Voting for the SABEW Board of Governors opens Friday, May 1, and closes at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, May 8. Voting members will receive your ballot information direct from the online voting service provider Opavote.org. If you are the voting member for your newsroom and also have an individual membership, you will receive two separate emails. If your newsroom voting representation has changed, please contact Tess McLaughlin.
Ballots will be cast for four open seats with three-year terms ending in ending in 2029.
*Incumbents running for reelection.
*Rebecca Baker
Editor at Large, Bloomberg Industry Group
How long have you been a member of SABEW?
Three years
Have you served on any committees and if so, which one(s)?
Yes: I co-chair Best in Business Books Awards contest and serve as a member of the First Amendment committee. I also am an annual judge for the Best in Business Awards contest and help edit SABEW’s member newsletter.
Why do you want to be a SABEW board member?
I would like to continue serving SABEW and its members to promote and help improve business journalism. As an outside commentary editor with Bloomberg Industry Group, I’m aware of the impact that high-quality business journalism has to drive policy and shift people’s outlooks.
As someone who has been a journalist for three decades, I’ve seen our industry come increasingly under attack by those in power who wish to operate in the dark and avoid criticism of their actions. I want to help SABEW be a guard against those attacks by routinely calling out injustices against journalists and by educating early to mid-career journalists on ethics and best practices.
What two ideas would you bring to SABEW as a governor?
I would like to work with headquarters staff to raise awareness and expand the reach of the Best in Business Book Awards, and to work with HQ and other members of the board to identify growing news outlets to increase the number of institutional memberships.
Alexis Sobel Fitts
Senior Editor for Technology and Media, Washington Post
How long have you been a member of SABEW?
Two years
Have you served on any committees and if so, which one(s)?
No.
Why do you want to be a SABEW board member?
SABEW is a wonderful resource for business journalists, and I greatly enjoyed attending previous conferences. Jen Liberto has spoken extremely highly of the organization, and I would love to become involved.
What two ideas would you bring to SABEW as a governor?
Technology journalism is becoming one of the core areas of business coverage in newsrooms around the country and my background in the area would be useful — and hopefully help encourage more people to take part.
Cara Lombardo
Wall Street Editor, The Wall Street Journal
How long have you been a member of SABEW?
On and off since 2018
Have you served on any committees and if so, which one(s)?
2026 conference committee
Why do you want to be a SABEW board member?
SABEW facilitated my career transition by connecting me to future colleagues and peers and exposing me to the wide range of careers in business journalism. I’m eager to pay it forward by joining the board.
The organization has a crucial role to play as newsrooms experience rapid change and have fewer resources for training and mentoring. My focus would be ensuring our offerings address the most urgent topics and reach the widest audience possible.
What two ideas would you bring to SABEW as a governor?
– Establish a mentor matchmaking program that can connect early-career journalists to established journalists with similar areas of focus.
– Host an AI-themed mini-conference or virtual training featuring reporters and editors demonstrating specific ways they’re using AI in their jobs.
*Dean E. Murphy
Senior Editor, The New York Times
How long have you been a member of SABEW?
2010. Board member since 2015 (first appointed to fill a vacancy)
Have you served on any committees and if so, which one(s)?
Conference (currently), nominating and governing committees
Why do you want to be a SABEW board member?
As business journalism, and journalism writ large, weathers disruption after disruption (queue the AI reel), SABEW provides a vital and dynamic community for our members as they navigate unexpected twists and turns in their careers. To me, our essential message is: “You are not alone.” I value my role in helping SABEW set an agenda, through conferences and other programming, that assists journalists forge paths to do their best work.
Having had the privilege of working at a news organization for many years that supports SABEW and my involvement in it, I also look forward to bringing resources and know-how to this effort. I’d be honored to be elected to the board for another term.
What two ideas would you bring to SABEW as a governor?
I would like to continue efforts to grow our annual conference and other outreach so that they address the changing skills and training needs of our members, especially young journalists in the early stages of their careers and experienced journalists looking to remain relevant in an ever-changing job market.
I would also support efforts to partner more formally with other professional organizations to achieve greater diversity of programming and participation and increase SABEW’s relevancy as a go-to resource for business journalists across all platforms.
