Sustainability & Civics News Site Hires Senior Editor
Release from CivicStory
South Orange, NJ, November 11, 2021 //South Orange-based writer and editor Jennie Aylward is joining CivicStory as the organization’s Senior Editor. In this role, Aylward will promote sustainability action, civics education, creative change, and social justice in New Jersey, and oversee CivicStory’s NJ Sustainability Reporting project.
During her career in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, Aylward spent thirteen years in communications and advocacy roles at global health organizations, including TogetHER for Health and Population Services International (PSI). Prior to that, her employers included the United States Senate, and the consulting firm The Avascent Group. Aylward is a member of the South Orange, NJ Green Team.
“I’m honored to assume the role of CivicStory’s Senior Editor,” said Aylward. “I look forward to expanding the influence of CivicStory and the NJ Sustainability News project. In particular, I am excited for CivicStory to support young leaders’ access to journalistic tools, to elevate youth voices, and to focus on environmental justice efforts in New Jersey.”
Founded in 2010, CivicStory is one of six nonprofit news sites in New Jersey that are members of the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN). Its signature project—the NJ Sustainability Reporting hub—is a statewide news collaborative designed to increase the volume of sustainability reporting. The project supports four- to six-month reporting fellowships, and aggregates sustainability stories at www.SRHub.org. The addition of the Senior Editor to the CivicStory team comes as the project involves, for the first time, both student and professional reporters, along with university journalism faculty and newsroom editors as advisors.
“The new position of Senior Editor builds upon excellent work by past project directors, editors, and media managers,” said Julia Sommer, CivicStory board of trustees secretary and program committee chair, and a member of the search team. “Jennie’s strong background in public and nonprofit communications and advocacy, as well as her clear passion for collaboration and sustainability, made her the top candidate for the position.”
In addition to Sommer, the search team included Jennifer Sneed, Manager, State of Good Repair Program at NJ Transit and Principal, Gateway Affairs; Emily Kostic, Director, Marketing & Communications at Ad Council; and Susan Haig, CivicStory founder and board development co-chair.
“The Board looks forward to working with Jennie to achieve our vision of elevating the public dialogue on how citizens can support sustainability and change in communities across New Jersey,” said Pamela Daniels, CivicStory’s board chair.
About CivicStory: CivicStory was founded in 2010. Founder Susan Haig, a conductor with broad orchestral and opera experience in the United States and Canada, aimed to broaden public and media awareness of the transformative work of civic-cultural nonprofits through the vernacular form of short videos.
CivicStory's 100+ video archive (Youtube.com/CivicStory) encompasses subjects such as ecological restoration and stewardship, creative growth in cities, and civics and humanities education. More than 40 segments aired on NJTV, WHYY, WBGO (Newark), WWOR (Secaucus), WACP Philadelphia Ch. 4, and Jersey Access Group (JAG) public access TV stations.
CivicStory also presents public forums exploring the civic role and purpose of news, and the impact of news media on democracy and the environment. In 2019, CivicStory launched the NJ Sustainability Reporting hub collaborative with founding partners the Center for Cooperative Media (CCM), Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (ANJEE), and New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (NJHEPS).
Senior Editor search committee:
Julia Sommer, program committee chair and secretary, CivicStory board of trustees
Susan Haig, CivicStory founding trustee, board development co-chair
Emily Kostic, Director, Marketing & Communications at Ad Council
Jennifer Sneed, member, CivicStory advisory board
Press Contact: Lynne Rogerson, editors@civicstory.org, 973-216-5243
www.CivicStory.org
www.SRhub.org
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