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Author: Allison Dodson

Katie Russell

KATIE RUSSELL

Communication Specialist, Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University

Katie is the communication specialist at the George Mason Center for Climate Change Communication working primarily on website design and media outreach. She is an alumni of George Mason University with a B.S. in conservation biology and a focus on communicating science to inspire meaningful change. Katie is also an alumni of the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, VA where she worked with exotic endangered ungulates. She has conducted wet bulb temperature research to be used as a proxy to assess climate change hyperthermia risk in the Virgin Islands, as well as assisted on several ecological research surveys. Katie’s communication work has been featured by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and competed in national storytelling competitions. Hailing from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, she hopes to one day leverage her skills to protect the unique environments and improve quality of life in small island communities.

Maddy Ploger

MADDY PLOGER

Senior Marketing Manager, Freedom Forum

Maddy Ploger is the senior marketing manager at Freedom Forum, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to fostering First Amendment freedoms for all. She’s been with the organization for the past seven years – starting out at the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue in the marketing department and evolving into managing email communications, advertising, branding campaigns, and design for Freedom Forum. She has been part of a multi-million dollar brand awareness campaign, launching a merchandise store, and the promotion and design of dozens of events, galas, and festivals — all striving for the Freedom Forum’s vision of an America where everyone knows, values, and defends the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. 

A graduate of La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA, she earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations, advertising and communications and a master’s degree in professional business and communications. Maddy played Division 1 field hockey at La Salle during her four years there. In the past, she worked in sports marketing, promotions, and entertainment for La Salle Athletics, the Washington Nationals, and the Salem Red Sox.

Kalea Perez

KALEA PEREZ

Consultant, Guidehouse

Kalea Perez is a healthcare consultant at Guidehouse, a Virginia-based firm for businesses and government entities, where she has spent the last three years supporting high-profile federal clients including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Specializing in strategic communications and project management, Kalea helps agencies drive mission-aligned initiatives and communicate complex goals with impact across our nation’s most prestigious healthcare offices.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from the College of Charleston in 2022 and currently resides just minutes from campus with her dogs Winni and Goose.

A proud alum of the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC), Kalea attended in 2016, served on the Youth Advisory Board in 2017, and returned as an Advance Team member in 2019. Her journey from student to speaker reflects her passion for mentorship, public service, and the power of storytelling in shaping meaningful change

Chandler Morrison

CHANDLER MORRISON

Faculty Advisor, WJMC Alum 2013

Chandler is a U.S. History Teacher at South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, Texas. Earning his bachelor’s in communications at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chandler has worked within sports journalism for 5 years throughout college and eventually landed at ESPN, working in the SportCenter department. He earned his master’s in Christian ministry from Liberty University. Chandler has used media, production, and journalistic skills to find and tell compelling stories. He has served as a yearbook advisor in previous years as well as an ambassador for media projects within the classroom, encouraging his students to find and tell stories. He is a 2013 WJMC Alumni and enjoyed the connections and new experiences that came with the conference. In his free time, he enjoys having conversations about the gospel and religion, playing his guitar and mandolin, and running half-marathons on the weekends.

Rachel Ickowitz

RACHEL ICKOWITZ

Advance Team Member

Rachel is a rising junior from Knoxville, Tennessee majoring in sociology with a concentration in inequality and social change at George Mason University. On campus, Rachel is involved in the University Scholars Program, the Next System Fellows Program, the Next Constitutions Research Lab, CHSS Ambassadors, Chi Omega Fraternity, Order of Omega, and the Sociology Ambassadors program. She also works as a tele-counselor for the Office of Admissions, supporting prospective students through the application process! After graduation, she plans to pursue graduate studies and is especially interested in advancing social change through the study and design of equitable systems.

Lisa Gardner

LISA GARDNER

Faculty Advisor

Lisa Kick Gardner spent almost 20 years in broadcast journalism, most of that in television news. As a morning and evening TV news anchor, reporter and a radio morning show host, she has been asked to speak to numerous charity and community groups, businesses and school kids of all ages. (She’s even entertained on a cruise ship!) Lisa and her husband Steve have been a part of the Charlotte Country Day community since 2010 as Young Life leaders and Lisa started teaching in 2015. She’s currently the Podcast/Journalism and Public Speaking instructor. She and Steve have two children, Grace a junior at Appalachian State and Grant is a senior who plans to attend Davidson College in the fall of 2025.

Fiona John

FIONA JOHN

Junior Faculty Advisor, Alum 2022

Fiona is a rising sophomore at Virginia Commonwealth pursuing a major in
interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in international social justice and a
minor in media studies. She participated in the WJMC during the summer of ‘22 and
had the best time of her life! Fiona loved Washington D.C. and the George Mason
campus, and she can’t wait to go back and see everyone there!

Johnathan Burch

JOHNATHAN BURCH

Junior Faculty Advisor

Johnathan Burch is from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a rising sophomore at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, pursing a major in Politics & Law and minors in Health Equity and Philosophy.  He is interested in pursuing a career in medical law, focusing on healthcare policy. Attending WJMC in 2021 was an unforgettable experience that Johnathan will cherish forever. He learned about the various forms that journalism can take on, met professionals in the field, and built new relationships with other National Youth Correspondents from across the nation. The relationships he made just a few years ago have blossomed into a vast network of individuals with similar interests. Although the students in his cohort may have chosen different career paths, they share an interest in breaking down barriers to improve society for the better. Returning as an alum to make this a memorable experience for other students is what makes WJMC even more special for him.

John Gossett

JOHN GOSSETT

Faculty Advisor

John is the broadcast journalism teacher and director of sports broadcasting at Fayetteville High School in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Located just steps away from the University of Arkansas, John has built FHS TV into a nationally recognized program with students winning multiple Emmy’s along with numerous state awards. John is also a board member for the Arkansas Scholastic Press Association where his program serves as the media officer school. Originally from Dallas, Texas, John earned his B.A. in broadcast journalism and master’s degree in education both from the University of Arkansas.

Keira Klein

KEIRA KLEIN

Keira Klein is a junior, attending high school in Northern California. She competes in FFA Floral competitions, plays tennis and basketball, and writes in her spare time. She LOVED her WJMC experience because of all of the different careers it exposed her to, and can’t wait to contribute to this year’s Youth Advisory Board.