AABJ 2025 Board of Directors Slate of Candidates
Election Day: Saturday, November 8, 2025 * NOON * WSB-TV 1601 Peachtree Street Atlanta, GA
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
→Condace Pressley, Director of Public and Community Affairs, Cox Media (Incumbent AABJ President)
Condace Pressley, WSB-TV Director of Community and Public Affairs and current AABJ President, is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who previously held multiple leadership roles at News 95.5 WSB. A UGA Grady College graduate, she’s a member of both the Georgia Radio and Georgia Association of Broadcasters Halls of Fame and was profiled by The HistoryMakers. President of AABJ from 1993-1995 and NABJ 2001-2003, Condace now serves on the boards of the United Way, Wellstar Foundation, Cobb Community Foundation, and Leadership Atlanta.
→Tyrik Wynn, Morning News Anchor 41NBC, Macon, GA
Tyrik Wynn is an award-winning journalist and morning news anchor at 41NBC/WMGT-TV, where he brings energy, credibility, and a commanding on-air presence to viewers each morning. A proud graduate of Georgia State University, Tyrik has built an impressive media career as Founder & CEO of Wynn Productions LLC, Chair of NABJ’s Digital Journalism Task Force, and Vice President of Digital for AABJ. His trailblazing work has earned him honors such as News Anchor of the Year and the NABJ Ma’at Award. A proven leader who served two terms as NABJ-GSU President, Tyrik is now ready to take AABJ to the next level with bold ideas for inclusion, transparency, and innovation. His plan focuses on rebuilding programming, strengthening student engagement, increasing financial accountability, and ensuring every member has a voice. With passion, purpose, and forward-thinking leadership, Tyrik is committed to uniting the organization and ensuring that with him at the helm, AABJ will WYNN.
VP OF PRINT CANDIDATE (Uncontested)
→Delano Massey, Managing Editor, Axios Local
Delano Massey is Managing Editor of Axios Local, leading Midwest coverage and contributing national stories on justice and equity. He previously led race and policy coverage at CNN and The Associated Press. With 20+ years in journalism, he frequently writes and speaks on newsroom diversity and inclusive storytelling. This fall, he was appointed Vice President–Print for AABJ and is running to complete the two-year term. He sits on the boards of the National Press Club Journalism Institute and Diversity Action Alliance. He is a partner with the Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association (MMCA), advancing equity-focused media innovation. He also co-founded the Multicultural Media & Correspondents Xchange (MMCX), a platform connecting multicultural media talent to newsroom leaders. An Ohio native based in Atlanta, he is a Maynard, Poynter, and Kiplinger fellow and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
VP OF DIGITAL CANDIDATES
→Denise Hendricks, Supervising Producer, CNN
Denise Hendricks is a woman of faith, a mom, and an award-winning television producer and writer. She has been in the news and entertainment industry for several years producing for: CNN, MSNBC, HLN, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” the OWN network, ABC, BET, and for several local news television affiliates across the country. She is currently Supervising Producer for CNN Headlines, the global cable network’s free ad supported streaming television channel. Denise holds a B.S. in Journalism from Florida A&M University, an M.A. in Christian Education from the Interdenominational Theological Center, and a Screenwriting certificate from Emory University. She is the recipient of several awards, including a regional Emmy for Best Newscast, an NAACP Image award, FAMU’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the Thelma T. Gorham Journalism Award, and the Unsung Heroine Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women highlighting her volunteer work with youth from underserved communities in Florida, Illinois, and Georgia. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., the Producers Guild of America, and Nat’l Assn. of Black Journalists. She has spent many years volunteering and mentoring youth and is passionate about initiatives surrounding foster care and adoption. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her young son.
→Saran Tarawaley, Senior News & Investigative Producer, The Shade Room
Saran Tarawaley is the Senior News & Investigative Producer at The Shade Room, where she leads social media coverage of major national, political, and entertainment news stories. Before joining TSR, she built her reporting expertise at top outlets, including TMZ, CNN, and Fox News. Saran is a proven leader who served as Class President for two years each in high school and college. The next-gen newsroom leader has been an NABJ member since 2018 and received NABJ’s Tech Trek Student Scholarship in 2019. In 2024, she covered the critical 2024 election cycle, hitting the RNC and DNC. She also traveled in President Biden’s motorcade during his infamous debate date in Atlanta, GA. Most recently, she led TSR’s on ground coverage of the highly publicized Diddy trial in New York City.
SECRETARY CANDIDATES
→Imara Canady, National Director for Communications & Community Engagement, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (Incumbent Secretary)
Imara Canady currently serves as National Director for Communications & Community Engagement for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the world’s largest, non-profit,HIV/AIDS service and advocacy organization and Chair, Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC), W. Imara Canady, referred to as the “all around go to guy” by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is a highly respected executive leader, nationally known for building partnerships and collaborations that have a sustainable community impact. Prior to his current role, Imara served as the Area Development Director for the Atlanta Regional Office of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), where his portfolio included over-seeing thecommunity engagement and fundraising operations inSouth Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, annually raising over $2.5 million dollars, in support of the office’s multi-million-dollargoal to achieve the organization’s mission of assisting students to get to and through college. Prior to UNCF, he was Vice-President of Programming and Strategic Partnerships for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, where, as part of the institution’s executive leadership team, he created and developed the Center’s national programmatic infrastructure and foundation.
→Tony Betton Jr., Programs & Communications Director, Usher’s New Look
Tony Betton Jr. is an Emmy-nominated media professional, long-time NABJ/AABJ member and he currently serves as Director of Programs & Communications at Usher’s New Look, leading storytelling and operations for national youth programs. A former Founding member & President of NABJ at Georgia State University, Tony has nearly a decade of NABJ experience across student and professional chapters and has built a reputation as a bridge-builder who connects generations, industries, and communities through purpose-driven storytelling. As a natural communicator and collaborator, Tony thrives on bringing people together and turning ideas into action. He brings both administrative excellence, organization, and creative energy and thinking to every space he serves from the entertainment industry, to multi-media to community and social impact. As Secretary, Tony will aim to strengthen AABJ’s communication flow, cultivate member engagement, and build a more connected journalism community and AABJ’s relationship with the community.
VP OF BROADCAST CANDIDATES
→Lisa Cox, Writer/Producer, CNN (Incumbent VP of Broadcast)
Lisa D. Cox is a veteran Emmy award-winning broadcaster and Writer/Producer at CNN. She is a Lifetime NABJ member for which she served two terms on the Board of Directors, and as an affiliate chapter president and vice president in several cities including LA and NY. She is a longtime instructor/mentor for the NABJ Multimedia Student Projects and a Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
→Cheryl Collier, Writer, CNN
Cheryl Collier is an Emmy-Award winning writer, producer and author. She is passionate about using the power of words to captivate, motivate, and inspire. Cheryl earned a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism at NYU. Her journalism career flourished in Atlanta, where she has worked as a Writer, Producer, Segment Producer, and Senior Producer for CNN, HLN, Court TV, Black News Channel, and CNNI. Cheryl has been a member of NABJ and AABJ for almost 30 years. She has served as Parliamentarian and President of AABJ and as a Producer/Writer for “In Contact”. Cheryl is a wife, a mother of three grown children and a grandmother to five smart, energetic boys.
PARALIMENTARIAN CANDIDATES
→Gwen Anderson Warren, CNN Editor
Gwen Anderson Warren is a seasoned media professional with over 36 years of experience specializing in video editing and news field production. Her long-standing career at CNN includes roles as a journalist, craft editor/producer, and media supervisor. Her award-winning productions for CNN’s news platforms include the Dupont and the Emmy. Currently, Gwen serves as the Director of Video Production at World News Group. She also lends her voice talent to the web-based student news show, “A World from A to Z with Carl Azuz.” The group produces a web-based news show for teens that covers diverse topics, including STEM. Gwen’s academic journey includes a bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and certificates in Social Media Management and Creative Writing from Emory University. She is not only a professional in the media industry but also a resolute volunteer and mentor for VOX ATL. Her guest speaking engagements have included DeKalb County Schools and Ohio School Systems. Gwen served as a team lead on WarnerMedia’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team and its Corporate Responsibility Council. She has also represented CNN Image + Sound at the NABJ Conventions. She continues to support NABJ by sponsoring and escorting young journalists to the annual conventions and by assisting the Atlanta Chapter with present needs.
→Christina Collier, Regional Finance Director for Crow LLP and Owner of Glen Austin Group PR Firm
Christina Collier graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and minored in Hospitality. She is an operations professional who manages facilities at the director level globally. She has made waves in various industries including media, financial services, and events.She is also an owner of Glen Austin Group, a public relations firm. Christina’s passions include travel. She creates, edits, and shares accurate travel and lifestyle content on social media. Lead by a passion for people, Christina places heart at the center of all her endeavors.
TREASURER CANDIDATE (Uncontested)
→Ernie Suggs, Enterprise Reporter, AJC Newspaper
Ernie Suggs has been a reporter at the AJC since 1997, currently covering race and culture, primarily through the paper’s Unapologetically ATL franchise. He previously reported for newspapers in New York City and Durham, N.C. A veteran of more than 20 years as a newspaper reporter, Suggs has covered stories ranging from politics to civil rights to higher education. A 1990 graduate of North Carolina Central University, with a degree in English Literature, Suggs was also a Harvard University Nieman Fellow. He is currently on the Nieman Board of Trustees and the former national vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists. His appreciation for Prince and the New York Yankees is unmatched.In 2022, he published his first book, “The Many Lives of Andrew Young,” which chronicles the life of the former Atlanta mayor, civil rights icon and United Nations Ambassador. And in 2023, he wrote and produced the Emmy-nominated, “The South Got Something to Say,” the AJC’s look at Southern hip-hop.
*All official candidates have completed and passed the verification and interview process by the AABJ Nomination Committee.