Latest news with #MaribelPérezWadsworth
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Miami's Knight Foundation announces new leaders in community, AI, research
A major Miami-based philanthropic, educational and civic institution has announced changes in its leadership. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which funds journalism, arts and culture, and research in media and democracy, appointed three new vice presidents. 'As we navigate a rapidly evolving world, these strategic leadership changes ensure we're not just keeping pace—but leading the way,' Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, president and CEO of the Knight Foundation, said in a statement. 'The appointments underscore our commitment to adapting with purpose and ensuring our work continues to strengthen democracy and empower the communities we serve.' Here's what to know: Community: Francesca de Quesada Covey, the new vice president for community impact, will manage a grant portfolio of over $250 million across the 26 cities where the Knight brothers once owned and ran newspapers. De Quesada Covey previously was chief innovation and economic development officer for Miami-Dade County. Artificial intelligence: Kelly Jin, the new vice president for AI and Insights as well as chief of staff, will oversee the assessment of grant-making to guide future investments and build a strategy for integrating AI tools across the Knight Foundation. Jin joined the Knight Foundation in 2021 as vice president for communities and national initiatives. Information and research: John Sands, the new vice president for Knight's new information and society program, will oversee efforts to understand how information and technology are shaping society as well as policy research to advance free expression and access to information. Sands joined the Knight Foundation in 2019 and most recently was senior director of media and democracy.
Time Magazine
20-05-2025
- Business
- Time Magazine
Maribel Pérez Wadsworth
Over two decades of decline, the U.S. newspaper industry has suffered job losses on par, percentage-wise with manufacturers of cassette tapes and DVDs. Local newsrooms are vanishing at a rate of more than two a week, leaving an estimated 55 million Americans in news deserts with limited access to essential information. The Knight Foundation, with a strong history of supporting journalism, is out to reverse that trend. Leading the charge is Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, who became the first female president and CEO in Knight's almost 75-year history in January 2024. Under her direction, the foundation last year doubled its pledge to Press Forward, a national coalition to bolster local news, from $150 million to $300 million over five years. In July, the foundation gave a timely $6.9 million infusion to strengthen nonpartisan election coverage in pivotal states—reflecting Wadsworth's belief that philanthropy must 'move at the speed of news.' And this February, Knight added $25 million to an initial grant of $20 million, to support the American Journalism Project, an initiative to support nonprofit local news. Many of the challenges we face come down to a 'lack of connection and engagement' with our fellow citizens, Wadsworth says. 'Local journalism in particular is a grounding element. It is an anchor that helps communities to be strong and connected.'
