The Washington Journalism and Media Conference

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Speakers

Kayla Sharpe

KAYLA SHARPE

Deputy Newsletter Team Lead, Bloomberg Government

Kayla N. Sharpe is a digital journalist based in the Washington D.C. area. She is the Deputy Newsletter Team Leader at Bloomberg Government and previously worked as an Associate Editor at Axios — where she oversaw reporting teams in D.C., Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Twin Cities — at POLITICO as Engagement Editor for Subscriber Strategy and as a Digital Producer, and at the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting supporting student and freelance journalists covering under-reported global issues.

Kayla graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2017 with degrees in Film & Media and American Studies and served as the Digital Media Editor for the campus newspaper, The Flat Hat. In addition to completing communications internships at the Brookings Institution, the Democratic National Committee, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Kayla has seen her reporting recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, receiving their 2017 Regional Mark of Excellence Award for In-Depth Reporting, and William & Mary, receiving their 2016 Rex Smith Journalism Award.

Kayla is proud to be an engaged William & Mary alumna and currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Young Guarde Alumni Council and on the William & Mary Washington Center Advisory Board as Board Development Chair. Kayla currently lives in Reston, VA with her Australian Shepherd, Kirby, and her many houseplants.

Check out Kayla’s website

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Faculty Advisor Staff

Britney Crowe

BRITNEY CROWE

Faculty Advisor

Britney has been teaching for 21 years north of San Antonio in a consolidated school district; eighteen years at the junior high and the last three at Samuel Clemens High School- both of which offer journalism electives. Journalism, photojournalism, advanced newspaper, and advanced yearbook are the disciplines she fosters to students who are lured by the energy and excitement she exudes because she LOVES watching the students fall in love with commitment to telling factual truth. 

Britney volunteers at photography contests to judge and critique competitors’ entries. She has students earning All-state Journalists awards, ATPI first places for digital construction, and for the first time ever The Stampede (yearbook) was awarded first place from NSPA. Britney belongs to JEA, ILPC, and ATPI and enjoys attending conventions with or without students. The high school where she advises takes pride in producing 7-9 print editions of newspapers, 4 magazines, and online newspaper, and a 296-page yearbook every year.

In her free time, Britney is raising twin fourteen-year-old girls, and a high school senior, Eagle Scout who will be graduating from both college and high school within the same month. She loves gardening, reading novels, and afternoon naps. Travel fuels her heart with confidence in humanity that “people are really good at heart.” -Anne Frank

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Speakers

Laura Barrón-López

LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ

White House Correspondent, PBS Newshour

Laura Barrón-López is the White House Correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, where she covers the Biden administration for the nightly news broadcast. She is also a CNN political analyst.

Previously, Barrón-López was a White House reporter for POLITICO. In her time covering the Biden administration for POLITICO, she focused on the power dynamics between the White House and Capitol Hill, covering the president’s agenda on gun violence, immigration, voting rights, infrastructure and more. Barrón-López previously covered the 2020 presidential election for POLITICO as a national political reporter, focusing on voter demographics, and policy shifts within the Democratic Party.

Barrón-López previously led 2018 coverage of the Democratic Party for the Washington Examiner. Before that, Barrón-López covered Congress for HuffPost, focusing on climate change, criminal justice reform, and coal miner pensions, among other policy debates in the Senate and House.

Early in her career, she covered energy and environment policy for The Hill. Her work has been published in The Oregonian, OC Register, E&E Publishing, and Roll Call. Barrón-López earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fullerton.

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Advance Team Staff

Allison Alberty

ALLISON ALBERTY

Advance Team Member

Allison Alberty is a WJMC and George Mason alumna who currently works as a Washington Scholars Program Advance Team member. She graduated with a BA in Communication and a concentration in Public Relations and minored in Political Communications. During her time at Mason, Allison was the Social Media and Graphics Editor for the Fourth Estate, Vice President of Recruitment and Marketing for Kappa Delta Sorority and an Honors College student. In her current role, Allison creates social media content for Mason’s WSP programs and coordinates with the Events team to plan the summer conferences. In her free time, Allison enjoys going on Kiss cruises, attending rock concerts, and finding new brunch spots!

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Speakers

Lauren Ober

LAUREN OBER

Podcast Creator, Host, and Executive Producer

Lauren Ober is a podcast creator, host and executive producer, most recently of The Loudest Girl In The World from Pushkin Industries and iHeart Media. The show landed on a number of “Best of…” lists in 2022, including the CBC and The Atlantic. Before that, Lauren hosted and executive produced Fine Gorilla Person for Topic Studios and Audible. The New Yorker wrote that the show is for people who “want to feel newly furious at all the ways our culture demands that monkeys dance for our enjoyment.” Lauren also hosted and produced Spectacular Failures from APMStudios — one of TIME magazine’s top 10 podcasts of 2019. Lauren began her hosting career with NPR’s The Big Listen, a nationally distributed radio broadcast about podcasts. In a life before hosting, Lauren was an award-winning audio reporter. She is a graduate of the Transom Story Workshop, Syracuse University and American University. A proud Pittsburgh native, Lauren currently lives in the 51st state with her silly hound, Davey.

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Advisory Board Speakers

Savannah Behrmann

SAVANNAH BEHRMANN

Senate Correspondent, National Journal

Savannah Rose Behrmann is the Senate Correspondent for National Journal, where she roams the halls of Capitol Hill focusing on the legislative and bipartisan gridlock of Congress’ upper chamber.  Prior, she served as a Congressional Reporter at USA TODAY, where she led the newspaper’s coverage of both chambers of Congress. Previously, she worked as a Politics NOW Reporter at USA TODAY, covering breaking political news that ranged from the 2020 election, Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court. Beforehand, she was a News Associate at CNN. Savannah hails from Utah, and attended George Mason University, where she graduated in 2018. She is a proud alumna of the Washington Journalism and Media Conference, which she attended as a National Youth Correspondent in 2013, and then worked as a staff member for several years.

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Speakers

Nadgeena Jerome

NADGEENA JEROME

Senior Lifestyle Reporter, The U.S. Sun

A born and raised New Yorker, Nadgeena Jerome is a Senior Lifestyle Reporter at The U.S. Sun, where she covers, fashion, beauty, the entertainment industry, and more. Previously, Nadgeena was a Digital Content Producer at News 12 on Long Island, as well as a host and contributor for Talent Recap, and a host and producer at 2M Media Group (2M) in Washington, DC. She has interned for her local Fox 5 affiliate in New York and as a Video Journalism Fellow for Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Nadgeena is also a professional model signed with several agencies around the country. In her spare time, she volunteers as a National Alliance on Mental Illness Advocacy Ambassador, a Girls Inc. mentor, and with GirlsWriteNow.

Nadgeena Jerome is an alumna of the 2012 Washington Journalism and Media Conference. She graduated from George Mason University in 2017, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication. Nadgeena credits the Washington Journalism and Media Conference as what solidified her desire to work in media. She is excited to share her fresh perspective and non-linear journalism background with the WJMC delegates.

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Speakers

Rondene Grinam

RONDENE GRINAM

Global Email Marketing Manager, Microsoft

Rondene Grinam is a global email marketing manager at Microsoft. Previously, she was a marketing specialist at Gartner, a leading business research and advisory company.  In this role, she managed marketing campaign strategy through channels like email, web content, and social media. She also served as the communications lead for Gartner’s multicultural employee group.

She developed an early interest in communications as a writer for her high school news publications and columnist for her city’s newspaper. While attending George Mason University, she was involved in a variety of opportunities to develop a career around her passions for global communication, social media, and public relations.

An alum of the Washington Scholars Program for young aspiring communications professionals, she held a number of enriching internships throughout her undergraduate career, most notably in marketing at Northern Virginia Magazine and the British Embassy Washington. She has also refined her intercultural communication skills through studying abroad in France and Italy, and through interning for Italian travel agency Florence for Fun and George Mason’s Center for Global Education.

Rondene received a bachelor’s degree in communication with a concentration in public relations and minors in journalism and global affairs from George Mason University in May 2016. In December 2018, she earned a master’s degree in International Commerce and Policy.

She loves being a part of the WJMC family and is thrilled to be a part of the conference again this year.

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Speakers

Megan Tucker

MEGAN TUCKER

Communication Faculty, George Mason University

Megan Tucker is an assistant term professor and the Director of Academic Advising for the Communication department.  In the past, Megan served as the BA Program Director for the department from 2017-2020. Previoulsy, Megan has also worked full time in Washington DC at the National Communication Association on the student learning outcomes grant. She has formerly worked as an adjunct professor of Communication at Johns Hopkins University, Northern Virginia Community College, and as an academic advisor at Marymount University.

Megan received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and English (Journalism) from Christopher Newport University. Her Master of Arts in Communication is from George Mason University. In 2015, Megan earned her PhD in Higher Education with a focus in Communication from GMU.

Her research interests include student development, communication and academic advising, interpersonal and organizational communication, media, identity, small group communication, student services, learning outcomes, assessment and marginalized student groups.

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Faculty Advisor Staff

Mark Hilburn

MARK HILBURN

Faculty Advisor

Mark Hilburn is in his fourteenth year teaching journalism at Millard West High School in Omaha, Nebraska, where he advises the MWHS Wildcat News Broadcast, Catalyst Newspaper, Prowler Yearbook and Striv live-streaming.  Mark is also an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha where he teaches Media Writing while working on his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. Currently, Mark is serving as President of the Nebraska High School Press Association, presents and judges at national JEA/NSPA and CSPA conventions and teaches journalism workshops across the country. He is a Master Journalism Educator, Mentor and serves on the Certification Committee through the Journalism Education Association. He holds Master’s degrees in Journalism and Mass Communication and Secondary Education: Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nebraska. His publications have been Pacemaker, Gold Crown and All-American award winners, received 1st place in the NSPA Best of Show competition, won State Journalism Champions in 2017 and 2014 and State Runner-Up in 2018, 2016 and 2013. Mark advised the 2022, 2019, and 2018 Nebraska Journalists of the Year and received the Excellence in Broadcasting Award from the University of Nebraska Omaha in 2022, 2020 and 2018. Mark was named the 2015 Nebraska Distinguished Journalism Teacher of the Year, in 2019 was the first adviser to receive the Dr. Sherrie Wilson Outstanding Service Award for Journalism, and in 2020, received the Future Administrator Award and Scholarship from the Journalism Education Association. This is his fifth year with WJMC.