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Marina Villenueve

Portrait of Marina Villenueve
Statement

In recent years, IRE has made significant and inspiring strides in reaching and welcoming more journalists from different backgrounds.

That's because of the leadership of Diana Fuentes and the dedicated work of countless IRE staff members and volunteers.

And I'm running for a position on the IRE board again to help keep that momentum going.

Diversity and inclusion work remains central to IRE's mission, and it's more important than ever that we keep doing that work at a time when frankly, it's under attack.

I want to help ensure we protect that work: from our Journalists of Color fellowships, to our now-regular trainings at minority-serving higher education institutions, to our successful Access Fest which provides online access to IRE training worldwide, to early career pricing for conferences, to IRE's increased presence at dozens of conferences including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

As co-chair of IRE's Diversity and Inclusion committee, we have launched a new community to help support investigative managers and editors of color with opportunities to network and come together to navigate an industry that still has yet to represent our nation's diversity.  And as a chair of the NAHJ Investigative & Data Journalism task force, I have deepened our partnership with the Latinx community by helping to coordinate IRE conference trainings.

I pledge to keep celebrating the work of our dedicated staff while also keeping a watchful eye on our finances and long-term goals. I'm thrilled by the launch of our new website, our work toward a new mentoring program and the success of our 50th anniversary fundraising effort. I want to make sure we balance long-term fiscal responsibility while also investing in our training programs and efforts to increase affordability. Key to that will be finding new sponsors and supporting the work of our upcoming director of development. If elected to serve another term, I will continue to offer my own insight and perspective -- as a Latina, a first generation college graduate and an employee of a small investigative nonprofit  -- during board discussions while also building on my relationships with fellow board members and staffers to better serve IRE.

Thanks to the work of Didi and innumerable others, IRE itself is now a much more diverse association with our investigative training reaching more journalists from different backgrounds than ever before -- and we must keep going.

  • Current position:
    • Investigative reporter, The Hechinger Report
  • Prior experience:
    • Legal reporter, Salon
    • Investigative producer, Boston 25
    • Associated Press state government and politics reporter in Maine and New York
  • IRE experience, including conferences and workshops attended and committee service:
    • Current IRE board member, chair of IRE's Diversity and Inclusion Committee and member of IRE's audit committee
    • Previous member of IRE's Diversity and Inclusion Committee and have screened entries for IRE awards
  • Expertise:
    • Education data analysis
    • statehouse reporting
    • investigative reporting
  • Related links:
  • Issues you would like to address as a board member:
    • Diversity and inclusion
    • affordability
    • balancing long-term financial health with responsible investment in our training/affordability

Nominated by Caresse Jackman

I would like to nominate Marina Villeneuve to be re-elected to the IRE Board of Directors.
In my first year serving with her on the board, we've worked together as co-chairs of the Diversity and Inclusion committee. I’ve seen her commitment firsthand in making sure marginalized voices are heard.
That, among so many other things, is why I think she would continue to uphold the legacy of this great organization and improve it for years to come.

 

Second nomination by Ariel Gilreath

I’m writing to nominate Marina Villeneuve for the Investigative Reporters and Editors Board of Directors. I know Marina as a colleague at The Hechinger Report, where she is a dogged reporter whose work goes beyond her investigative stories. She cares deeply about ensuring reporters from all backgrounds have the resources and skills to carry out investigative reporting, which is evidenced by her work to increase training opportunities with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and her time on IRE’s board leading the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Marina goes the extra mile to organize meetups and help reporters locally and nationally understand the training and professional development opportunities available to them. I believe her experience as a first generation college graduate and a journalist at a small, nonprofit newsroom are important perspectives to have on the board, and I am proud to nominate her for the position.

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