Julia M. Dendinger — President
@JuliaMDendinger

Julia is the assistant editor of the Valencia County News-Bulletin. She has worked at the community paper since 2006. During that time, her writing and photography has been acknowledged by the New Mexico Press Association and National Newspaper Association.

Julia has a passion for educating the next generation of reporters, and deeply appreciates what new reporters bring to the field. She has served on the SPJ Rio Grande board for three years.

Jerry Redfern — Past President 
@jerryredfern

Jerry is a reporter for Capital & Main, covering the oil & gas industry in New Mexico. He is also a visual journalist, covering the environment, health, and human rights, primarily in the developing world.

A journalism graduate from the University of Montana, he spent several years as a staff photographer at newspapers in the American West. Jerry began freelancing in Cambodia where he shot news, features and investigative stories for Agence France-Presse, The New York Times, The Cambodia Daily, and others.

Curtis Segarra — Secretary 
@CurtisSegarra

Curtis is the Investigative Data Reporter at KRQE News 13. He regularly covers local crime, legal matters, environmental issues, and cannabis news.

In addition, he acts as a de facto producer for other reporters as needed. Curtis grew up in Albuquerque but received his master’s in Science, Health, and Environmental reporting from NYU a few years ago.

He recently received an NM Broadcasters’ Association award for his investigative series on crime in New Mexico, and he’s been Emmy nominated as a producer.

Megan Kamerick — Treasurer
@megankamerick

Megan is news director at KUNM-FM where she also produces the monthly show University Showcase.

She is a correspondent for New Mexico PBS where she co-hosts the podcast “Growing Forward: Cannabis and New Mexico” and has freelanced for NPR, Latino USA and several podcasts including Peace Talks Radio. She also does freelance writing for several publications.

Megan previously worked as a producer at New Mexico PBS, a reporter and editor for the New Mexico Business Weekly, associate editor at New Orleans CityBusiness and a reporter and editor for the San Antonio Business Journal.

She reports on the arts, economic development, social enterprise, public affairs and issues impacting women and children. She has won numerous awards for writing, radio and television segments and is the previous president of the Journalism & Women Symposium. She has served at several different times on SPJ Rio Grande Board for over a decade. She has done two TED talks on women and media and is a TED speaker coach.

Megan Gleason

Megan Gleason is a journalist based in Albuquerque. She’s currently a business reporter for the Albuquerque Journal and, before that, reported for Source New Mexico. She recently graduated from the University of New Mexico, where she served as the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo.

She strives to put out community-based journalism, communicating issues that affect people in an accessible manner.

Tom Johnson

Tom Johnson is a retired journalist and professor of journalism.  He has been a member of SPJ for 50 years, starting as the inaugural president of the chapter at Trinity University (San Antonio) in the early ’60s.  He was the SPJ Region 9 director in 2010-2012, and on the NM Foundation for Open Government board from 2017-2022. 

Currently, he is a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors,  and a board member of Global Santa Fe, the Rio Grande chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and New Mexico Writers.

Jesse Jones

Jesse Jones lives in Albuquerque with his wife and son. Jesse graduated from the University of New Mexico twice. This spring, he graduated with a degree in multimedia journalism and, in 2006, he received a bachelor’s degree in University Studies with an emphasis in photojournalism.

He is a current fellow of the New Mexico Local News Fund and working at the Valencia County News-Bulletin.