2011 Chapter Officers & Directors Announced

The following South Florida journalists were elected Thursday, Dec. 9 to serve on SPJ South Florida’s board of directors in 2011.

OFFICERS

President – Michael Koretzky
Michael Koretzky served on the SPJ South Florida board from 2005-07 and the SPJ national board from 2008-10. He’s currently president of the Florida College Press Association, spring convention director for College Media Advisers, and volunteer adviser for the student newspaper at Florida Atlantic University. He’s been a freelance journalist for The New York Times, USA Today, and the National Enquirer; a staff reporter for the Sun-Sentinel, Florida Times-Union, and Athens (Ga) Banner-Herald; and an editor at the nation’s largest jazz magazine, two alternative weeklies, and a national website. His SPJ programs — Ethics Hold’em, Will Write for Food, and the First Amendment Free Food Festival — have won thousands in grants and been replicated around the country.

Executive Vice President – Michele Boyet
Michele Boyet is the social media coordinator and wedding blogger for The Breakers, Palm Beach. She formerly worked as an online producer with the Sun Sentinel and is a former editor in chief of the Florida Atlantic University student newspaper. Michele has served as SPJ South Florida’s marketing committee chair and is also a member of the finance committee. She received a Sunshine State Award as 2010 College Journalist of the Year from SPJ South Florida and received the Robert D.G. Lewis First Amendment award from SPJ National in Oct. 2010.

Vice President, Membership – Sergy Odiduro
Sergy Odiduro is a reporter for the Forum Publishing Group. She began her journalism career as an editorial assistant at the Daily Business Review. She graduated from Bernard M. Baruch’s School of Communication with a bachelor’s in journalism. While in school, she was features and op-ed editor for the campus newspaper, The Ticker. She was also a contributor to Dollars and Sense, Baruch College’s review of business and society. Prior to joining the Daily Business Review, Odiduro interned with Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) and Radio Soleil D’ Haiti, where she produced and hosted a regular English-language news segment.

Vice President, Programs – Dori Zinn
Dori Zinn is a communications assistant and contributing editor for The Association for Retail Environments, a non-profit retail trade organization in Hollywood, Fla. For the past year, Dori has served as Vice President of Membership for the SPJ South Florida Pro chapter, helping recruit nearly 30 new members. Dori graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2008 with a degree in Multimedia Journalism.

Secretary – Rachael Joyner
Rachael Joyner is a staff writer and photographer for Cross International, a South Florida-based charity that supports social development projects in 36 countries. Before coming to Cross, Joyner worked as a staff reporter for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. She has worked as a contributing travel writer for Jazziz Magazine and freelances as a Web designer, photographer, and writer. Joyner has served as Secretary for the SPJ South Florida Pro chapter. She graduated from Florida Atlantic University — where she served as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, University Press — with a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism and political science.

Treasurer – Jason Parsley
Jason Parsley is an award winning reporter for the Forum Publishing Group. He has also freelanced for Edge Ft. Lauderdale and the New York Daily News. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in political science. While in school he served as the Editor in Chief of the student newspaper the University Press. He has also served as a director at large for the SPJ South Florida Pro chapter.

DIRECTORS AT LARGE

Jake Cline
Jake Cline is the editor of City Link magazine and Citylinkmix.com. He has written for The Rumpus, Blurt magazine and other publications.

Lisa Lucas
Lisa Lucas, a former child actress, has been working as a professional journalist in South Florida since 2005. She has contributed feature stories to Closer Magazine and Boca Raton Magazine, for which she won a Charlie Award for Best In-Depth Reporting for her story on gangs in Palm Beach County. She was a stringer for the New York Post, People Magazine and Agence France Presse and is currently the main corresponding reporter in Florida for the New York Daily News, covering national news stories from John Travolta to John Gotti to A-Rod and now Tiger Woods.

Rebekah Monson
Rebekah Monson has worked at the Sun Sentinel since 2005 as a designer, design director and a community manager for the business section of SunSentinel.com. She will take on yet another position in December as a reporter covering Boca Raton. She also blogs for the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism on multimedia and online journalism. After graduating from Louisiana State University’s Manship School for Mass Communication in 2003, Rebekah worked at newspapers in the Northwest as a copy editor and a designer. She hopes to use her diverse background to help fellow SPJ members learn new technology, assist with career changes and highlight opportunities in emerging media.

Lucy Reed
Lucy Reed has been a reporter and editor in South Florida for 20 years. She has worked with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, South Florida Business Journal, CityLink, and New Times. She now is the owner and editor of The Triton, an internationally circulated, monthly newspaper for the folks who earn their living working on luxury yachts.

Arlene Satchell
Arlene Satchell is a business reporter for the Sun Sentinel. She began her journalism career as a summer intern at the newspaper in 2007. She covers retail, marine industry and telecom trends and is a travel blog contributor. Satchell graduated in August 2006 with a master’s degree in print journalism from the University of Miami. She also holds a MBA degree from Nova Southeastern University. Prior to journalism, she worked for 14 years in hospitality sales, marketing and public relations for hotels in Aruba, Jamaica and the Florida Keys. Her hobbies include travel, amateur photography and gardening.

Bill Whiting
Bill Whiting is a retired reporter and editor with The Miami Herald and Florida Power & Light Company, where he directed content and design of FPL Group Web sites serving over 4 million residential and commercial accounts throughout Florida. He graduated from Michigan State University, where he joined SPJ (SDX) in 1972, and lives in Boca Raton.

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
(2010 chapter president automatically moves into this role in 2011)

Darcie Lunsford
Lunsford is the real estate editor at the South Florida Business Journal and national president-elect of the Society of Professional Journalists. She served as president of SPJ’s South Florida Pro Chapter from 2004 to 2007. A veteran reporter, Lunsford has spent the past 10 years covering South Florida real estate. She is a former on-air contributor on WPLG Local 10 in Miami, WPBF TV-25 in Palm Beach Gardens and reports stories for the Business Journal on WPTV TV-5, the NBC station in West Palm Beach. Lunsford joined the Business Journal in 1997.

The chapter is planning a board retreat to be held on a Saturday in January. All chapter members are invited (details to come).