Leadership

Grow leaders. Strengthen your newsroom.

Leadership Development


At Poynter, we believe organizational success starts with great leadership. Our Leadership Development programs are designed to help individuals thrive in their roles while aligning leadership growth with broader organizational goals. Whether you’re building a pipeline of new managers or supporting seasoned executives through change, we deliver customized, practical guidance grounded in decades of experience.

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all. Our expert coaches and trainers partner closely with you to assess your needs and build a plan that drives meaningful progress — for your leaders, your culture and your business.

What we offer:

  • Customized management training programs, built around your organization’s unique goals
  • Individual and team assessments (including 360 reviews, Gallup CliftonStrengths, and more)
  • Talent management and retention strategies to grow and keep your best people
  • Culture-building initiatives that foster innovation, collaboration and trust
  • Performance management tools and accountability coaching
  • Strategic planning support to help leaders focus on big-picture goals
  • Workshops on budgeting, building a business case and financial decision-making
  • Coaching on delivering feedback and managing through change

Let’s talk about your leadership goals.
Reach out to Aaron Sharockman at partnerships@poynter.org, or complete the form to schedule a free 30-minute consultation. 

Describe your needs and schedule a conversation with our team.

Our Team

  • Tony Elkins
    Faculty
    Tony Elkins is a faculty member at Poynter. His portfolio includes Poynter’s leadership workshops Essential Skills for Rising Newsroom Leaders and the Leadership Academy for...
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  • Kate Cox
    Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager and Faculty; Director of Leadership Academy for Women in Media
    Kate Cox has consulted, trained and coached news organizations across the globe to cultivate strong practices of leadership, strengthen ethics and craft, and build digital-first...
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  • Fernanda Camarena
    Faculty
    Fernanda Camarena is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience in the media industry. As a full-time faculty member at Poynter Institute,...
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  • Kelly McBride
    Senior Vice President and Chair of the Newmark Ethics Center
    Kelly McBride is a journalist, consultant and one of the country’s leading voices on media ethics and democracy. She is senior vice president and chair...
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  • Sitara Nieves
    Vice President, Teaching and Organizational Strategy
    Sitara Nieves is the Vice President of Teaching and Organizational Strategy at Poynter, where she sets strategy and oversees programs to train thousands of journalists...
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  • Aaron Sharockman
    Executive Director, PolitiFact and Vice President for Sales & Strategic Partnerships
    Aaron Sharockman is the executive director of PolitiFact, and the Vice President for Sales and Strategic Partnerships at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. In...
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  • Jennifer Orsi
    Vice President for Publishing & Local News Initiatives
    Jennifer Orsi is Poynter’s vice president for publishing and local news initiatives and oversees Poynter’s digital publishing, marketing and public event team, audience engagement and...
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  • Katie Sanders
    Editor-in-Chief, PolitiFact
    Katie Sanders is the editor-in-chief of PolitiFact. Previously, she fact-checked talking heads and opinion-shapers for PunditFact as well as the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott...
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  • Megan Griffith-Greene
    Faculty
    Megan Griffith-Greene is on the faculty at Poynter. Her work focuses on training and coaching funders interested in supporting local news, and is funded by...
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  • Neil Brown
    President, Chairman of the Board of Trustees
    Neil Brown is the president and chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Poynter Institute. He joined Poynter in September 2017, after serving as...
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  • Kerwin Speight
    Faculty, Poynter
    Kerwin Speight is an award-winning television journalist, with more than 20 years of journalism and leadership experience, and a strong track record of producing local...
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