Our chapter election is here! We have a great group of candidates working in a wide range of media outlets around the city. You will notice several familiar faces. Cast your vote by the close of business this Friday, August 25th by emailing nahjdc@gmail.com. All candidates are running unopposed. Their term will be from Sept. 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018. 

Melissa Macaya – President

Producer at CNN en Español
Melissa Macaya is a three-time Emmy nominated news producer who is passionate about reporting on Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic community. Born and raised in Venezuela, Melissa has gained journalism experience on the local, national and international level. She currently serves as a producer for CNN en Español where she produces content for two shows and across digital platforms. She is part of the network’s political team “Voto Latino” and covered the 2016 presidential election both in Washington and in the field.Prior to CNN, Melissa was a fellow at NBC News in their Washington bureau and worked with Univision locally in Texas. She completed a Master’s degree from Georgetown University in International and Political journalism. Melissa loves to travel and has worked and lived in 5 countries: Venezuela, Spain, Mexico, Argentina and the United States.

Patricia Guadalupe – Vice President

Bilingual multimedia journalist

Raised in Puerto Rico, Patricia Guadalupe is a bilingual multimedia journalist based in Washington, D.C. She has been covering the capital for both English and Spanish-language media outlets since the mid- 1990s. She previously worked as a reporter in New York City. She’s been an editor at Hispanic Link News Service (where she still writes political news), a reporter at WTOP Radio (CBS Washington affiliate), a contributing reporter for CBS Radio network, and has written for NBC News.com and Latino Magazine, among others. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and has a Master’s degree from the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University. She specializes in business news, politics and cultural issues, and also freelances as a

Aileen Schlef – Secretary

Freelance reporter for Hispanic Link News Service and LATINO

Aileen Schlef established Creative Alliance Communications (CAC) following more than 20 years of executive experience in corporate, government, university and community settings. Aileen has also has chronicled Latino life since the 1970s launch of La Luz Magazine, Hispanic, Nuestro, LatinaStyle, among others. She is currently a freelance reporter for Hispanic Link News Service and LATINO. She was a founding member of the pioneering National Latino Media Coalition in the 1970s and headed the Latino Media Task Force of Washington, DC.An active member of the National Press Club (NPC), Aileen was honored with Vivian Awards in 2011 and 2013.

Beatriz Pascual– Treasurer

Foreign correspondent at EFE

Beatriz Pascual Macias covers Justice, Immigration and National Security for EFE, major newswire in Spanish. She has interviewed a wide variety of public figures, including General John Kelly when he was U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. While reporting in Washington D.C., her work on the U.S. And Mexico border was selected to participate in “Global Spotlight”, a collaboration between the world’s most important newswires on migration. 

Before coming to the United States, Beatriz worked as a Justice and Crime reporter for EFE in Madrid (Spain). She also worked as a freelance reporter for various radio programs and multimedia platforms covering different issues, from the Mexican general election in 2012 to the social upheaval in Algeria following the Arab Spring. 

Jennifer Vasquez – At-Large-Officer

Multimedia producer for NBC Washington

Jennifer Vasquez is a multimedia producer for NBC Washington. As a bilingual journalist she covers Capitol Hill and the White House for the 11 NBC owned stations across the country and Telemundo. She’s assisted with the planning and coverage of large events like Pope Francis’ visit to DC, State of the Union addresses, presidential inaugurations, and multiple Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremonies. Vasquez began her career at the BBC News in Washington. She’s a first-generation college graduate and a native Washingtonian. She recently finished grad school at Georgetown University.