At Mid-Year, SEJ Celebrates New Records, New Faces and Important Legacies

SEJ President’s Report: At Mid-Year, SEJ Celebrates New Records, New Faces and Important Legacies

 

Dear SEJ members —

We’re deep into the heart of summer. With more than half of 2024 in the rearview, I want to give you some insight into what SEJ’s staff, volunteers and board members have been up to since I last checked in with you. It’s been a busy few months of welcoming our new executive director, Aparna Mukherjee, bringing together environmental journalists from around the world in Philadelphia for our annual conference and spearheading new initiatives and programs.

 

SEJ2024 in Philadelphia sets new record

SEJ2024 in Philadelphia was one for the record books. When everything was tallied it was clear — this conference brought together the most attendees ever in SEJ’s history. We had 1,153 attendees in Philly, setting a new benchmark for us.

It was truly a conference to remember, filled with insightful discussions, networking opportunities and a shared passion for environmental journalism. Plus, the conference’s closing party finally gave me more insight into a longstanding question — who’s in the middle of the Venn diagram of SEJ members and excellent bowlers? Spoiler: It’s not me.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated, presented and volunteered to make this event a success. Special thanks goes to the SEJ staff and University of Pennsylvania staff and faculty who helped to pull off such a wonderful gathering.

You have all set a high bar for SEJ2025 scheduled to be held next April 23-26 at Arizona State University in Tempe. Sign up here for updates on that conference planning process.

 

SEJ conference director Jay Letto’s retirement

While the Philly conference was a success, it was also bittersweet. It was the last one where our longtime conference director, Jay Letto, was at the helm. I’d like to take a moment to recognize Jay, whose leadership and dedication have been instrumental in shaping SEJ and its annual conferences over the years. 

This spring Jay decided to retire after more than 30 years of service. He’s a founding member of SEJ, and has been involved in every SEJ conference since 1991. His contributions to SEJ and environmental journalism writ large have been invaluable, and he leaves behind a legacy that will inspire our efforts in conference planning for years to come. Jay has demonstrated a tireless commitment to SEJ’s mission and members over the course of his career. I can’t thank him enough.

Please join me in expressing our gratitude to Jay for his tireless efforts and wishing him all the best in his well-deserved retirement. We plan to recognize Jay at next year’s conference in Arizona, but in the meantime you can send him a note of congratulations here: jletto@sej.org.

 

Organizational updates

As we look to the future, I want to share some organizational updates. Last year, SEJ underwent several important transitions. One was a search for a new executive director. That search successfully concluded with Aparna Mukherjee joining the organization in February, just a couple months before the Philadelphia conference.

I’ve been impressed with how quickly Aparna has taken up the SEJ banner. This summer she’s been waving it on a listening and partnership tour, representing SEJ at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists conference, the Indigenous Journalists Association conference, the Rural Journalism Conference and the Association of Health Care Journalists conference — a key partner for our SHERF (Science-Health-Environment Reporting Fellows) program.

The other important transition SEJ experienced was moving some staff and contractor duties to Bostrom, an association management company. Earlier this year we decided to mutually part ways after working together for a year. Under Aparna's leadership, we are now making progress on operationalizing SEJ from the staff side of the house to ensure we continue delivering the resources and programs our members rely on.

 

Changes on the board and upcoming elections

I am delighted to welcome Tik Root as our newest board member. Tik’s appointment was confirmed at our July meeting. As a staff writer at Grist and a longtime SEJ member, Tik brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to our organization. I look forward to working with him as we navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead. Tik filled the seat previously held by Rebecca Leber, who resigned the board due to a job change.

Board member Annie Ropeik has also notified the board of her resignation. Because her notice came after the call for 2024 board candidates, her seat will remain unfilled until the election, slated for this year’s annual membership meeting on September 28. 

I want to take a moment to thank both Rebecca and Annie for their board service. Board roles are unpaid, volunteer positions and are driven by each member’s passion for SEJ and the future of our field. Both Rebecca and Annie gave their time and expertise to the organization, helping shape conference programming and SEJ’s internal policies. I’m grateful to have been able to serve alongside them.

If you’ve ever thought of giving back to SEJ by serving on the board, now is the time to take action. Six active member seats and one associate member seat are up for election this year. The board sets strategic priorities, approves an annual budget, oversees the organization’s fiscal health and acts as ambassadors for SEJ’s mission.

If you’ve ever wanted to know more about how a small journalism nonprofit works, board service is a great way to learn. This is your chance to shape the future direction of SEJ. You can learn more about this year’s election and submit your materials to run at this link (you'll need your member log-in credentials). The deadline to submit is August 12.

 

Announcing inaugural Future Council Members

I am pleased to announce new members of our Future Council. The SEJ Future Council is a volunteer group of dedicated and passionate individuals, accomplished in their fields, who help guide SEJ through a time of a growing international climate crisis and rising threats to the health of life on Earth. The SEJ Future Council plays a critical role in raising new funds from private and nonprofit sources to help SEJ succeed in its increasingly important and expanding mission. The Council is managed by the organization’s leadership and works in providing counsel, guidance and support to the Society’s Board of Directors, the organization’s principal governing body. SEJ is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and aims to ensure that the SEJ Future Council includes members from diverse backgrounds.

The SEJ Future Council met for the first time in Philadelphia for SEJ2024. Please join me in welcoming them to our community.

• Erin Borla, Executive Director, Roundhouse Foundation
• Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Co-Founder and Director, Mizrahi Family Charitable Fund
• Laura Turner Seydel, Director, Turner Foundation
• Rev. Lennox Yearwood, President and CEO, Hip Hop Caucus
• Meaghan Parker, former SEJ Executive Director

Anyone interested in joining the council or learning more should reach out to Future Council chair, Meaghan Parker, for more information. You can reach her at: meaghan.parker@gmail.com.

 

Call for nominations for the annual Stolberg Award

Finally, I encourage you to nominate deserving candidates for the David Stolberg Meritorious Service Award. Presented each year, this award honors exceptional volunteer work by an SEJ member. To nominate, send name(s) and thoughts about each nominee’s volunteer contributions to sej@sej.org. This year’s deadline is September 13. Winners are announced at the annual membership meeting on September 28.

Thank you all for your continued support of the Society of Environmental Journalists. Together, we can make a difference through the power of informed and impactful journalism.

Sincerely,
Luke

Luke Runyon is president of SEJ's board of directors. He's the Co-Director of The Water Desk at the University of Colorado’s Center for Environmental Journalism. Current SEJ term: 2021-2024.