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ASNE welcomes two new staffers

I'm thrilled and delighted to announce the first  two staff members who will join me at the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism.

I'm thrilled and delighted to announce the first  two staff members who will join me at the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism.

Both started today, Monday, October 1.

Cindy Roe — ASNE Finance Director

For the past five and a half years, Cindy has been the financial officer for the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri's School of Journalism. Her duties have included reporting to the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation—the provider of building and operating funds—regarding annual budget, actual expenditure reports, progress reports, budget justification, and adjustments to the budget throughout the year. She has also handled other financial duties and assisted with logistics of RJI's projects, including legal contracts and procurement of equipment following university regulations. Cindy said she has loved helping get RJI off the ground and watching it grow. "Being at RJI and the Missouri School of Journalism has taught me so much respect for journalism," she said. "I see the passion in the teachers, the students and our RJI staff that is truly inspiring." Aware of the challenges facing the news industry, Cindy said "that is why I am excited to be involved with ASNE, because I want to be a part of an organization devoted to helping its members. It will also be rewarding that I will be close enough to RJI that we can work together." Before joining RJI, Cindy had 30 years of experience in the business environment. She has been the head of small to mid-sized companies' accounting departments for more than 20 years, and her accounting experience ranges from profit to nonprofit organizations. Cindy has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Winthrop University in South Carolina, where she graduated magna cum laude. She and her husband, Jim, lived in the Carolinas for 20 years before returning to Missouri in 2006 to be near family.

Le Anne Wiseman — ASNE Director of the High School Journalism Program

Le Anne WisemanFor the past 16 months, Le Anne has worked for the National Freedom of Information Coalition, where she worked closely with its executive director, Kenneth F. Bunting—former editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and a longtime ASNE member. The National Freedom of Information Coalition is a network of state freedom of information advocates fostering government transparency at the state and local level, promoting access to government records and meetings, and protecting rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. Like ASNE, NFOIC is based at Missouri's RJI. Le Anne says she is excited to begin working with high school teachers and their students to help the next generation achieve higher levels of news literacy, become ardent advocates of the First Amendment and reflect our diverse citizenry. A graduate of the University of Missouri, Le Anne brings more than 15 years of program management experience to the position—working in nonprofit and higher education settings as well as the private sector. Her diverse interests led her to earn both a bachelor's degree and a law degree from the University of Missouri. Le Anne's passion for journalism began, she said, as a high school sophomore when she attended a 4-H broadcast journalism camp. That summer, Wiseman used her broadcast training to report 4-H results from the Nebraska State Fair for KMMJ radio in Grand Island, Neb. The radio station offered Le Anne a paid news internship the next summer. After only two weeks on the job, seven tornadoes devastated Grand Island. Le Anne said that when she arrived at work the next morning, the news director, whose home had been destroyed, handed her a microphone and said, “The governor is flying in, go get the story.” She did. And then spent the rest of the summer helping the KMMJ news team report on rescue and recovery efforts and other issues of importance to the community.

We will be hiring one more staff member, maybe two, in the coming months. We will keep you posted. For now, please join me in welcoming Cindy and Le Anne. You can reach Cindy at 573-884-2405 and at  croe@asne.org. You can reach Le Anne at 573-884-2689 and at lwiseman@asne.org.

— Arnie Robbins, ASNE executive director

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