The Canadian Association of Journalists announces director roles and responsibilities for 2022-2023 term

OTTAWA, ON, July 25, 2022 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce its executive and team roles and responsibilities for the 2022-2023 term.

Brent Jolly will continue to serve as the association's president for the coming year. Fatima Syed, who previously served as the CAJ's vice-president, will continue in her role as well. Veteran investigative journalist Cecil Rosner also joins the CAJ executive as a vice-president.

Zane Schwartz and Paul Schneidereit will continue to serve as the association's chair and treasurer, respectively. Karyn Pugliese will continue in her capacity as past president. New members added to the board's executive include: Laurie Few (vice-chair) and Paula Tran (community manager). 

"In a time when our industry is withstanding volatility on so many different fronts, having experienced leaders to help serve our members is a huge value," said Jolly. "It's great to have many familiar faces leading the association for another year."

Since the onset of the pandemic, membership in the association has nearly doubled. This can be directly attributed to the growing list of programs and services the CAJ offers to its members, which range from critical press freedom advocacy and professional development to providing opportunities for mentorship, Jolly said. 

In addition to the executive roles, Jason Markusoff returns as chair of the CAJ's awards committee, and new board member Angel Moore will chair the CAJ's new Indigenous issues committee. Eva Holland will serve as the CAJ's Northern regional director; Anja Karadeglija will represent the National Capital Region; and Melissa Martin will represent Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.

Board seats representing Saskatchewan, Quebec, and the Toronto region remain unfilled. If you are a CAJ member and are interested in serving on one of our committees, please send us a note.

At a recent board meeting, the CAJ also supported a motion to make Monique Durette a full-time employee, the association's first since the 2008 financial crisis. She will carry the title of operations manager.

"When times get tough, the CAJ always steps up," Jolly said.

The Canadian Association of Journalists is a professional organization with 1,300 members across Canada. The CAJ's primary roles are public-interest advocacy work and professional development for its members.

SOURCE Canadian Association of Journalists

Brent Jolly, CAJ president, 289-387-3179, [email protected]