NABJCC Board Members
 President
Brandon Pope is an award winning , Emmy-nominated multimedia journalist, anchoring and reporting at WCIU-TV and CW26 Chicago, and WBEZ, Chicago’s NPR station. Pope teaches TV journalism at Columbia College. He’s also a writer for Ebony magazine and a contributor at Sun-Times, Revolt and YR Media. His journalism work has included coverage of the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Presidential Elections, the London Olympics, the Indy 500, college football, the PGA tour and the NFL and NBA. He is a proud Ball State University alumni, member of the University’s journalism alumni board, and a 2023 inductee into the Ball State “Hall Of Beneficence,” honoring distinguished alumni who have made an impact in their profession and the world. Reach out to him on social media at @bpopetv. |
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Vice President, Print Phil Thompson |
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Vice President, Broadcast Carrie Walker
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Lee Edwards is a multimedia/digital journalist who is currently the managing program coordinator for The Real Chi, an experimental “learning newsroom” program of Free Spirit Media based in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. Prior to joining the Free Spirit Media, Lee spent the last six years as a digital journalist covering a wide spectrum of beats across the Chicagoland region as a former reporter/contributor with Block Club Chicago, The Chicago Defender, Austin Weekly News, Times Republic. and City Bureau among other media outlets.
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 Vice President, Archive
Angel Idowu currently serves as the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation Arts Correspondent for WTTW’s Chicago Tonight, Black Voices and Latino Voices. As a Chicago native, this is a position Angel does not take lightly. It is really important to her to bring attention to communities that fostered her creative interest as an adolescent, because it is what ultimately led her to this point in her career. Her love for the arts extends beyond her work as a journalist. She is also a developing screenwriter, runs her own production company, FoomiLOLA Media, and heads a nonprofit geared toward art education resources. Before joining WTTW, Angel served as an evening producer and weekend reporter for WJTV12, a CBS affiliate in Jackson, MS. She received her Master’s in Journalism from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, and her undergraduate degree from Beloit College. Outside of work, Angel credits herself to being a total foodie and loves to try (not cook) new dishes whenever she can!
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 Secretary
Josh McGhee covers courts, corrections and racial equity at Injustice Watch, a not-for-profit dedicated to exposing institutional failures obstructing justice and equality. He’s spent nearly a decade covering Chicago at various outlets including DNAinfo Chicago, The Chicago Reporter, and WVON.
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 Treasurer
Valarie West, Ret. Fox Chicago, has been the NABJ Chicago Treasurer for many years. A long-time media professional, she was News Unit Business Manager for Fox Chicago for 16 years before she retired in 2009. Valarie also worked at CBS for 10 years. |
