This year the San Diego Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has five candidates for its open board seats.

Meet the five candidates:

Hafsa Fathima

I am writing to put forth my candidacy as a board member of the San Diego chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. I am currently an audio producer at National Public Radio, where I pitch and produce a podcast centered around pop culture and current trends. San Diego is where I first flourished in my move to multimedia journalism: I interned as an immigration reporter with Union-Tribune and later, helped produce their narrative, sound-rich podcast, Border City. I also reported on local, marginalized communities and the issues that impacted them: faith, migration and belonging. I’ve reported on national issues with NPR’s Weekend Edition, while still keeping an eye out on events at home.

San Diego and its vibrant hubs are at the heart of who I am as a journalist; and have been since moving here seven years ago from India. I see stories in every neighborhood I go. As a board member I hope to be a resource, especially to younger journalists. I’d aim to organize monthly networking sessions, pilot engagement on social media and put together workshops.

Elizabeth Marie Himchak

Incumbent Elizabeth Marie Himchak has served on the SPJ San Diego board since January 2019. She has chaired the contest/awards committee the past four years, was previously membership chair, been on the scholarship committee for four years and been board secretary for two years. Prior to joining the board, she was an awards banquet committee member.

I have become very involved with board decisions, taken on leadership roles, assisted with SPJ chapter events and completed other board duties, such as judging contest entries from out-of-state chapters. I would appreciate your vote for another term.

Himchak is the editor of PB Monthly and reporter for the Rancho Bernardo News Journal and Poway News Chieftain. All are part of Union-Tribune Community Press. Before her promotion to editor in 2020, she was a reporter for the RB/Poway newspapers for 15 years. Her beat has included community news and events, politics, community government, schools, crime, entertainment and the Palomar Health district. The University of San Diego alumna started in journalism at The Vista, USD’s campus newspaper. Her professional career began as a freelance writer for newspapers such as The San Diego Union-Tribune and The Southern Cross.

Jen Kastner

I’m a native San Diegan who’s been covering local news here for the past five years. I most recently completed a long run with ABC 10News where fellow SPJer Adam Racusin and I covered breaking news, investigations and spot news. Before that, I reported for CBS in Los Angeles, ABC in Las Vegas and NBC in West Texas. I was also an investigative producer for NBC in Tucson and a line producer for CBS in Central California. A few months ago, I switched from broadcast to print. It was time for a new challenge and a new medium. I’m currently reporting for the San Diego Business Journal where I focus on stories about AI, tech and life sciences. Now’s the time for me to look at the news business through a wider lens — to step back from simply telling my own stories and instead help support the broad team of journalists around me. I’m interested in helping connect our journalists, mentoring new talent and providing education/outreach opportunities for the SPJ community. 

Adam Racusin

I’m an investigative reporter at ABC 10News focusing on all topics that need a deeper look. My reporting has led to consumers getting their money back, bad actors getting locked up, local policy changes and lawmakers promising new legislation. I was appointed to the board of San Diego SPJ in 2022 to help fill a vacancy but my advocacy for local journalists started way before that. I’ve participated in several panels that have helped shape policy in the San Diego region. I’ve been in broadcast media for more than 15 years and would like to continue giving back to our journalism community. I’d like to continue my role on this board as an advocate for journalists and to give the local broadcast community a voice at the table.

Arthur Santana

I have been a journalism professor at San Diego State University since 2015. My first academic appointment was at the University of Houston from 2012-2015. My journalism research over the past 15 years has appeared in peer-reviewed journals. Prior to joining academia, I was a newspaper reporter and editor for 14 years, including at The Seattle Times and The Washington Post. I earned a B.A. from the University of Texas, an M.S. from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. I was the faculty advisor to the SDSU SPJ chapter from 2017-2020. I have been a SD SPJ Pro Chapter member since 2019 and was elected treasurer in 2021.

The judges have judged and more than 150 (woo-hoo!) San Diego journalists produced award-winning work in 2022. Check the list below for your name and we’ll see you at our annual banquet at Stone Brewing on Tuesday, June 20, where you can pick up your award. Click here for details and a link to purchase tickets. We’ll be announcing first, second and third place winners, and winners of our special awards, at the banquet.