Our Team
Sandy Close
Founder and Director EmeritusSandy started her career covering China and Vietnam as an editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review in the mid-1960s. She became editor of Pacific News Service in 1974 and was a pioneer in developing youth media. In 1996, she founded New America Media, the first and largest collaboration of ethnic news organizations. Her work has received several awards, including a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Award” and the 2011 Polk Award for Career Achievement. In 1996, a film she co-produced, Breathing Lessons, won an Academy Award for best short documentary. She founded American Community Media in 2017 to continue her work amplifying and elevating the voices of community and ethnic media.
Jaya Padmanabhan
Executive DirectorJaya is an Emmy Award-winning editor and veteran journalist with decades of experience across newsrooms and ethnic media. Jaya was most recently at the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, where she served as editor of an ethnic media collaborative reporting initiative on health and health equity. Prior to that, Jaya wrote a biweekly column for the San Francisco Examiner, consulted on editorial projects for Ethnic Media Services, and served as editor of India Currents. Her freelance work has appeared in the New York Times, PBS Next Avenue, Forbes, and other publications. She holds a master’s in computer science and a bachelor’s in psychology.
Nakia Cooper
Communications Director, Houston Community Media (HCoM).Nakia is a multimedia professional who’s worn many hats from the TV newsrooms, radio stations, print publications to government agencies. She is also the current president of the Houston Association of Black Journalists (HABJ).
Peter Schurmann
Editorial DirectorPeter previously worked as communications coordinator for the conservation non-profit Earth Innovation Institute, where he helped coordinate an international team to develop and promote content related to issues of climate and tropical forest protection. Peter’s reporting has covered a wide variety of topics, from international affairs to education, health, and the environment. His work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle, The Nation, and National Catholic Reporter, among other outlets.
Julian Do
Co-Director - PropelJulian focuses on media industry advocacy, local news capacity building, sustainability opportunities, and special campaigns including inter-ethnic relations, COVID-19 pandemic misinformation, and journalism awards events. He has more than 20 years of experience in the media industry and another 15 years in semiconductor manufacturing, fund management, and international NGO project development.
David Pham
Webmaster & Visual DesignerDavid serves as Webmaster, Strategist, and Content Architect for the ACoM website. He also creates social media content for Instagram and TikTok and manages video content on YouTube. With over 20 years of experience in design, David brings a multidisciplinary skill set focused on transformation. He leads brand, UI, UX, graphic and multimedia design efforts for ACoM.
Pilar Marrero
Associate EditorPilar is a journalist and author with long experience in covering social and political issues of the Latino community in the United States. Last year, she was part of a team of two that won the top prize at the Southern California Journalism Awards for Ill Harvest: California Farmworkers and the Struggle for Health Care, published by the multiple award-winning investigative news publication Capital & Main. Her book, Killing the American Dream, was published in 2012 by Palgrave Macmillan and in Spanish by Penguin Books.
Sunita Sohrabji
Health EditorSunita joined American Community Media at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and has organized and moderated many briefings on the health crisis and related issues. She is a veteran reporter, most recently covering the Indian American community for India-West newspaper. She has received 15 local and national awards for excellence in journalism.
Selen Ozturk
Research DirectorSelen works as a researcher, journalist, and editor. Born in Istanbul and raised in the Bay Area, she holds a philosophy degree from UC Berkeley. Her work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle, SFGATE, Bay City News, PopMatters, and Senses of Cinema, among many other outlets.
Jessica Martin
Communications DirectorJessica manages briefings and projects by working closely with clients, media, and interpreters. Jessica, a San Francisco native received her bachelor’s of Arts in psychology from San Jose State University and her MBA from Cal State East Bay University.
Dana Levine
Marketing DirectorDana leads media strategy, planning, and campaigns for public agencies, nonprofits, foundations, and communications partners seeking to reach diverse communities. Over two decades, she has developed and managed hundreds of multilingual and multicultural campaigns, building strong relationships with ethnic and community media outlets across California and beyond. Her work spans media planning and buying, outreach, advertising partnerships, briefings and events, fellowship programs, campaign implementation, and performance reporting.
Alexis Duenas
Administrative and Project ManagerAlexis manages invoicing and works closely with clients, media, and interpreters on other ongoing projects. Alexis, a California native, received her Bachelor of Arts in Recreation Administration with an emphasis in Youth and Community Services from Humboldt State University.
Yesenia Razo
HCoM Latin Outreach Coordinator & Social Media ManagerYesenia helps to amplify the voices of Latino communities and ensure they have access to vital resources. She holds an associate degree in Business Management and is the owner of “Yes JJ Media.” She is also actively involved with various nonprofits in the Houston area, assisting veterans to enroll in educational programs and organizing community-focused initiatives such as food drives for ethnically diverse communities.
Nguyen Lee
Houston Community Media (HCoM) CoordinatorNguyen assists in event planning and administration. She is Vietnamese American and has a background in community work and organizing. She is also jointly part of the OCA – Greater Houston team as a Programs and Advocacy Lead, where she manages their citizenship work and a diversity, equity, and inclusion workshop series. Outside of her professional work, she is a huge BTS fan and is involved in organizing fan events and projects in the Houston BTSxARMY community.
Roxsy Lin
JournalistRoxsy is a journalist based in California’s Inland Empire, guided by a deep belief that access to information and local accountability are essential to a healthy democracy. Her reporting centers on Latino communities, with a focus on local leaders, artists, and organizations driving meaningful change. She covers issues affecting farmworkers, including unsafe working conditions, sexual violence, and wage theft, as well as broader stories of social and environmental justice. Her work has in the Los Angeles Times, CALÓ News, Palabra, The Riverside Record, Boyle Heights Beat, and Refinery29 Somos. She is a UC Berkeley California Local News Fellow.
Patricia Johnson
Grants ManagerPatricia worked with ACoM-predecessor Pacific News Service/New America Media from 2001-2014 on finance, development, and youth communications programs. In addition to supporting ACoM newsletters and grant management, Patricia works as a financial planner for families and operates a nonprofit financial education program in Oakland, CA. She holds an MBA from Yale and a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley.
Nina Mohan
Video EditorNina produces video content featured on YouTube and the ACoM website. She also creates Reels on Instagram and TikTok for ACoM. Prior to joining American Community Media, she worked as a writer and copy editor for a variety of publications, including India-West Newspaper and the Asia Case Research Center.
Vansh Gupta
Technology & Branding AssociateVansh contributes across ACoM's digital work with particular strengths in web development and maintenance, visual design, and branding for web and social media. He is also Managing Editor of Siliconeer, a Silicon Valley-based magazine focused on Gen Z South Asians, and Chief Marketing Officer of Siliconeer Ventures Inc.
Nicole Chang
JournalistNicole Chang is a media veteran with 25+ years in journalism and community service. At The Korea Daily, she led coverage on public issues and managed content across platforms. She organizes community events and supports underserved groups through volunteer work with Vision Care and Sharing Love in Korea. She holds an MBA from American Jewish University and a BA in Journalism from Cal State Northridge.
Jongwon Lee
JournalistJongwon is an attorney and journalist. Prior to law practice, he reported for Kyunghyang Daily News in South Korea, and the managing editor of the Korea Daily Atlanta. His awards include a MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellowship, Wells Fargo Small Business Reporting Fellowship, and National Conference on Citizenship Algorithmic Transparency Fellowship. He received his B. A from Korea University and a J.D from Georgia State University College of Law. He is actively involved in volunteer work within the Asian community in Atlanta.
