SAJA Board Candidates Below, you will find the candidate statements for those running for a position on the SAJA board (in first name alphabetical order). There are (5) candidates running for (5) open seats on the board. Deena Zaidi I started my writing journey in 2013 after publishing a working paper with the University of Singapore. I started with my own blog and wrote on economics, money and banking. I soon started freelancing for TheStreet.com for about two years or more. I understand freelance is an uphill battle for those who start fresh and I think SAJA will be a great platform to initiate such conversations for those who are new to journalism or don’t have a degree in journalism but want to have a reporting career. As someone who doesn’t have a journalism degree, I hope to provide a unique perspective and trigger discussions that allow freelancers to better understand the resources and process of moving from freelance to full time or vice versa. Since I have worked as a full-time data reporter with a local newspaper and single-handedly compiled a large database for the local newsroom, I am keen to share my learnings, insights and the value of strong data journalism in these most testing times. What is your journalism experience? I started my journalism journey with TheStreet.com in 2013 and crafted stories on earnings report, market reactions to IPOs, and the impact of geopolitics on global economies. I've written for Truthout, Seeking Alpha, and VentureBeat. I also wrote for a local non-profit The Borgen Project to alleviate global poverty. I have worked as a fact-checker for a local magazine called Seattle Met. In 2018, I started working as a full-time data reporter with a local newsroom, The Puget Sound Business Journal in Seattle, where I reported on local businesses and compiled weekly lists for the newspaper. My focus was on data-driven stories that looked beyond the numbers. For the newsroom, I covered different industries in Washington state and the pandemic impacts on small businesses in the region. I moved from Seattle in October 2020 and currently live in Toronto. I currently work as a freelance data journalist. I am a congressional reporter for AP, based in Washington D.C. Before this role, I was a statehouse reporter in Columbus, Ohio, through the AP-Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Before coming to the AP, I was a national and breaking news reporter for NBC News. My AP career started in New York City in 2019 as a news associate. You have elected and re-elected me to serve as a Board member or Advisor to the Board and as Treasurer of SAJA since SAJA’s formal inception in 2001. I bring EXPERIENCE and CONTINUITY to SAJA. In voting for me, you will be endorsing FOCUS, DEDICATION, DISCIPLINE and COMPLIANCE. FOCUS: As SAJA grows, so do demands and pressures on the organization’s capacity and resources, requiring triage, prioritization and focus on our core mission. My goals are to sharpen SAJA’s focus on core programs: Scholarships, Educational and Training programs and SAJA Reporting Fellowship Program. DEDICATION: SAJA depends on each of us to devote CONSISTENTLY to its programs. Over the past two decades, I have actively participated in SAJA’s activities, despite significant demands on my time from my personal and business interests. DISCIPLINE: While many non-profit and journalism groups have suffered severe financial setbacks, SAJA’s financial reserves and donor base have remained stable; SAJA has ZERO debt. This gives SAJA a strong outlook for maintaining its educational and outreach programs. As treasurer and Board Member, I have contributed to SAJA's financial stability and discipline. COMPLIANCE: For nearly two decades, SAJA has entrusted to me important record-keeping and regulatory reporting obligations. All these responsibilities have been fulfilled consistently and accurately. Working with members like you, volunteers and other board members, I will continue to help in SAJA’s governance, financial management, fundraising and membership drives. I will champion quality, excellence and controlled growth. If you have any questions, please contact me at johnlaxmisaja@gmail.com. Thanks. Mythili Sampathkumar |