Jan Ross P. Sakian

• Serve as the point of contact for journalists and news leaders in the Table Stakes Local News Transformation Program alumni community of 200 local news organizations across the United States.
• Co-design programs and training offerings, including monthly virtual sessions, coaching hours, and advisory boards. 
• Write articles and assign case studies for BetterNews.org about journalism best practices for local news innovators.
• Draft and publish two newsletters per month about training opportunities and alumni news using Hubspot CRM.

Logistics liaison for special projects and initiatives on behalf of The Texas Newsroom, a collection of public radio stations in Texas and the first regional hub launched in NPR's Collaborative Journalism Network model. 

• Organized monthly reporter calls for three beat areas: border & immigration, politics & government and healthcare.
• Managed and curated monthly virtual training opportunities available to more than 150 public radio journalists.
• Led daily morning content briefings for station leaders and editors, highlighting coverage points and digital analytics
• Maintained content sharing platforms, story tracking databases, email lists and communications platforms.
• Contributed to the development of procedures related to metrics, technology, diversity, standards and practices. 

News Operations Producer, Texas Public Radio

• Created newsroom records and controlled logistics for processes, including the management of standing meetings, passwords, service contracts, equipment pricing, awards submissions, special guests and travel accommodations. 
• Organized weekly cross-department meetings with members of TPR's Marketing, Underwriting, Membership and News teams to discuss planning, digital projects and deliverables. 
• Assisted with recruiting, interviewing and onboarding efforts for a growing newsroom. Roles included interns, Report for America Fellows, part-time translators, plus full-time reporters, producers and editors hired under grant funding.
• Launched and maintained TPR digital news products including a morning newsletter and bilingual liveblog. 
• Produced the award-winning, live call-in show "The Source" from 2016 to 2019. Daily duties included researching and booking guests, writing web and social posts, sound editing, audience engagement and community outreach.
  
  View published stories and bylines at https://www.tpr.org/people/jan-ross-piedad

• Facilitated studio recordings, managed guests for live and pre-taped interviews in Washington D.C. headquarters.
• Coordinated in-network coverage remotely with the "Here & Now" team in Boston to produce a 2-hour live program.
• Monitored story developments, show rundowns, project planning, and operations strategy under NPR deputy managing editors during the 2016 election year.

• Wrote, prepared and published digital-first, multimedia web and social media posts for at least 2 regular segments.
• On staff during the newsmagazine show's launch from a weekly pilot project to a live daily syndicated program.

Selected for a national year-long training program, which teaches critical tools in the foreign policy toolkit to a diverse, bipartisan group of young leaders working to educate local communities about global development and diplomacy.

Community board member contributing to strategic planning and leading efforts to engage young professionals. Chair duties include: mailing list maintenance, organizing meetings and events for council members and the general public. 

Organized outreach and engaging opportunities for local educational institutions through sponsored attendance to annual UNA-USA Austin events. Recorded chapter events with meeting minutes and photography.

Developed the research lab's communications strategy, managed website content, edited blog posts, coordinated social media and visuals for publication. Through IPD, students learned mapping software and applied social science skills to build more robust research capabilities in the foreign aid, poverty alleviation and human rights spaces.

Led activities and breakout sessions for the Global Ethics & Conflict Resolution Summer Symposium, a two-week program dedicated to teaching high school students real-world problem-solving and negotiation skills.

Community board member for a place-based training program geared towards cross-sector leaders who are committed to supporting values of equity, coalition-building and civic engagement in local communities. 

As San Antonio Selections Co-chair: managing a competitive applications process for a six-month personal-professional fellowship, coordinating with the Selections committee and organizing interviews with prospective fellows.

Selected for a professional training program by The Washington Post and the Poynter Institute focused on supporting digital journalists of color in newsrooms across the United States. (Remote, 2020-2021)

The World Beyond High School: Covering Education Equity and the Future of Work

Selected for an intensive workshop about disparities in the U.S. education system, investigating the causes and consequences of inequity in the college and workforce experiences. (St. Petersburg, FL in November 2018) 

Selected for the inaugural cohort by the IWMF non-governmental organization. The one-year fellowship program addressed the need for more diversity in newsroom leadership positions through mentorship matching. (Remote)

Government Minor & Bridging Disciplines Certificate in Social Inequality, Health & Policy

• Competitively selected for the semester-long Archer Fellowship, a live-work-study program in Washington D.C.    
• Staffed and moderated high school Model United Nations conferences in Austin, Houston and New York City.   
• Elected to the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees, serving 5 properties including "The Daily Texan."