The Reader Institute for Community Journalism, which operates the 51-year-old newspaper, Chicago Reader, has announced recent staff hires, including two in leadership.
Alia Graham (she/her) has joined as director of people and culture, a new position at RICJ. Graham brings a host of expertise to the role; she has an extensive background in diversity and inclusion, and she specializes in conflict resolution and mediation. Graham says that a large portion of her professional career includes equity, including confronting disparities faced by marginalized groups and “understanding the differences that we encounter as a community.” Her goals for the organization are to implement changes in human resource policies that aid in bridging gaps, and to be a voice across the cultural competency continuum.
Prior to RICJ, Graham spent the bulk of her career with the American Bar Association, one of the largest legal nonprofit organizations in the country. At ABA, she focused on the Men of Color Project, which concentrates on diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and the Disaster Legal Services Program, which provides legal services to survivors of presidentially declared major disasters.
Arturo Alvarez (he/him) is the new technology manager at RICJ, joining the organization following the departure of long-time director of digital John Dunlevy. Alvarez has more than a decade of experience working with small and large global development teams. He’s worked on technology strategy projects for startups and platform overhauls for national telehealth companies. His cross-platform experience and self-starting attitude will be an asset to the Chicago Reader. When Alvarez is not developing or designing user experiences, he’s working closely with marketing and growth teams to help set, measure, and reach growth and revenue goals.
Niesha Davis (she/her), social media marketing associate, joined RICJ last November. She is a writer, diversity editor, and traveler. Her bylines include Glamour, Mic, Business Insider, Women’s Health, BUST, and the Huffington Post.
Mike Thompson (he/him) joined RICJ as development associate in time for the Reader’s 50ish UnGala celebration, which was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in November. Born and raised in South Carolina, Thompson has a nomadic heart; he loves to travel and learn about new cultures and people. He recently graduated with a degree in sociology, and brings that experience to the organization, along with his background in politics and nonprofits. In his role at RICJ, he supports members and donors.
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 57 percent people of color, 57 percent LGBTQ+, 15 percent disabled, and 86 percent female, nonbinary, or trans. Of the overall staff, 47 percent are people of color, 33 percent LGBTQ, 8 percent disabled, and 67 percent female, nonbinary, or trans.
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