Leadership Team

Bettina Chang,
co-founder, Co-Executive Director, Chicago Programs

Bettina is the Executive Director of Chicago Programs at City Bureau, formerly executive digital editor of Chicago magazine. She also edited at DNAinfo Chicago and Pacific Standard.

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Darryl Holliday,
Co-founder, Co-Executive Director, NAtional Impact

Darryl is the Executive Director of National Impact at City Bureau. He's a Studs Terkel Award-winning journalist, founder of the Illustrated Press and reporter formerly with DNAinfo Chicago.

 

Harry Backlund,
co-founder, Co-Executive Director, Operations and Development

Harry is the Executive Director of Operations at City Bureau and the founding publisher of the South Side Weekly, a volunteer-run community newspaper in Chicago. 

 

Staff

India Daniels,
Civic Reporter

India has a background in curriculum design, copy editing and nonprofit coordination. She writes about civic power via the Newswire, a twice-weekly email newsletter based on Chicago Documenters’ questions and insights from local government meetings.

Sarah Conway,
Senior Reporter & Special projects manager

Sarah is an award-winning journalist that believes in the healing power of storytelling. Over the past six years with City Bureau, she has led reporting teams covering neighborhood economic development, criminal justice reform, and food justice. She writes intimate narrative stories rooted in investigative and community-centered reporting.

CAROLINE OLSEN,
DEVELOPMENT manager

Caroline is City Bureau's Development Coordinator. She comes from a background in multimedia producing, storytelling and nonprofit communications. A former reporting fellow, she's excited about returning to City Bureau to help build a sustainable movement toward community-driven media systems.

Cristina salgado,
Director of people and culture

Cristina is the Director of People and Culture at City Bureau. She values storytelling, community and healing justice. Her life's work has been about co-struggling with young people and building student voice programs and practices. She is bringing her culture building and organizing skills to continue innovating our equitable hiring process, as well as our internal systems and structures.

Natalie Frazier,
DOCUMENTERS COMMUNITY COORDINATOR

Natalie is from the West Side of Chicago. She utilizes her eclectic background in filmmaking, food service and journalism to cultivate a rich and vibrant Chicago Documenters community.

Eli Ramirez,
Operations and finance Manager

Eli is City Bureau’s Operations and Finance Manager. Once a music educator and hospitality professional, he deeply values creating long-lasting and meaningful relationships with folks that love Chicago.

Max Resnik,
director of network services, documenters network

Max is the Director of Network Services for the Documenters Network at City Bureau. Based in Brooklyn, NY, Max works with civic and media organizations across the country to equip community members to document and amplify important local information from public meetings.

W.D floyd,
director of community engagement

W.D Floyd is the Community Engagement Director at City Bureau. He is a multidisciplinary practitioner whose work is grounded in the desire to illuminate the dignity of those who have traditionally been framed through a lens of degradation. 

NORA BRYNE,
DOCUMENTERs NETWORK RESOURCE AND ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

Nora is the Documenter Network Resource and Engagement Coordinator at City Bureau. Based in Chicago, Nora is a community connector and network weaver. She seeks out spaces that embrace the fluidity of identity.

shabaka verna,
operations coordinator

Shabaka is City Bureau’s Operations Coordinator. He pulls from his background in multimedia, special events and information systems to fuel ingenuity and equip people to dream big. In this role, he maintains administrative systems to ensure City Bureau’s space is used to have a positive impact on staff and community.

Jerrel floyd,
engagement reporter

Jerrel is City Bureau’s Engagement Reporter. Previously, he was a ProPublica Illinois fellow and a local government reporter with the Post and Courier in Charleston, SC. He has covered a wide range of topics from growth and development to education and health. In this role, he will develop a beat centered on public and affordable housing and food accessibility as well as mentor early-career reporters in our Civic Reporting Fellowship program.

Marilyn Carteno,
Events and Outreach CoOrdinator

Marilyn is City Bureau’s Events and Outreach Coordinator. She is an educator and theater artist who is committed to creating spaces where folks feel heard and welcomed. In this role, she will plan and facilitate City Bureau’s public events as well as develop relationships with civic and community organizations in Chicago’s BIPOC neighborhoods.

Yasmin Zacaria Mikhaiel,
digital producer

Yasmin is City Bureau's Digital Producer. With a background in theatre (dramaturgy and criticism), education, and oral history, their multidisciplinary work as a queer, fat, brown, femme amplifies and archives stories that go lost/stolen/forgotten. They have hands on City Bureau's socials, newsletters, and website and enjoy working collaboratively to promote civically-made journalism programs and projects.

Louise Macaraniag,
DEvelopment coordinator

Louise is City Bureau’s Development Coordinator. She is a writer, organizer, and activist who is committed to creating a more equitable, pro-people media landscape for community members and organizations.

SIERRA SANGETTI-DANIELS,
FLN NETWORK coordinator

Sierra is the Network Coordinator for Future of Local News (FLN). Sierra is passionate about shifting power and is committed to bringing big ideas to life. She is a co-founder of People’s Perception Project where she designs civic engagement programs for middle and high school students. Previously, she worked as an Assignment Editor for Spectrum News.

JODY CHONG, DOCUMENTERS NETWORK DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Jody is the Documenters Network Deputy Director. Based in Atlanta, she leads the strategy to grow and support Documenters programs across the country. Her work is grounded in justice and liberation for all people. Jody has a background in nonprofit operations, strategy, and economic justice programs and policy.

Kristen Fallica, Director of communications

Kristen is City Bureau's Director of Communications. Drawing on her diverse background in digital strategy, education, nonprofit leadership, and public programming, Kristen is energized by developing marketing and communications strategies to help City Bureau expand its reach and impact. 

Sonam vashi, Director of Network success, documenters network

Sonam is the Director of Network Success for the Documenters Network. Based in her hometown of Atlanta, she leads the development of strategies to support a thriving network of community journalists. She has a background in local reporting, archival research, and nonprofit leadership as a cofounder of Canopy Atlanta.