The speakers leading sessions at the 2023 NESPA Annual Conference will include the following journalists, educators and publication advisers:

David Abel, a longtime reporter at The Boston Globe and documentary filmmaker, is a professor of the practice of journalism at Boston University’s College of Communication.

Erica Ayisi is an international freelance journalist focusing on human feature stories around the world. She is a two-time Pulitzer Center Reporting Grantee and teaches and advises at Wellesley High School in Wellesley, MA.

Brian Baron advises the Regulus yearbook and chairs the English department at Newton South High School in Newton, MA. He is also the executive director of the Massachusetts Scholastic Press Association and has advised newspapers and yearbooks for 25 years. 

Lindsay Coppens advises The Harbinger, and teaches at Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough, Mass. She has a master’s in Media and Journalism from Kent State University.

Scott Dalton is the adviser of Tech Talk at Cape Cod Technical High School in Harwich, MA where he teaches English and journalism. He has worked in journalism for more than 25 years, 

Mary DeWinkeleer advises The Lancer Spirit at Londonderry High School in Londonderry, NH.

Shannon Dooling is an associate professor of the practice, investigative reporting at Boston University’s College of Communication.

Edward Downes is an associate professor of public relations at Boston University’s College of Communication. He is affiliated with the Doctoral Program in Emerging Media Studies and directs the Master’s in Advertising Program at Boston University’s Metropolitan College.

Tom Fabian is executive director of NESPA. He co-advises The Newtonite and teaches English and Journalism at Newton North High School in Newton, MA.

Jamie Ferguson is an English teacher at Walpole High School and the adviser of The Searchlight. The Searchlight publishes six print newspapers and two digital magazines per year in addition to weekly online articles.

Janet Fonden is an English and journalism teacher at Westford Academy in Westford, MA.  She is also an adviser for the Ghostwriter, the school’s online newspaper.

Rob Greenfield is a history teacher and the digital literacy coordinator at Newton North High School in Newton, MA.

Zack Gorman teaches and advises video production at Holbrook Middle–High School in Holbrook, MA.

Jack Holbrook teaches English and advises the student online newspaper, the Ghostwriter, at Westford Academy in Westford, MA.

Derek Knapp co-advises The Newtonite and teaches English and Journalism at Newton North High School in Newton, MA. 

Greg Marinovich is a Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist and master lecturer at Boston University’s College of Communication.

Tina M. McDuffie is the Edward R. Murrow award-winning host of the Local, USA series on WORLD Channel Network based at WGBH in Boston. She is as an associate professor of the practice of journalism at Boston University where she also is the journalism adviser for BUTV, the university’s award winning television station.

Maggie Mulvihill is an associate professor of the practice of computational journalism at Boston University’s College of Communication where she teaches media law and ethics.

Harry Proudfoot, now retired, advised The Village and The Literary Villager at Westport High School in Westport, MA. He is a recipient of the Robert Baram Award.

Laura Schaub is the international education specialist for Lifetouch Yearbooks. Previously, she was executive director of the Oklahoma Interscholastic Press Association at the University of Oklahoma. She advised student publications for 22 years.

Justin Silverman is executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, the region’s leading advocate for First Amendment freedoms and the public’s right to know about government.

Helen F. Smith is the President of NESPA. She advised The Newtonite at Newton North High School in Newton, MA for 35 years. She is a recipient of the Robert Baram Award.

Margaret Wang is chief operating officer and co-founder of SubjectToClimate, a nonprofit organization making climate change teaching and learning accessible to all.

George Abbott White, now retired, advised the Denebola at Newton South High School in Newton, MA. He is a recipient of the Robert Baram Award.

Lindsay Wise is adviser of The Cypress at Brookline High School in Brookline, MA where she teaches English and journalism.

Bretton Zinger, MJE, teaches English at New Bedford High School in New Bedford, MA.