NABJ's Sidmel Estes Dies at 60

AAJA Gets $230,000 to Revamp Leadership Program

"To develop leaders in digital journalism and improve diversity in newsrooms, the Asian American Journalists Association will redesign its signature Executive Leadership Program with $230,000 from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation,"Paul Cheung, national president of AAJA, announced on Monday.

"Knight funding will allow the Asian American Journalists Association to begin a two-year restructuring of the program using human-centered design, an approach that incorporates feedback from users when developing new ideas, so participants' needs are built into the innovation process. For the first time, the Asian American Journalists Association will open the program to journalists outside of its membership to create an inclusive environment for journalists of all backgrounds."

Cheung also wrote, "Previously, the Executive Leadership Program’s core curriculum was focused on cultural barriers for Asian Americans and navigating the executive leadership ladder within a traditional media company. Though these skills are still valuable, there are new challenges within the industry that require stronger leadership skills in change management, innovation, cross-cultural communication and business development.

"The redesigned program will be divided into two components:

• "A two-day leadership conference for media and journalism professionals who are involved in shaping newsroom strategies or are looking to be effective leaders.
  
  
• "An immersion program for a smaller group focused on entrepreneurial and business skills, in addition to strategies to advance their careers. . . ."

J. Whyatt Mondesire, Philly Leader and Journalist, Dies at 65

"Former Philadelphia NAACP leader J. Whyatt 'Jerry' Mondesire, a charismatic activist and a fixture in the city's political circles, died Sunday night at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, according to a family statement,"Jonathan Takiff and Chris Palmer reported for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"'The family wants to thank everyone for their love and support,' the statement read. The family did not cite a cause of death, but relayed that he was surrounded by relatives and close friends.

"A family friend told The Inquirer on Saturday night that Mondesire, 65, was having dialysis at Chestnut Hill Hospital on Friday when he suffered a brain aneurysm. Mondesire was then transferred to Jefferson, where he was placed on a ventilator, the family friend said.

"Mondesire, a former reporter and editor with The Inquirer and publisher of the Philadelphia Sun, was named chief of the Philadelphia branch of the NAACP in 1991. In 2014, Mondesire and three local board members were suspended by the national office over a feud stemming from allegations of misuse of chapter funds.

"Nation of Islam minister Rodney Muhammad was subsequently elected as the new president of the Philadelphia NAACP in December 2014.

"Before Mondesire led that organization, he worked in the 1980's as an aide to U.S. Rep William H. Gray 3d, earning a reputation as one of the most powerful political operatives in the city. . . ."

In a statement, the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists said Mondesire was a founding member. "He was an advocate for the community that he loved as publisher of the Philadelphia Sunday Sun and as a community affairs host on WDAS-FM radio. He extended his reach even farther as a long-serving president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, fighting to ensure that issues affecting Blacks in the city were both acknowledged.

"'Jerry used the power of the pen and the bullhorn to advocate for those in Philadelphia without a voice,' says Cherri Gregg, president of PABJ. 'He fought not only for Philadelphia's Black community but for all people of color and wanted nothing more than for all people in this city to be treated justly.' . . ."

Additional tributes came from Sarah Glover, president of the National Association of Black Journalists and a former two-term PABJ president; Acel Moore, one of the founders of PABJ and NABJ; NABJ treasurer Greg Morrison, another founder of PABJ; and others.

• David Chang and Stephen Beck, WCAU-TV: Philly Civil Rights Leader Jerry Mondesire Dies

Pamela Yip, Personal Finance Columnist, Dies at 59

"Pamela Yip, a longtime personal finance columnist for the Dallas Morning News, died Sunday morning after fighting cancer for three years,"Chris Roush reported Sunday for Talking Biz News. "She was 59.

"Yip had recently taken a buyout offer from the Morning News and left the paper in September. She had been a board member of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers since 2007 and had co-chaired its annual national conference in Dallas in 2011.

"'Pam was a beloved longtime board member of SABEW, where she made lasting friendships and helped promote the highest standards of business journalism,' said Joanna Ossinger, the president of SABEW and an editor at Bloomberg News. 'She was always ready to offer a kind word or volunteer for a project. I'm recognizing her with the President's Award at our Fall conference on Oct. 9.'

"Yip covered personal finance and senior/aging issues for The Morning News. Yip was a fellow at SABEW's Health Care Symposium in New York in January and in 2012 was a fellow at the National Press Foundation in Washington, D.C., where she studied retirement issues. . . ."

"She has been the personal finance columnist for the Morning News since 1999. Before that, she spent 10 years as a business reporter for the Houston Chronicle. . . . ."

• Joe Simnacher, Dallas Morning News: News' personal finance columnist Pamela Yip dies at 59