Cindy Richards (Running Unopposed for Chair)
Cindy Richards, currently secretary of the Editors Council, is running for Chair. She is the editor and co-owner of SheBuysTravel (rebranded from TravelingMom in 2022).
Cindy is a veteran journalist who started her career as a reporter, editorial writer and political columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. She has been a reporter at the Chicago Tribune and an editor at two award-winning regional publications, Catalyst and Chicago Parent. She also was an adjunct who taught the urban affairs reporting seminar in the graduate program of the prestigious Medill School of Journalism.
Then she learned that is it a lot more fun to chase the sun than to chase crooked politicians and made the move to travel writing and the world of online journalism.
She is a sought-after travel expert (she appears regularly on CBS radio in Chicago and has been quoted in publications ranging from small blogs to the Washington Post). And she is an SEO expert who has taught several webinars for SATW members on the subject, including presenting at the first post-pandemic Freelance Council meeting in West Virgina.
This year, she was be part of an editors’ panel at the joint Central States and Eastern States meeting.
As president of the Editors Council, Cindy’s goal is to continue the work started by Melissa McGibbon, including:
Get us back on track to meet annually.
Work closely with the other councils to build bridges that benefit both editors looking for quality writing and writers looking for quality outlets for their work.
Roger Rapoport (Running Unopposed for Vice Chair)
I have served as first vice-chair since 2022. During that time we have worked successfully to plan our next editor’s council meeting in Palm Springs and have also done virtual meetings. As first vice-chair I am collaborating with the editor’s council board to reach out to potential new members and also make sure that we serve the needs of travel editors across all platforms. We are working to make sure that travel journalism serves the widest possible community, particularly at a time when climate change is impacting all of us. One of my personal goals is to make sure that the travel industry aggressively promotes energy efficiency in all sectors. I am especially interested in train travel where possible as well as hybrid technology in the auto sector. In addition I want to promote travel journalism that focuses on promoting tourism that helps promote small independent business opportunities. My personal focus is on recruiting new members who can help SATW members reach new audiences who will benefit from our insight, research and experience.
Melissa McGibbon (Running Unopposed for Secretary)
It has been my pleasure to serve as the chair of the Editors Council for the past two years. I have truly enjoyed working with my fellow board members, Jan Schroder, Roger Rapoport, Bailey Berg, and Cindy Richards, and I’m proud of how well we worked together as a team. Though my stint as chair has not been without its challenges, I’m happy to serve on the board in a different role so that we may continue the good work we are doing. In addition to the monthly board meetings, administrative work, and other tasks required of the Secretary, I’m confident I can bring a unique and helpful perspective to this position. I’ve been working hard on our upcoming Editors Council meeting in Greater Palm Springs this fall and look forward to sharing more details soon.
Jan Schroder (Running Unopposed for Treasurer)
I have served as treasurer of the Editors Council for the past four years. Although we have not hosted in-person events for Editors Council during this time, I have enjoyed working with the other board members on planning for future events and discussing the needs of our council.
I’ve been a travel writer for more than 22 years and a member of SATW and Editors Council for 12. During that time, I’ve attended several regional, national and Editor Council conventions and served on a committee that explored the purpose and future of Editors Council. I really enjoy being a part of this active and engaged community and would like to continue to contribute to it.