IRE Committees


Investigative Reporters and Editors committees allow board members and rank-and-file members to focus on specific areas or projects of interest and to explore new projects.

Committees are sometimes asked to address issues that come up in the full board meetings but that need more research. The committees then make recommendations to the full board.

Committee members are appointed by the board president.

2010-11 Committees

Executive Committee - Responsible for planning oversight, finance, personnel issues and board development.

    , USA Today, president
    , El Nuevo Herald/The Miami Herald, vice president
    Phil Williams, WTVF-Nashville, secretary
    , author/journalist, treasurer
    , broadcast journalist, member
Member Services Committee - Responsible for member recruitment, reviewing training efforts and member resources.
  • Sarah Cohen, Duke University (co-chair)
  • Rob Cribb, Toronto Star (co-chair)
  • Aron Pilhofer, The New York Times
  • Andy Donohue, voiceofsandiego.org
  • McNelly Torres, Independent Investigative Journalist
  • Deb Nelson, University of Maryland
  • Chase Davis, California Watch
  • Ellen Gabler, Chicago Tribune
  • Susanne Reber,NPR
  • Mark Greenblatt, KHOU-Houston
  • Brian Joseph, The Orange County Register
  • Laura Frank, Rocky Mountain Investigative News Network
  • Ron Nixon, The New York Times
  • J. David McSwane
  • Chastity Pratt Dawsey, Detroit Free Press
  • Steven Stock, WESH-Orlando, Fla.
  • Norberto Santana, Voice of Orange County
  • Blake Morrison, USA Today
  • Susanne Reber, NPR
  • T. Christian Miller, ProPublica
Development Committee - Oversees fundraising.
  • Manny Garcia, El Nuevo Herald/The Miami Herald, chair
  • Leonard Downie, Jr., The Washington Post/Arizona State University
  • David Cay Johnston, author/journalist
  • David Dietz, Bloomberg Markets
  • James Grimaldi, The Washington Post
  • Brant Houston, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • James Steele, Vanity Fair
  • Kevin Keeshan, KGO-San Francisco
  • Darcy Spears, KVBC-Las Vegas
New Revenue Task Force - Examines revenue opportunities.
  • Lea Thompson, chair
  • Leonard Downie, Jr., The Washington Post/Arizona State University
  • Cheryl Phillips, The Seattle Times
  • Shawn McIntosh, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  • Jennifer LaFleur, ProPublica
Conference Committee - Oversees conferences.
  • Mc Nelly Torres, independent investigative journalist, co-chair
  • Lawan Williams, E.W. Scripps, co-chair
  • Duff Wilson, The New York Times
Contest Committee - Oversees contests.
  • Cheryl Phillips, The Seattle Times, chair
  • Lea Thompson, broadcast journalist/producer
  • Neil Reisner, Florida International University
  • Stacey Woelfel, University of Missouri
  • Jim Schaefer, Detroit Free Press
  • Mc Nelly Torres, freelance
Endowment Committee - Oversees the endowment and IRE investments.
  • David Cay Johnston, author/journalist, chair
  • Cheryl Phillips, The Seattle Times
  • Brant Houston, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Mike McGraw, The Kansas City Star
  • Chris Adams, McClatchy Washington Bureau
Audit Committee - Oversees accountability of the organization and the annual external audit by a certified public accounting firm

  • Duff Wilson, The New York Times
  • Alison Young, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  • David Dietz, Bloomberg Markets