Executive Director
John Shertzer
317-920-4780
Email
@johnshertzer

John Shertzer is an established thought leader on organizational development and leadership, providing training and education to dozens of nonprofit and collegiate organizations all over the world including charitable organizations, arts organizations, membership chapters and trade associations. Read More

Before joining SPJ, Shertzer served as founding executive director of the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council in Indianapolis, where he was tapped by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett to envision, build, secure funding and launch the MYLC, a student advisory board to the mayor, funded by the Lilly Endowment.

Before creating MYLC, Shertzer spent seven years as the chief programs officer at Kiwanis International, and executive director of Kiwanis Youth Programs, Inc., a subsidiary that housed Kiwanis’ membership programs for youth and young adults. In those roles he led Key Club International, one of the largest youth service organizations in the world.

Director of Communications and Marketing
Jennifer Royer
317-361-4134
Email
@jenroyer1

Jennifer joined SPJ HQ in August 2014 as the Society’s first communications strategist. She develops and implements overall strategy for SPJ’s communication and marketing efforts regarding proactively promoting journalism advocacy and SPJ’s role in the profession and democracy. Read More She graduated from Indiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. After working as a newspaper reporter and editor for six years, she made the transition to public relations, working for her alma mater and, later, the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Creative Director
Tony Peterson
317-927-8000,
ext. 214
Email

Tony is responsible for the design of Quill magazine, convention collateral, brand identity, marketing material — and pretty much everything in between. Read More Prior to SPJ, he worked for both an ad agency and local newspaper, where he specialized in website design, publications and special projects. When he’s not designing for SPJ, Tony can be found perusing local record store bins, catching a band or at home on the couch with his wife and three cats.

Innovation and Technology Manager
Billy O'Keefe
Email
billyok

Billy O'Keefe builds, designs and manages all of SPJ's homes on the web, including SPJ.org, Quill, the Journalist's Toolbox, the Excellence in Journalism website and more. On the side, he has authored and illustrated two books and moonlights as a freelance illustrator and writer as well as a web developer and consultant. Read More A graduate of Columbia College Chicago's journalism school, Billy previously worked as a reporter, copy editor and print page designer for the Tribune Company, and he reviewed thousands of games and movies for McClatchy-Tribune's newswire between 2001 and 2013.

Manager of Membership and Chapters
Caroline Escobar
317-361-4132
Email

Caroline is an Arizona native who calls Indy home. She studied art and journalism in college in Southern Illinois, and found her first experience working with membership-based associations at Raybourn Group International. Read More Her experience there as a membership coordinator ultimately led her to fall in love with the association model and all things membership. In her spare time, you can usually find her at The Hot Room, where she teaches Original Hot Yoga. When she isn’t teaching or practicing, she’s spending time with her daughter and partner.

Director of Education
Karyn Nishimura Sneath
Email
@knsneath

Quill Editor/Manager of Publications and Awards
Lou Harry
317-920-4786
Email
@LouHarry

Lou Harry’s journalism career includes editing stints at Philadelphia magazine, Indianapolis Monthly and the Indianapolis Business Journal along with freelance work for more than 50 publications and websites. Read More The winner of multiple SPJ awards, Harry has taught writing classes at Temple University, the University of Indianapolis and the Midwest Writers Workshop. He has served as emcee for many fundraisers, has organized conferences and once took a pie in the face from Soupy Sales. During downtime, he enjoys writing plays and trying new board games with friends, family and strangers.

Office Manager
Linda Hall
317-927-8000,
ext. 203
Email

Linda is in her 14th year at SPJ. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Columbus State Community College. She was hired as the accounting manager and a year later moved over to membership. Read More She is a native of Ohio and relocated to Indianapolis from Charlottesville, Virginia, to be near her daughter, Jami, and grandsons, Will and Max. Linda loves all things baseball ... especially the Dodgers!

Director of Ethics and Diversity
Rod Hicks
317-954-0025
Email

Rod has experience at numerous news organizations across the country. Most recently, he served as an editor for The Associated Press at its Philadelphia-based East Regional Desk. In this role, he worked on several major national stories including the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut, the Boston Marathon bombing and the sexual assault trials of Bill Cosby. Read More Hicks previously held editing positions at newspapers in New Jersey, Alabama, Michigan and Missouri. He managed the St. Louis Post-Dispatch news operation at night. He was working the night a gunman entered a suburban city council meeting and killed the mayor, two council members, a police officer and two other people. The coverage was a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News. Before that he was a suburban editor for The Detroit News.

Journalism Ethics Assistant
Samuel Robinson
Email

Communications Coordinator & Quill Assistant Editor
Zoë Berg
317-920-4785
Email

Zoë joined staff in May 2019 as the Communications Coordinator to assist with communication and marketing efforts. She graduated from the University of Indianapolis with a bachelor’s degree in communication with concentrations in journalism and public relations. Read More During her time at the university, she worked on the campus newspaper and for the student-run public relations firm where she deepened her passion for journalism and developed her communication and marketing skills. When she isn’t working, she enjoys traveling, baking and spending time with her friends and pet rabbit.

Staff Accountant
Nathan Rushton
317-927-8000,
ext. 212
Email

Making the move from private sector to the nonprofit world in 2020, Nate joins SPJ with 10+ years of accounting expertise. When not working, Nate enjoys playing board and video games, has recently taken up a new baking hobby with his wife, is a novice cyclist, and will always order chicken wings if they're on the menu.

Controller
Jake Koenig
317-920-4781
Email