By Olivia Ingle
The Working Press
For new Society of Professional Journalists President John Ensslin, his responsibility is an “honor, a privilege and a trust.”
SPJ President John Ensslin is sworn in on Tuesday night. Kevin Zansler/The Working Press
“Tonight I pass the ‘camel’ and know it goes to strong hands,” Limor said of the presidency.
Ensslin enters the presidency with many years of journalism experience. He spent 26 years at The Rocky Mountain News before taking a position as a legal affairs reporter at The Colorado Springs Gazette in 2009. He recently accepted a position covering local government at The Record in Bergen County, N.J.
He is a past president of the Colorado SPJ chapter and has served as chair for the
the President’s Awards.
Ensslin highlighted several goals he wants to accomplish as president, including increasing membership.
“These last few years have been tough on our membership,” Ensslin said. “In the last four years, we’ve lost about 20 percent of our members, partly because of a poor economy but also because of the seismic changes in our profession.”
Ensslin said he plans to expand the Membership Committee and also create a subcommittee that will work solely on growing college chapters.
He also said he plans to strengthen underperforming chapters, making SPJ stronger and better in the year ahead.
“I ask your help in this,” he said to the banquet audience. “Let’s go out now and do great work in the name of SPJ.”