NEW YORK (TIP): Mikhael Simmonds has taken over as the new Executive Director of Center for Community Media. Before joining CCM, Simmonds served as the director of new relationships at the Solutions Journalism Network, where he co-led operations, strategy, and execution around how SJN trained journalists, developed teaching products and coached news outlets. As a regional manager, he co-developed and managed solutions journalism projects with news partners in Kenya, Nigeria, and the U.S.
In an interview with CCM, Mikhael Simmonds said he has been working in international affairs and journalism for a decade. One of his earlier jobs was at the Amsterdam News. He later moved on to Solutions Journalism [Network]. And there it was very much international, but also based in New York. His interest in CCM really came from that duality – people who have multiple identities, multiple nationalities, multiple cultures living next to each other and telling relevant news for their audiences – and having conversations with each other, among each other. So, when the opportunity to work with CCM came up, he was like, ‘oh, you’re speaking my language!’

Simmonds said he is an immigrant (from Trinidad). He went to undergrad at CUNY, grad school at CUNY. His undergrad was international affairs, with a bunch of different immigrants at City College. They all talked about multiple identities, multiple spaces issues. Now there’s a job where he can get to work deeply in that.
Welcome, Mr. Simmonds.