Leadership Shake-up: Elise Durham named Executive Director Despite Controversy
By Morgan Norris
The search for a new executive director officially concluded Tuesday evening with the appointment of Elise Durham, who previously served as assistant general manager of marketing, communications, and public affairs at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.
But the controversy surrounding the process is far from over.
NABJ members received a notification via email on Wednesday: “NABJ Selects Elise Durham as its Next Executive Director.” Shortly after the announcement at 4:52 p.m., The Monitor was notified that Durham and NABJ President Ken Lemon would be holding a press conference.
Several members of NABJ’s leadership said they were unaware that Durham would be selected as the ED and that the conference was occurring.
“I found out who the new executive director was at the same time you all did,” NABJ Vice President of Digital Amir Vera told The Monitor. “If you all are saying there is a conference about to happen, I guess I’ll follow you all to whatever room it is in, because I had no clue.”
Things got heated at the press conference, with several members complaining about what they said was a lack of transparency in the hiring process.
“I don’t think it was fair to the candidate or the board members involved,” said Vera, who in July 2025 introduced a failed motion to the Board of Directors to pause the executive director search until after the NABJ elections, which are scheduled for Friday, August 8.
During the press conference after frustrated questioning, Vera stormed out of the press conference.
“Since we found out at the same time, Student Projects, hold him accountable,” Vera said, before walking out.
Vera isn’t alone in his concerns. On July 26, NABJ electoral candidates—-Khorri Atkinson, Tre’vell Anderson, A’Lauren Gilchrist, Errin Haines, Raelyn Johnson, Vance Lang, Roland Martin and Dion Rabouin—-posted an open letter to the NABJ Personnel Committee requesting “an immediate pause to the Executive Director search” until the new executive board is seated after elections.
Deputy West Coast News The Guardian Editor Justin Madden reminded Lemon of the letter and accused him of ignoring concerns about the hiring process during the press conference.
“Your membership is asking you a very vulnerable question here,” he said.
Lemon insisted that he has been transparent about his plans and defended the timing of the appointment. NABJ’s executive team works remotely, he said, and attending the conference gives the new executive director a chance to network and shadow the outgoing executive director.
When asked about the transparency concerns raised by board members, the future executive director was direct.
“You’re asking me a question I have nothing to do with,” said Durham. “I realize that there is dissension, but we need to move on. There is a lot of work to do, and we have to come together to do that.”
