JHR Announces the Return of Rachel Pulfer as Executive Director

TORONTO, Aug. 17, 2015 /CNW/ - Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), Canada's leading media development organization, is pleased to announce the return of Rachel Pulfer, an award-winning journalist and human rights advocate, as Executive Director. Ms. Pulfer takes over from Danny Glenwright, who acted as Interim Executive Director while she was on maternity leave.

Ms. Pulfer has worked with JHR for five years, first as International Programs Director, managing projects in Liberia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Malawi and Sierra Leone. She became Executive Director after JHR co-founder Ben Peterson stepped down in October 2011. Pulfer built an extraordinary team and worked with them to expand JHR's operations to East Africa and the Middle East. Further, she led the launch of programming providing media development opportunities to Indigenous communities in Canada.

As a journalist, Pulfer covered stories on economic inequality, women's rights and white-collar crime. While with JHR, she has appeared on CTV National News as a commentator on international news and contributed op-eds on media development themes to the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail.

"I grew up in developing countries and saw first-hand the chaos that can ensue when the media is not fully empowered to do its job," said Ms. Pulfer. "It is a real honour to lead an organization that has had such a massive impact— across sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and now also here at home in Northern Canada."

Ms. Pulfer has a Bachelor of Applied Arts from Ryerson University's School of Journalism and a bachelor's degree in history and political science from McGill University.

Prior to JHR, Ms. Pulfer was the 2009-2010 Webster/McConnell Canadian Journalism Fellow (now called the William Southam Fellowships). She won the fellowship for her coverage of the 2008-2009 financial crisis in the United States, where she was bureau chief for Canadian Business magazine.  She has also contributed to the Globe and Mail, the Ottawa Citizen, the Walrus, the National Post, the Montreal Gazette, Toronto Life, Azure magazine and numerous other publications. She has represented JHR to the Standing Committee on International Affairs on Parliament Hill, as well as at numerous conferences on media development and associated themes around the world, and is recognized as a leading voice in the role of media as a force for social change.

"Rachel understands both the organizational tools required for JHR to function smoothly and what life is like at ground level in the countries we serve," says JHR Board Chair Anthony Wilson-Smith. "We thank Danny for keeping JHR moving ahead in Rachel's absence - and are delighted to welcome her back."

As Executive Director, Ms. Pulfer will refresh JHR's strategic growth plan and oversee the expansion of JHR's media development training in Canada, the Middle East, and Africa.

Our thanks to CNW Group for sponsoring this announcement.

SOURCE Journalists for Human Rights (JHR)

Media Inquiries Rachel Pulfer, Executive Director, Journalists for Human Rights, Tel: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]