Tag: 2024

Jada McClure

JADA MCCLURE

Communications Specialist, ICF Next

Jada McClure is a passionate marketing professional with a knack for government communications and omni-channel marketing. Known for her creativity and strategic thinking, she has a proven track record of producing award-winning documentary-style content for FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and managing digital paid media campaigns across the United States.Throughout her career, she has worked with esteemed organizations such as ICF Next, Yes& Agency, and Sage Communications. Each role has honed her ability to navigate complex projects, develop innovative strategies, and deliver impactful results. Currently, she is making strides at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where she combines her communication skills and marketing prowess to further CISA’s mission and support vital government initiatives.Originally from North Carolina, Jada is a proud alum of the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC). Her journey began at WJMC in 2014 and continued at George Mason University, where she graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, specializing in Public Relations. She is excited to come back to where it all began as a speaker at this year’s conference.

Natalie Hollenbeck

NATALIE HOLLENBECK

Counselor

Natalie Hollenbeck currently works as an elementary school counselor in New York, where she has spent the last four year loving her job. Prior to her current position, she has worked in different school settings, foster care, residential placement, and working closely with adults and groups. Natalie enjoys meeting new people and experiencing new things. She completed her undergraduate social work degree at a school in Ohio, and went back to her hometown to complete her master’s degree in social work at Syracuse University. She hopes to make this summer memorable!

Bria Lloyd

BRIA LLOYD

Investigative Reporter, Connecticut Public Radio

Bria Lloyd is an investigative reporter at Connecticut Public Radio. In her role, she’s traveled to Norway to report and produce a documentary on prison reform and she’s the co-host of In Absentia, a podcast about political scandals in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She’s also done investigations on accessibility in public transportation, police officers’ treatment of sexual assault victims and employees receiving delayed paid leave payments. She’s won an Edward R. Murrow award and she’s been nominated for an Emmy. Before coming to Connecticut Public Radio, Bria worked in Washington, DC at various media outlets including Scripps News, PBS NewsHour and Al Jazeera English. Bria is a graduate of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia where she was awarded Journalism Student of the Year during her senior year.

Alexis Edwards

ALEXIS EDWARDS

Photographer

Alexis Edwards is a junior at Virginia Tech, where she works as a sports photographer for the athletic apartment. She is currently double majoring in Multimedia Journalism and Marketing. She attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference in 2021 at George Mason and she is looking forward to meeting everyone at WJMC.

Cohen Wiegers

COHEN WIEGERS

Junior Faculty Advisor

Cohen Wiegers is a rising sophomore at Emory University studying Classical Civilization. Cohen was a National Youth Correspondent in 2022 and is excited to return to WJMC as a Junior Faculty Advisor. Cohen thoroughly enjoyed his time at WJMC and hopes to deliver an equally amazing experience as a JFA.

Keirsten Robinson

KEIRSTEN ROBINSON

Digital Political Strategist, Mothership Strategies

Keirsten Robinson is a WJMC and George Mason alumna who currently works as a digital political strategist. She graduated with a BA in Communication with concentrations in journalism and public relations and minored in both political communications and American government. During her time at Mason, Keirsten was a staff writer for the Fourth Estate and an anchor for Mason Cable News. In her current role, she creates digital media content for political campaigns and organizations. Most notably, she contributed to President Biden’s 2020 campaign as well as the 2 Georgia Run-Off Elections. In her free time she enjoys traveling the world, trying new food, and attending as many concerts as possible!

Jenna Cohen

JENNA COHEN

Visual Journalist and Associate Product Manager, PBS NewsHour

Jenna Cohen is a visual journalist with a passion for producing top tier graphics, web designs, data visualizations and news products. Currently an Associate Product Manager at PBS NewsHour, she works alongside the digital team on various product development and design projects. She started at the NewsHour as the first undergraduate selected to be a Roy W. Howard fellow.

She has a B.A. in Journalism from University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, where she was on the digital design team for the award–winning Printing Hate and Nowhere To Go investigations. She attended WJMC in 2017 and returned as an intern in 2018 and is thrilled to be back and meet this year’s National Youth Correspondents.

Maximo Legaspi

MAXIMO LEGASPI

Junior Faculty Advisor

Maximo Legaspi is a journalism major at the University of Maryland, College Park. He enjoys writing about local events and cultural issues.

Marshall Adams

MARSHALL ADAMS

Counselor

Marshall Adams is the Assistant Director of Regional Admissions at George Mason University and has been with the admissions team for over six years. He’s based in Central North Carolina and works with families and schools across The Carolinas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. When he’s not talking about college admissions, he loves traveling, trying new foods, staying active, and keeping up with the latest news and current events. As an avid sports fan, one of his big goals is to attend a game at every MLS stadium by 2028. Marshall earned both his B.S. and MBA from East Carolina University (’15, ’17).

Eddi Johnson

EDDI JOHNSON

Counselor

Eddi Johnson lives in Greensboro, North Carolina and attended The University of North Carolina where she majored in Elementary Education and held a concentration in Linguistics and Communication Studies. She has been a classroom teacher for 15 years and has been an Instructional Coach for four years. She will begin a new role as a Curriculum Facilitator in August of the upcoming school year and is excited to begin that journey. She believes that education is the most vital tool in a person’s life and believes it is a privilege to be a part of expanding student’s paths this summer through experiential learning. She feels honored to be a part of the Washington Journalism and Media Conference at George Mason University!