Community of Practice

Announcing the 2022-2023 Lenfest Constellation News Leadership Initiative Fellows

September 29, 2023

The Lenfest Institute for Journalism today announced the members of the 2022-2023 Constellation News Leadership Initiative Fellowship class. Constellation is a comprehensive management development program providing career coaching and executive leadership resources to Philadelphia-area media professionals of color pursuing senior roles in local news media enterprises. 

The 2022-2023 class of Constellation News Leadership Initiative Fellows includes:

• Monique Curry-Mims, Founder, Civic Capital; Editor, Generocity
• Andrea Gibbs, Producer, WHYY
• Devin Jackson, Sports Betting Producer, The Philadelphia Inquirer 
• Ana Luna, News Producer, WPVI-TV 6abc
• Kwasa Mathis, Producer/Product Manager, WURD Radio
• Tiffany McPherson, Newscast Director, WPVI-TV 6abc
• Eric Nixon, Producer/Assistant Program Manager, WURD Radio 
• Dionicia Roberson, Associate Editor of Community Narratives, Resolve Philly
• Tamara Russell, Producer, REVIVE RADIO + MEDIA
• Lauren Settles, Producer/Reporter, We Talk Weekly 

Now in its third year, one of the goals of the program is to serve Philadelphia’s journalists and media makers of color in an equitable and progressive way through in-depth training from J+, the professional development arm of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, mentorship from Executive Advisors who have advanced to positions of leadership in Philadelphia-area news organizations, and career coaching from Crawford Leadership Strategies, a Black-owned leadership development firm. 

Eighty-five percent of Constellation News Leadership Fellows have advanced within their organization or moved on to higher positions outside of their organization.  

The CUNY curriculum centers on improving the leadership and digital news skills of Fellows with a focus on Understanding Audience & Data Metrics, Product Management & Development, Strategically Assessment of Revenue Models, and Managing Newsroom Culture and Changes. 

In addition to training, the program’s mentorship and leadership coaching provides space for the Fellows to celebrate their accomplishments and seek solutions for their challenges. Crawford Leadership Strategies CEO Joyel Crawford empowers the Fellows to discuss their professional and personal obstacles. Fellows also establish a professional connection with their Executive Advisor, who provides mentorship and serves as a sounding board.  

The 2022-2023 Constellation Executive Advisors are: 

• Maria Archangelo, Chief Revenue Officer, Open Campus Media
• Anthony Cuffie, Vice President, Local Sales & Labor Relations, The Philadelphia Inquirer 
• Sarah Glover, Vice President of News, WHYY
• Cherri Gregg, Host, WHYY
• Michael Huang, Managing Editor, Sports, The Philadelphia Inquirer 
• Andrea Lawful-Sanders, Host, WURD Radio
• Kendra Lee, Vice President, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, The Philadelphia Inquirer 
• Christopher Norris, Managing Editor for Community Engagement, WHYY 
• Shawana Perry, Executive Producer, WPVI-TV 6abc
• Melony Roy, Alumni Executive Advisor

The Constellation News Leadership Initiative is supported by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, M&T Charitable Foundation, and the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation. 

Constellation is a key component of the Institute’s ongoing support of the Philadelphia news ecosystem.  The initiative aligns with our mission to increase BIPOC news leadership in news organizations — both in the newsroom and in business operations. To measure the impact of Constellation – as well as other programs such as the Philadelphia Media Founders Exchange and the Lenfest Next Generation Fund — we rely on a set of mission-driven metrics we developed to assess how we’re reaching individuals, organizations, and the community as a whole. 

The Constellation News Leadership Initiative has been a consistent launchpad for media leaders of color and we look forward to sharing more about this new class of fellows in the near future.