2024 Board Candidates
Aaron Brokenbough
Self-nominated
Aaron Brokenbough is a Philadelphia-based filmmaker with over a decade of film production experience. He is a grant recipient and Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab producing Fellow, through the Independent Public Media Foundation. Aaron is also the co-founder of the creative agency, SlyTree Creative, working with brands, organizations, and independent productions to create unique and lasting content.
A natural collaborator, Aaron believes that storytelling is a communal endeavor that takes all kinds to make wonderful, courageous work. His credits include Don’t Cry for Me All You Drag Queens (2023), An Endoscopy (2023), Is My Living In Vain (2022), and the upcoming production of Trading Stories (2024).
Arianne Bracho
Self-nominated
Arianne Bracho Hernández hails from Caracas, Venezuela. She has a B.A. in theater, Master’s in Women’s Studies, and an art therapy diploma.
Arianne is an actress, producer and theater director.
For over a decade, Arianne taught theater in under-resourced schools in her native Venezuela. In 2009 she started working on what would be her passion: empowering women. At the National Women's Institute, Arianne educated women experiencing intimate partner violence in their legal rights, as well as working in the community to raise awareness of gender violence.
Since arriving in Philadelphia in 2017, Arianne has been active in community work through PhillyCam. When she is not working on Atrévete as a producer, Arianne is running the Madre Tierra Philly project – a benchmark in Spanish-language programs and recipient of the Innovation Award at the 2019 Cammy Awards. The following year, The Philadelphia Inquirer named Arianne Bracho as 1 of the 10 most influential Latinos in Philadelphia. In 2021 Arianne received the Hometown Media Award by the Alliance for Community Media for her positive impact on the community.
Arianne’s commitment to her community extend to her membership of the Latin American Book Fair Committee, acting as Editor-in-Chief at Philadelphia’s Spanish-language newspaper, Impacto, as well as working as the Executive Director of the Madre Tierra Comprehensive Women's Center that works for gender equality and equity.
Charles B Clarke (he/him)
Nominated by 3rd US Colored Troops
During his relatively short time in this life, Charles has experienced many opportunities and life lessons he hopes to use as a member of the Board – all of which focus on his passion, inspiring community folk to rise up and look over the fence they believe they are confined by.
Charles has acted as Public Information Officer for a Community Action Agency; Regional Director for a national nonprofit conducting informational conferences and training seminars focused on the citizen participation; labor union representative in the hospitality industry; and member of Media Mobilizing Project (Media Alliance Project) Leadership Committee.
Erin McGregor
Nominated by The Free Library of Philadelphia
As a Program Manager at the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR), Erin oversees mentorship and training and represents AIR at podcast and journalism conferences across the country. She is the host and creator of Queer Public, a narrative podcast about queer identity, politics and culture.
Erin is a graduate of the Salt Institute’s Documentary Studies Radio Intensive (2016) and Podcast School at Union Docs (2018). Erin holds a Master’s Degree in Social Justice & Equity Studies and a BA Honors in Sociology & Gender Studies, Communication and Culture.
Erin is passionate about creating enriching opportunities for professional development, drawing on her experience in production, non-profit, community radio, public media and podcasting. She is currently completing training to become a DEI Facilitator. Erin has been a member of PhillyCAM since 2017 and is a certified audio producer. She is Canadian and lives in South Philadelphia with her two rescue cats.
Christopher Norris
Nominated by Movement Alliance Project (nominated by MAP project People’s Tech)
Christopher “Flood the Drummer'' Norris is the Strategic Adviser to the CEO of StoryCorps and oversees One Small Step, the organization’s flagship bridging initiative that pairs strangers across the political divide for 50-minute conversations - these conversations are turned into content that are distributed across platforms. Previously, Chris served as the Managing Editor for Community & Engagement at WHYY, where he built out a portfolio of innovative community outreach programs, including the News and Information Community Exchange (N.I.C.E.), and hosted community conversations on WHYY TV 12.
Before joining WHYY, Norris worked with a diverse group of media outlets in Philadelphia, including serving as the host of Wake Up With WURD, the flagship morning broadcast for WURD Radio. In 2009, Norris founded Techbook Online, a grassroots news and information company, and scaled it to become one of the most active publishers on Comcast’s PhillyinFocus.com, a former website dedicated to local content. Chris is widely known for his innovative approaches to journalism, which are deeply rooted in community engagement, and is highly regarded as a brand builder and cross-enterprise, entrepreneurial thinker.
Shameka Sawyer (she/her)
Nominated by 5 Shorts Project
Shameka Sawyer is a visionary founder and Executive Director of the 5 Shorts Project, a Philadelphia-based initiative aimed at amplifying underrepresented voices in filmmaking. An award-winning film producer, Shameka’s adeptness in navigating the realms of video production, including directing and editing, is complemented by her strong capabilities in strategic communications and project management.
Her proven track record in community engagement and her commitment to diversity and inclusion, coupled with her experience in creating and leading successful projects from the ground up, indicate a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in resource development, fundraising, and positive social impact.