FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Elizabeth Denlinger
[email protected] |202-328-8842
Washington, DC – The Board of Directors of Sojourners has voted to approve three additional directors to serve the organization. Jimmie Briggs, Jesse Holcomb, and Sandi Villarreal bring decades of industry and academic expertise in the fields of publishing, philanthropy and journalism. They join the Board as it charts the next chapter of Sojourners’ award-winning journalism and the movement-building that flows from it. The new directors will begin a three-year term of service at the Board’s October meeting.
Sojourners President Adam Taylor made the following statement regarding the Board’s approval of these new members:
“I am excited and grateful that these three new members are joining our Board of Directors. Each of them is an exceptional leader with a passionate commitment to making the connection between Jesus and justice. Sojourners is lucky to have a committed Board of Directors that provides us with invaluable guidance and stewardship. I am confident that these new members will be important voices in the Board’s conversations and help ensure a bright future for Sojourners.”
Jimmie Briggs is a documentary journalist, lecturer, and advocate for racial and gender equity. Currently a Partner/Fellow at New Profit, Jimmie was a co-founder and executive director emeritus of the Man Up Campaign, launched in 2010 during the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, to galvanize youth globally as activists responding to SGBV (sexual and gender-based violence) against women and girls.
A prize-winning writer, his book “Innocents Lost: When Child Soldiers Go To War,” investigated war-affected children around the world in half a dozen countries. He is a contributor to Vanity Fair and The New York Amsterdam News. An adjunct professor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, his next book is a cultural history of masculinity and manhood in the 21st century.
Jesse Holcomb is an associate professor of journalism and communication at Calvin University, where he leads a research agenda focused on local news, public opinion and civic life. Prior to joining the faculty at Calvin, Holcomb spent a decade at the Pew Research Center, where, as associate director of research, he helped lead a sweeping agenda on the state of the news industry, public attitudes about the news, and civic engagement.
Holcomb lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he served on the board of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center from 2019 to 2026 before transitioning to a seat on the organization's community journalism advisory committee. He holds a master’s degree in media and public affairs from George Washington University.
Sandi Villarreal is an executive editor at Texas Monthly, overseeing news. She previously served as editor-in-chief at Sojourners magazine in Washington, D.C., where she edited and reported on topics of religion, politics, and culture.
Sandi holds a master’s degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She has worked in both print and online journalism, publishing, digital marketing, and nonprofit community development. Sandi lives with her family in San Antonio, where she was born and raised.
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About Sojourners
Sojourners is a Christian organization dedicated to social justice, peace, and faith-driven activism. Through nonprofit journalism, digital media, advocacy, education, and grassroots mobilization, we strengthen movements for human rights, dignity, and justice—racial, gender, economic, and environmental. Collaborating across faiths and backgrounds, we promote justice and a multiracial democracy. Rooted in Jesus’ teachings and the vision of the Beloved Community, we seek to replace fear and division with a vision that uplifts the vulnerable, promotes the common good, and enables all communities to thrive. To access Sojourners' digital magazine, get up-to-date information on actions you can take, explore organizing materials, and join the Sojourners community visit www.sojo.net.