Debra Gersh Hernandez

Debra Gersh Hernandez, former coordinator of the national Sunshine Week open government initiative for the American Society of News Editors, joined the Reporters Committee as its first communications director in 2011. Previously, she worked as an independent consultant for various non-profits, including the National Judicial Education Program, the Student Press Law Center, the National Newspaper Association, the Reporters Committee and others. Gersh Hernandez earlier was vice president of communications and before that director of public relations for the Newspaper Association of America. She also worked briefly as director of communications for the American Advertising Federation. For many years, Gersh Hernandez was a reporter and editor for Editor & Publisher magazine, first in New York City and later in Washington, D.C. She is a former chair of the National Press Club's Freedom of the Press Committee. Gersh Hernandez was awarded a bachelor's degree in communications-newspaper from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.