Public

Thank you for considering my candidacy for a spot on the SEJ Board for 2023-26. It is an honor to be a candidate for one of the most prestigious board seats in the country. I toss my hat in the ring as a veteran journalist and 7-year member of SEJ.

To SEJ's Members,

I've never dreamed of joining a board, but I have, like many reporters, believed strongly in the possibility of change. I began freelancing while pursuing a degree in mass communications in college. From the start, social justice and human rights issues have fueled my passion for journalism. I look to elevate voices from historically and intentionally marginalized communities. It only took my first full-time journalism job to quickly recognize how human rights are inextricably linked to the environment. 

I'm a Brazilian journalist currently working as an investigative reporter for Mongabay and as a fellow of the Pulitzer Center's Rainforest Investigations Network. It's impossible to separate my environmental career from the SEJ: a well-timed reporting grant was a milestone in my shift to environmental reporting. 

I'd like to be on the SEJ board because I care deeply about the organization and think I could help guide it in its next chapter. I have fresh ideas and can relate to journalists in various positions: I’ve been both a long-time staff member—working as a senior writer/editor at National Geographic for the past five years—and a freelancer as well, writing for the likes of the Atlantic, New York Times, Washington Post, and Scientific American.

I’m Bobby Magill, a water policy and public lands journalist for Bloomberg Law. I’m a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and I’ve been an SEJ member since 2004. I previously served two three-year terms on the SEJ Board of Directors until 2021 and was SEJ president for three of its most transformative years, from 2016-2019. 

I’m running to serve on the board for another term for four reasons:

SEJ colleagues:

I’m running for the SEJ board after being temporarily appointed to the board earlier this year. It’s been an honor to serve with my fellow board members and I’ve learned a lot about the organization and its mission.

In addition to my work as a board member, I’ve served on SEJ’s fundraising and membership committees, as well as the editorial advisory committee where I co-edit SEJournal’s Inside Story. It would be a privilege to continue to work on the board for a full term.

My name is Aarón Miguel Cantú and I’m running to serve on SEJ’s board of directors. 

There are two main reasons I’ve decided to run. First, I’ve been fortunate in my career and want to extend opportunities to journalists, especially freelancers, who are underrepresented in environmental journalism. Second, I want to update how our profession engages with the climate crisis, the increasingly urgent and unavoidable issue of our time. 

Dear friends and colleagues:

I’m excited to share my story as I bring my credentials to serve on the SEJ board.

Members, in order to vote, be sure your dues are current and your profiles are updated by TODAY, Monday, August 21. Visit your profile on sej.memberclicks.net/my-profile before 11:59 P.M. your local time. This election is to fill five Active-category seats on the Board of Directors for three-year terms. Meet the candidates. Only Active-category members vote for Active-category candidates. This election also includes a Bylaws Amendment proposal. Members of the Active, Associate, Academic and Student categories will vote on the proposal.

And the winners are...