Clarice Bajkowski
Current Title: Chief Creative Officer
Organization: The 19th
Country: United States
Candidate for: Director
For the past six years, my job has been to show that visual journalism isn’t decoration added at the end. It’s a strategic partner from the first planning meeting. SND’s community and its Awards of Excellence have been part of that work for my team, and my time in Poynter’s Media Transformation Challenge sharpened how I think about leading change. I want to help SND make that case for every newsroom, from legacy institutions to small digital-native and nonprofit teams like mine.
On the board, I would focus on three things.
A modern member experience. I’ve led brand architecture and workflow documentation at The 19th, and I’m now leading the rollout of a digital asset management system for our creative team. I know how much a clear system frees creative people to do their best work. I’d bring that thinking to SND’s website, tools and member journey.
Clear guidance on AI. Our members are already being asked to adopt AI tools, often without standards. As I evaluate AI-assisted tools for my own team, I’m working through the same questions many of you face: where these tools save real time, and where to draw firm lines around authenticity and trust. SND is well placed to lead with practical, ethical guidance that protects the craft and the audience.
Growth and professional development. Building a creative team from scratch taught me how much people need mentorship, shared standards and a professional community. I’d like to help SND expand training and explore credentials that give visual journalists recognized career paths. I also want to bring in members from newsrooms that don’t yet see themselves in SND.
I’m ready to commit the time this role requires, to show up prepared and to follow through. SND has shaped how our field thinks about design. I’d be honored to help shape what comes next.