The Reader Institute for Community Journalism (RICJ), which operates the Chicago Reader, announces recent staff hires.
Diane Pascal, who previously worked as a consultant for RICJ, is our new chief development officer.
Pascal (she/her) has more than 25 years of experience as a nonprofit fundraiser and marketing executive. She worked for seven years as senior vice president, external relations at Howard Brown Health (HBH). While there, she was responsible for private fundraising, marketing, and community relations for one of the largest LGBTQ-focused organizations in the United States. At HBH, she tripled private giving, launched a $15 million capital campaign, and led marketing efforts for the network, which grew from three to 11 clinics during her tenure.
Previously, Pascal was vice president of external relations at the Chicago nonprofit Inspiration Corporation, which serves those affected by homelessness or poverty. She has additional experience working with Mercy Housing Lakefront, Feeding America, and University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work.
Pascal was a fellow of the Development Leadership Consortium and an emerging leader with the Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Program. She has served on the executive board of United Pride of United Way of Metro Chicago, the executive committee of Uptown United, and has been recognized as a “notable woman in health care” by Crain’s Chicago Business.
Tyra Nicole Triche is our new digital editor.
Triche (she/her) was born and raised on the south side, spending much of her upbringing in the Woodlawn and Hyde Park neighborhoods. As a child, she had a love for writing and a great appreciation for music. The blend of these interests inspired her to pursue a career in journalism as she got older. Her work as a writer typically revolves around music, arts, culture, and entertainment.
A graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Triche has had the opportunity to write artist profiles, album reviews, event recaps, and more for a number of publications, including the Reader, Chicago magazine, the Chicago Tribune, and Pitchfork. Most recently, Triche spent two years working as a content manager for a local content marketing agency, where she gained skills in web production/development. Triche served as an intern for the Reader’s editorial department in 2018.
Sheba White is the Reader’s new managing editor.
Sheba White (she/her) came to Chicago in 2003 for a master’s degree in creative writing. She began her editing career as an editorial assistant at Third World Press, where she learned to edit nonfiction books by and about Chicago legends under the guidance of the esteemed educator and author Haki Madhubuti. During this time she also contributed to literary journals and helped to edit the small press book What It Is: Poems and Opinions of Oscar Brown Jr.
Working in a group of women that included Justina Blakeney, Ling Ma, and Amy Westervelt, she found her editorial footing while writing and editing for the publication Venus Zine. White was essential in the creation of Venus Zine’s web presence, developing its music features section, mentoring up-and-coming arts and culture writers, and creating popular columns like “Record Shop Lady” and “Tour Diary.”
White’s writing can also be found in Reservoir Magazine, ALARM, the Liberator Magazine, UR Chicago, Newcity, and Bookslut. Her award-winning short stories can be found in the journals Hair Trigger and Other Voices.
White’s most recent role was as a coordinator at a web media company, where she spent over fifteen years managing and training an operations team and overseeing high-volume newspaper content.
Since new leadership took over the Chicago Reader in 2018, the organization has moved to strengthen its infrastructure. It converted to a full nonprofit in mid-2022, and has diversified its leadership and staff.
In 2018, there was one person of color on the team. Current leadership consists of 43 percent people of color, 29 percent LGBTQ+, 14 percent disabled, and 86 percent female, nonbinary, or trans. Of the overall staff, 41 percent are people of color, 38 percent LGBTQ+, 9 percent disabled, and 71 percent female, nonbinary, or trans.
For more information on RICJ and the Chicago Reader, visit our about page.