Awards and Work Experience
AWARDS
SW Regional Emmy Award, Spot News Continuing Coverage
Lonestar Emmy Nomination, News Writing
Lonestar Emmy Nomination, News Anchoring
1st Place, New Mexico Associated Press Award, Breaking News
Telly Award Finalist, Best Entertainment Show
5 Factor Media Honoree, Resource Center of Dallas
Society of Professional Journalists President’s Award
PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP & RECOGNITION
2025 Cohort Member – Great Deans Program (Association of California Community College Administrators)
2024 Cohort Graduate – Carolyn Grubbs Williams Leadership Development Institute (National Council on Black American Affairs)
National Council on Black American Affairs Video Producer – Selected to produce a 25th Anniversary video for the Carolyn Grubbs Williams Leadership Development Institute, presented at the Association of American Community Colleges Annual Convention.
Cohort-Elected Speaker – Delivered closing speech at the Carolyn Grubbs Williams LDI Awards Banquet for leadership, collaboration, and team impact.
Keynote Speaker - Delivered keynote speech for the 2024 Associated Collegiate Press and Journalism Association of Community College annual conference.
Event Emcee - Served as emcee for the 2nd Annual Los Angeles Regional Consortia Blue Economy and Climate Action Pathways Summit.
HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Santa Monica College – Center for Media & Design (CMD)
Interim Associate Dean Santa Monica College
2024 – Present
Leads 3,500+ students across 20+ Career Education programs, including SMC’s bachelor’s degree in Interaction Design.
Secured $1.4 million in state Fire Recovery Grant funding, including $500,000 dedicated to CMD career education programs in architecture, journalism, media, and design.
Authored and presented a $500,000 regional entertainment consortium proposal for 13 Los Angeles County community colleges.
Expanded counseling services at CMD after leading an audit of student academic and career support needs.
Developed the CMD Faculty & Staff Canvas Shell for improved communication, collaboration, and resource sharing.
Launched All-Hands Faculty & Staff Meetings (now held every semester) to strengthen engagement, feedback, and team culture.
Created Esports Practice & Play Space by repurposing facilities and coordinating with IT, Facilities, and Academic Affairs.
Conceptualized, produced, and hosted Doing What Works Podcast to highlight innovation in homeless services and career education, achieving a 200% increase in downloads after implementing a strategic publishing and marketing plan.
Designed equity-centered K–12 and employer pipelines, including an upcoming summer high school Interaction Design program and upcoming regional student film festival.
PUBLICATIONS AND PODCASTS
Doing What Works Podcast, Santa Monica College (2023-present)
Quill Magazine President’s Column, Society of Professional Journalists (2023-2024)
Op-Ed: Newsom Must Sign CA Bill to Protect Journalists at Protests, The Sacramento Bee (2021)
The News: Producing Campus Media by Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins; Published by Great River Learning, a subsidiary of Kendall Hunt (2017)
PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Co-Founder & Head of Video Production
Get Media PR
2011 – 2016
Produced on-location video projects, managing budgets, logistics, talent, and crews.
Served as on-air talent while also scriptwriting and developing creative story angles.
Designed and executed PR strategies, integrated marketing campaigns, and social media plans for clients including CheapCaribbean.com, Downsize Fitness, Robson Ranch, and St. Philip’s Academy.
Secured consistent media coverage in major local, regional, and national outlets.
Created and delivered media training programs with emphasis on crisis response and key message development.
BOARD & PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
President, Society of Professional Journalists National Board of Directors (2023–2024)
Led financial turnaround: Guided a national journalism organization from a $323,000 deficit to a $90,000 surplus within 90 days by implementing strategic cost containment and a new reinvestment plan.
Oversaw governance and strategy: Provided high-level oversight and strategic direction for a multi-million-dollar organization.
Managed executive leadership: Directed the executive search, hiring, and performance evaluation for the national Executive Director.
Strengthened organizational effectiveness: Facilitated board training and structural revisions to improve transparency, collaboration, and financial oversight, demonstrating expertise in the shared governance model of higher education.
President, Society of Professional Journalists, Greater Los Angeles Chapter (2022-2023)
Successfully Lobbied for Legislation: Built a coalition of over 20 journalism organizations and advocacy groups to successfully lobby the state legislature, resulting in the passage of a bill to expand press freedoms in California, which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022.
Generated Significant Revenue: Planned and executed a regional conference that generated $7,000 in revenue.
Secured Financial Profitability: Created a tiered sponsorship model that yielded $10,000 in revenue for the annual awards dinner, marking the first time the event had been profitable in ten years.
Higher Education Equity Coach (2021-2022)
Facilitated faculty learning communities with the goal of closing equity gaps among Black and Brown students at Santa Monica College through curriculum redesign and trauma-informed pedagogy.