The financial records of the Chapter, as well as board meetings and the minutes of those meetings are open to members in good standing. Please email the board president for access. Board meetings are held by Zoom at 1 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month.
Category: Chapter Business
2026-27 Arkansas SPJ Board Elections Ballot Open
It’s time to cast your vote in the 2026-27 Arkansas Pro Chapter SPJ board elections. The ballot closes at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, June 30.
Current national dues-paying members of SPJ who have selected membership in the Arkansas Pro Chapter are eligible to vote (our chapter does not charge additional dues.)
Review the candidates and make your voice heard using this link. Choose one candidate each for president, vice president and treasurer. There is also the opportunity to write in a candidate, including yourself.
This is your chance to help shape the future of Arkansas SPJ, so don’t miss the opportunity to vote.
Introducing Arkansas SPJ Board candidates
The ballot is almost set for Arkansas SPJ’s 2026-2027 board elections.
Interim president Sarah Campbell-Miller is running for her first full term. Campbell-Miller is a supporter engagement specialist at the ACLU of Arkansas and longtime board member with 15 years of journalism experience, having worked for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Business, and Arkansas Leader.
Also running unopposed are Drew Brent, multimedia educator at Russellville High School and former journalist, for vice president and longtime treasurer Rob Moritz, a journalism instructor at the University of Central Arkansas, who is seeking another term. No one is currently running for board secretary.
Returning board members seeking re-election include:
- Andrew DeMillo, editor-in-chief of the Arkansas Advocate
- I.C. Murrell, editor of The Pine Bluff Commercial
- Jennifer Ellis, SPJ Region 12 coordinator, appointed at-large director on the National SPJ board, and creative services managing editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
- Sonny Albarado, past national SPJ president, longtime board member and retired editor
- Staci Miller, director of development at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Community Journalism Project
- Steve Listopad, former journalism instructor and New Voices USA coordinator
New candidates are:
- Kyle McDaniel, who teaches online and digital media courses at the University of Central Arkansas
- Byron Tate, managing editor of the Arkansas Times
Voting will take place via online ballot Monday, June 29, and Tuesday, June 30.
Want to run? There’s still time! Send your name, photo and a short bio — including your SPJ background, reasons for running and ideas for the coming year — by Sunday, June 28 to Sarah Campbell-Miller at s.campbell.miller@gmail.com or ArkansasSPJ@gmail.com.
Write-in candidates are welcome, too.
Arkansas SPJ Seeking Candidates for 2026-27 Board
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is looking for journalists and media professionals to help lead our chapter in 2027-27. If you care about strengthening our craft, encouraging others to pursue it, and want to support your colleagues as well as our mission to inform the public, please consider running for the Board of Directors or an officer position.
Serving on the board is a great way to access a statewide network and resources, back press freedom, and help create programs and initiatives that matter. Whether you are a longtime member or looking to get more involved, we welcome your ideas and your voice.
To run, submit a brief bio and photo by Sunday, June 14, to Arkansas SPJ President Sarah Campbell-Miller at s.campbell.miller@gmail.com or ArkansasSPJ@gmail.com.
Candidate bios will be shared with members before the election. Voting will take place via online ballot Monday, June 29, and Tuesday, June 30.
Not ready for a board role? You can still make an impact by joining one of our committees and contributing your time and expertise.
Requirements:
Board members must be current on national SPJ dues and commit to the following:
Attendance
The Board of Directors meets monthly (currently at 1 p.m. the first Thursday), with occasional special meetings as needed. Members are expected to attend at least nine meetings during the July-June term and are encouraged to participate in all meetings, either in person or via Zoom, though most will take place virtually. Missing three consecutive meetings or four total meetings may result in replacement.
Participation
Board members play an active role in at least one committee. Participation can include planning at least one event, helping with FOIA projects, contributing to marketing campaign(s), and more.
Meet the candidates for the 2025-2026 Arkansas SPJ Board of Directors
UPDATED 6/23/25
The ballot is almost set for Arkansas SPJ’s 2025-2026 board elections. Incumbent president Wendy Jordan is running for another term. Jordan is a marketing manager at Crafton Tull, a freelance journalist and an online adjunct instructor and academic coach in Arkansas State University’s strategic communications programs.
Also running unopposed are Sarah Campbell-Miller, senior online editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, for vice president and longtime treasurer Rob Moritz, a journalism instructor at the University of Central Arkansas, who is seeking another term. Jeanette Stewart, editor of the Log Cabin Democrat and Van Buren County Democrat, has stepped up to run for secretary.
Returning board members seeking re-election include:
- Jennifer Ellis, SPJ Region 12 coordinator and creative services managing editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
- Sonny Albarado, past national SPJ president and editor-in-chief of the Arkansas Advocate
- Andrew DeMillo, Arkansas Capitol Correspondent for The Associated Press
- Steve Listopad, former journalism instructor and New Voices USA coordinator
New candidates are:
- I.C. Murrell, senior reporter at The Pine Bluff Commercial
- Drew Brent, multimedia educator at Russellville High School and former journalist
- Staci Miller, director of development at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Community Journalism Project
Voting will take place online from Friday, June 27 through Sunday, June 29.
Want to run? There’s still time! Send your name, photo and a short bio — including your SPJ background, reasons for running and ideas for the coming year — by Thursday, June 26 to Wendy Jordan at wendymillerjournalist@gmail.com or ArkansasSPJ@gmail.com.
Write-in candidates are welcome, too.
Arkansas SPJ Seeks Candidates for 2025–26 Board of Directors
Check out the following duties and responsibilities of Arkansas SPJ board members and consider running for the board or an officer position. Send a photo and a brief bio that tells why you want to serve as an SPJ leader, your history with SPJ and what you will bring to the group, including any ideas you have for the coming year, to Arkansas SPJ president Wendy Miller at wendymillerjournalist@gmail.com or ArkansasSPJ@gmail.com by Sunday, June 15.
A list of candidates and their bios will be posted at least 10 days before the election and emailed to our membership. Voting will take place via online ballot Friday, June 27, through Sunday, June 29.
Don’t want to be a board member? Get involved in one of our committees.
ARKANSAS PRO CHAPTER BOARD
Duties and Responsibilities
To ensure the health of the Society of Professional Journalists Arkansas Pro Chapter, the members of the Board of Directors must be current on national dues and be accountable for the following duties and responsibilities:
Attendance
The Board of Directors meets monthly and sometimes calls special meetings via phone or email. Board members must attend a minimum of nine monthly meetings during their July-to-June term of office, but strive to make it to all meetings in-person or by Zoom. Absence from three consecutive meetings, or four or more monthly meetings during their term, will result in the appointment of a new director to the position.
Participation
Board members must actively participate in at least one of the following chapter committees: Freedom of Information Act, Programing, Contests, Membership and Marketing, or other special committees designated by the president. Active participation may include planning at least one event in a year, advancement of the FOIA through lobbying, contributions to the chapter’s website, newsletter or social media campaigns, or other efforts determined by the board.
Arkansas SPJ partners with A-Mark Foundation to offer 15K in cash prizes for investigative journalism
Searching for the truth is expensive. It takes time, resources and money, things a lot of newsrooms don’t have much of. But where there’s passion, there’s perseverance.
That’s why Arkansas SPJ and the A-Mark Foundation want to recognize investigative reporting and help to fund the continued effort. The A-Mark Prize will provide $15,000 each year for reporters and their newsrooms.
Beginning in 2025, the Arkansas SPJ Diamond Journalism Awards features the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting in Arkansas. Winners will receive:
- First place: $5,000 for the writer(s), plus $2,500 for the newsroom
- Second place: $3,000 for the writer(s), $1,500 for the newsroom
- Third place: $2,000 for the writer(s), $1,000 for the newsroom
Arkansas SPJ is one of only a few chapters hosting these investigative awards this year, and we are proud to partner with the A-Mark Foundation to continue the investigative efforts of hard-working reporters.
“The A-Mark Foundation hopes that our grants will lead to increased recognition and support for investigative journalists across the United States,” said A-Mark senior VP Tracey DeFrancesco. “We noticed that most state-level journalism awards did not have a cash prize, and we hope that providing a monetary award to both reporters and their publishing outlets will enable more important articles to be written.”
What you need to know
The A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism in Arkansas is described as an award for remarkable investigative reporting in any medium. *This prize is only open to entries with an Arkansas connection. The entry must include investigative reporting by an individual or team in a single report or a series – up to five items including coverage and other supporting elements. Stories should expose a wrong or promote understanding of a problem, issue or subject in the public interest.
The entry must have an Arkansas connection meaning one or more of the following applies: (1) The winning reporter is based in Arkansas; (2) The newspaper or media outlet is based in Arkansas; or (3) The work covers Arkansas. The entry must include investigative reporting by an individual or team in a single report or a series – up to five items including coverage and other supporting elements. Stories should expose a wrong or promote understanding of a problem, issue or subject in the public interest. A supporting statement (400 words max) is required.
The winners will be recognized, and the prizes will be distributed at the Arkansas Diamond Awards ceremony during Summer 2025. All entrants should plan to attend the ceremony in Little Rock in July if they are named a finalist.
If you have questions, email us anytime. The 2025 Diamond Journalism Awards contest is now open. To learn more, click here.
Board Meeting Minutes
Reminder: All members are encouraged to attend board meetings and to serve on committees! Available committees and the board member to contact about joining them are as follows: Marketing (Wendy Jordan); Programming (Wendy Jordan), Contest (Kevin Kelly) and Freedom of Information (Rob Moritz). Contact information for board members can be found here.
NEXT MEETING: TBD
Link not working? The Zoom meeting ID is also TBD.
Arkansas SPJ announces 2024-25 board candidates for online election
Arkansas SPJ’s Board of Directors has a single candidate to fill each of the 11 positions for election in the 2024-25 term; however, write-in nominations are allowed.
Voting will occur online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZS5M5NT through 9 p.m. Sunday, July 21. Only current national dues-paying members of SPJ who have selected to be members of the Arkansas Pro Chapter (the chapter does not charge additional dues) may vote.
The new board will be announced at the Diamond Journalism Awards on July 24.
The candidates are as follows.
- President: Wendy Miller, a freelancer and marketing manager for Crafton Tull
- Vice President: Kevin Kelly, evening Anchor for FOX 16 News at 5:30, 6:30 and 9 p.m.
- Treasurer: Rob Moritz teaches journalism at the University of Central Arkansas
- Secretary: Sarah Campbell-Miller, senior online editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
- Board members:
- Jennifer Ellis, SPJ’s Region 12 coordinator and Creative Services Managing Editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
- Sonny Albarado, a SPJ national foundation board member, a past SPJ national president and the editor-in-chief of the online news site Arkansas Advocate, part of the States Newsroom network
- Andrew DeMillo, the Arkansas Capitol Correspondent for The Associated Press
- Steve Listopad, a former journalism professor and a Mitigation Specialist on capitol murder cases for the Arkansas Public Defender Commission
- Rhondaja Howard, multimedia journalist at KAIT Region 8 in Jonesboro
- Jeanette Stewart, Editor of the daily Log Cabin Democrat and the weekly Van Buren County Democrat
- Caitrin Assaf, news Anchor at noon and 4 p.m. at KARK 4
CALL FOR CANDIDATES: Arkansas SPJ seeks members for 2024-25 Board of Directors
Check out the following duties and responsibilities of Arkansas SPJ board members and consider running for the board or an officer position. Send a photo and a brief bio that tells why you want to serve as an SPJ leader, your history with SPJ and what you will bring to the group, including any ideas you have for the coming year, to Arkansas SPJ secretary Wendy Miller at wendymillerjournalist@gmail.com or ArkansasSPJ@gmail.com by Monday, July 8.
A list of candidates and their bios will be posted at least 10 days before the election and emailed to our membership. Voting will take place via email ballot.
Don’t want to be a board member? Get involved in one of our committees.
ARKANSAS PRO CHAPTER BOARD
Duties and Responsibilities
To ensure the health of the Society of Professional Journalists Arkansas Pro Chapter, the members of the Board of Directors must be current on national dues and be accountable for the following duties and responsibilities:
Attendance
The Board of Directors meets monthly and sometimes calls special meetings via phone or email. Board members must attend a minimum of nine monthly meetings during their July-to-June term of office, but strive to make it to all meetings in-person or by Zoom. Absence from three consecutive meetings, or four or more monthly meetings during their term, will result in the appointment of a new director to the position.
Participation
Board members must actively participate in at least one of the following chapter committees: Freedom of Information Act, Programing, Contests, Membership and Marketing, or other special committees designated by the president. Active participation may include planning at least one event in a year, advancement of the FOIA through lobbying, contributions to the chapter’s website, newsletter or social media campaigns, or other efforts determined by the board.