since and that is why I am pursuing board membership. I believe small nonprofit news organizations such as ours will be the key to uncovering many issues that mainstream media either ignores, or has little time to cover. Yet, getting these stories and information to the public is vital. As someone in the trenches daily fighting to grow and expand a tiny nonprofit news service covering environmental issues, I understand the unique challenges and would like to lend a voice to the SEJ board to help nonprofit news organizations come to the fore.
About Gavin:
Gavin's expertise meets at the intersection of global media, marketing and entrepreneurship.
As an independent marketing and management consultant, he advises businesses and nonprofits of all sizes on improving processes and market reach. From start-up launch marketing to brand turnarounds, Gavin has helped hundreds of clients across the industry spectrum.
As a social entrepreneur, Gavin leads Civilian Exposure, a nonprofit news and outreach service for victims of military contamination. He has previously served on the CDC/ATSDR Camp Lejeune Community Assistance Panel, collaborating with government agencies to promote scientific research and corrective measures.
Gavin also serves as special consultant to the boards of Freedom University Keta & Keta Foundation, a joint effort to fund initiatives that eradicate economic roots of modern slavery in the Volta Region of Ghana.
A member of Beta Gamma Sigma, Internet Marketing Association, Society of Environmental Journalists, William & Mary Tribe Partners and the Thunderbird Alumni Network, Gavin is also an avid writer, traveler, voice over artist, DJ and racing enthusiast.
Gavin holds a Master of Global Management with distinction and Beta Gamma Sigma from Thunderbird School of Global Management, an MBA from William & Mary and a BA from Wake Forest University.
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