FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9/6/2014

Contact:
Taylor Carlier, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-920-4785, tcarlier@spj.org

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Society of Professional Journalists installed Dana Neuts, freelance writer, editor and author, as its 98th president Saturday, Sept. 6. Neuts accepted office at the President’s Installation Banquet at Excellence in Journalism 2014 in Nashville, Tenn., which is co-hosted with the Radio Television Digital News Association.

“I’m very much looking forward to the next year, working with you and working with the society,” Neuts said in her speech.

Outside of what Neuts plans on doing for SPJ, professionally she has been working as a freelance journalist since 2003 and is also owner/publisher of iLoveKent.net. Previously, she was employed with the Lafayette Life Insurance Company and LaPorte Bank & Trust. Before her career, Neuts graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2000.

Through her years as a member of SPJ, Neuts has had numerous positions. Most notably, she was the National SPJ Secretary/Treasurer, Region 10 Director, on the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation board, Freelance Committee chair and Western Washington Pro Chapter President.

“I do what I do for SPJ, because SPJ has done so much for me,” Neuts said in her speech.

For her upcoming year as SPJ president, Neuts plans on continuing the journalism advocacy efforts of Dave Cuillier, SPJ’s outgoing president. She intends on doing this by supporting the growing SPJ’s new freelance and digital communities and working with SPJ’s new communications strategist to strengthen implementation of the revised Code of Ethics, and grow SPJ’s partnerships with other journalism and non-journalism organizations.

“Every single chapter and every single member is going to benefit from the (Code of Ethics) change that was made today,” Neuts said.

Complete coverage of the 2014 Excellence in Journalism conference is available from EIJ News.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information on SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.

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