By Marian Amaria Bangura
A lawsuit regarding NABJ’s most recent executive director contract is still ongoing, but the organization is looking to the future with an official search process for a new leader that kicked off during this year’s convention.
NABJ President Errin Haines told The Monitor she is looking for a “true partner” who can help lead the organization into the next 50 years. NABJ released a timeline and search committee for the process, with a targeted Dec. 1 start date for the role.
Funding is high on Haines’ priority list as she hopes for a visionary leader who will help make fundraising a year-round effort rather than relying on the organization’s convention.
Nathaniel Chambers, who is currently serving as NABJ’s interim executive director and has been with the organization for 16 years, also stressed that fundraising and developing alternative revenue sources is the most immediate priority. He also said the next executive director will need a vision for navigating changes in the political climate, particularly as they relate to funding.
Haines said she is not limiting the search to someone within the organization or with a journalism background, but says experience with membership associations is a valuable asset.
Last year, Haines was part of a group of NABJ Board candidates who posted a joint letter asking the then board to halt the executive director search until after the 2025 elections due to transparency concerns. Elise Durham, a former assistant general manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and lifetime NABJ member, was announced as the organization’s next executive director during the 2025 convention and signed a three-year contract.
“What I do know is that our membership did not feel like that was a process that was transparent,” Haines said.
The board later voted to rescind Durham’s contract. Concerns were raised that it was only signed by the president and executive director at the time, Ken Lemon and Drew Berry, and did not include a signature from NABJ Treasurer Jasmine Styles that some members say is required.
Durham sued NABJ in December 2025, asking for nearly $613,987 in severance plus other costs, according to court documents.
Haines said her administration has tried to communicate more frequently with members about the current search, including what information can be shared about its progress and the legal considerations surrounding the previous decision. During the NABJ business meeting, Haines answered a question on the status of the lawsuit, saying settlement talks were scheduled for late September and if a deal is not reached, the lawsuit could head to a trial.
When asked why she is no longer executive director, Durham told The Monitor she has “no real understanding” of why the decision was made. Durham, a former board member of NABJ’s Atlanta chapter, added that she was initially nervous about coming to this year’s conference.
“The first big hug I got took that away, and I’m continuing to get them every five steps. So that reassures me that I am still part of this family and I did nothing wrong,” said Durham, before heading to pick up her conference registration badge. “I was nervous coming in here today,” she added.
Durham said she still considers NABJ part of her professional family.
“I have not disparaged anyone,” Durham said. “I have not talked about this organization because I love this organization. I’m a product of this organization.”
She declined to discuss details of the active lawsuit involving her and NABJ, saying she was not at liberty to comment publicly while the case remains ongoing. But she said she is ready for the matter to end.
Durham held two events across the street from the convention hotel at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta focusing on pivoting and reinvention based on her own personal experience. Durham says she now heads her own creative consulting agency.
“After the anger and the hurt and trying to figure out what I wanted to do next, it dawned on me that I’m not going through this by myself,” Durham said. “And we need an honest, sincere place for us to gather, to talk about how do you handle it.”
Be the first to comment