FAMU’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communication led with two victories at the 2009-2010 National Association of Black Journalism Convention this weekend.
Friday afternoon in Tampa, the 3,200-member organization elected Florida A&M University alumna Kathy Times as their 18th president and FAMU senior Georgia Dawkins as student representative. Times defeated Angelo Henderson, a radio talk-show host by 57 percent of the votes. Times is currently an anchor for WDBD-TV in Jackson, Miss. and will serve as president until 2011.
During a news conference announcing the election results, Times shared her love for FAMU.
“I was editor of The Famuan, and I got leadership training through that,” said Times. “I learned accuracy counts. If you made one fact error you got an F (grade)…and that made me a better journalist.”
Dawkins, a senior broadcast journalism student from Sebring, Fla., said that her former position as president for FAMU’s NABJ helped prepare her for the national position.
“This organization has provided me with countless opportunities to expand my skills and my network,” Dawkins said. Dawkins led the chapter to win the 2008 NABJ Student Chapter of the Year.
Dawkins said she has a mission of retention and active membership for the organization. “I wish to pay forward what has been invested in my career by empowering students with the knowledge we need to lead this industry,” she said.
NABJ, founded in 1975, is currently the largest organization of journalists of color.