Board of Trust

Board of trust

The Grady Board of Trust is one the college’s most influential boards of alumni and friends lending support and guidance.

Grady Board of Trust

“The Board of Trust exists to advance the cause of Grady College and represents an amazing collection of leaders from across the mass communication marketplace,” said Charles Davis, dean of Grady College.  “This brain trust supports the work that we do, offers insight and advice, and most importantly, forms an immensely rewarding social network. Some of my favorite days as dean have been spent with these amazing people.”

In addition to serving as ambassadors and leaders who can attract resources to the college, the BOT is the sponsoring organization of the Grady Fellowship, a recognition of alumni and friends who by virtue of their accomplishments and service are members emeritus of the BOT.

The Grady College Board of Trust, April 25, 2025.

Members of the Board of Trust

Jason Anthoine

(ABJ ’89)
Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Arketi Group

Crystal Ashbourne

(ABJ ’16)
Dir. of Int. and Executive Communications, Georgia Power Company

Craig Camuso

(ABJ ’90)
Regional Vice President – State Government Affairs CSX Transportation Atlanta, GA

Jody Danneman

(ABJ ’88)
Founder, Executive Producer and President Atlanta ImageArts, Inc. Marietta, GA

Henry W. Grady, III

Healthcare Investment Banking Truist Bank, Atlanta, GA

Perspectives

By staying involved with Grady, it’s like I never graduated! I enjoy coming back to Athens for Board of Trust meetings, being a mentor to students, and attending events.”

Melissa Libby

ABJ ’85, President, Melissa Libby & Associates

Perspectives

“Journalism’s next generation will face incredibly tough challenges.  The Grady Board of Trust has a powerful call for me because it helps generate the resources for the skills, experiences, and real-world perspectives those future journalists will desperately need.”

Richard Griffiths

Retired Vice President and Senior Editorial Director at CNN

Perspectives

“Grady is more than just a great college. It’s a career and connection accelerator. My work on the Board of Trust is simply an investment in our students, faculty and alumni, whose amazing sparks of brilliance and courage are truly what fuels Grady’s enviable momentum.”

Jason Anthoine

ABJ ’89, Managing Founder, Audacity

Additional Information

Explore the UGA Promotion and Tenure documents for UGA and Grady College.

in the news

Carolyn Tieger

Thank you to Board of Trust Chairperson Carolyn Tieger for her vision in creating the Ex-PRIZE, a fund helping Grady College students fulfill their experiential learning goals. Read more about the Ex-PRIZE here.

Jason Anthoine

Jason Anthoine was a featured speaker for an alumni lecture hosted by the Crisis Communication Think Tank. Anthoine spoke about crisis management as it relates to internal corporate communications and connecting with employees and stakeholders.

Jenn Sloan

Congratulations to Jenn Sloan (ABJ ’86) on her promotion to senior vice president, public policy and stakeholder engagement for Mastercard.

Events

GSPA Spring Workshop and Awards

The Georgia Scholastic Press Association and its middle and high school members from across the state will celebrate the best in scholastic journalism at the Spring Workshop and Awards. The event will be held at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. A workshop will lead the event, 9-11:45 a.m., followed by a banquet-style awards luncheon at noon, catered by the Georgia Center. Professional dress is suggested. The 2026 program will be a available closer to the event. Visit https://www.ugagspa.org/workshop-awards for more.

Prospective Student Day

Register here to join us at Grady College Prospective Student Day!

Male student sits in a chair and talks with other students. A sign in front of the student reads Featured Intern.

Intern Hours

Join us for Intern Hours, a peer networking event for Grady College students. Each session will feature a group of current Grady students who had or have internships in Summer or Fall 2025 or Spring 2026. Get tips on how they found their internships, how to prep for your own internship applications, what they did in the role and more. See details on this month’s featured interns on Instagram @UGAGradyCareers.

2026 Grady Salutes

We look forward to recognizing our Alumni Award honorees and Grady Fellowship inductees at Grady Salutes on March 27, 2026. The 2026 Grady Salutes event includes a catered luncheon on the Schnitzer Family Media Lawn. Our 2026 Alumni Award honorees include:

  • Sarah Karges (ABJ ’15)
  •  Eric NeSmith (ABJ ’02)
  • Tracy Brown (ABJ ’88)
  • Wilson Lowrey (MA ’90, PhD ’00)
We also honored our 2026 Grady Fellowship Inductees:
  • Tracy Brown (ABJ ’88)
  • Maureen Clayton (ABJ ’80, MA ’84)
  • Alan Griggs (ABJ ’72)
The cost is $50 per person, and reservations should be made by March 18. Reservations can be made here.

A girl with a graduation stole smiles as she crosses the stage.

Spring 2026 Grady Convocation Ceremony

Grady College’s Spring 2026 Convocation Celebration will take place on May 6, 2026.

  • The ceremony will start at 2 p.m.
  • Graduates will have their names read in front of family, friends, faculty and staff as they cross the stage.
  • Dress is professional; caps and gowns are not worn for Grady Convocation.
  • Guests are asked to remain in their seats and not take pictures at the stage. Photos will be taken of each graduate crossing the stage and will be available free of charge after the event on the UGAGrady Flickr account.
  • The ceremony will be recorded and posted within 24 hours on the UGA Grady YouTube channel.
  • Students must register for convocation. Registration will open in April.
  • Tickets are not required for Spring Convocation.
  • Parking is available at one of several downtown parking lots. Please allow plenty of time to park and arrive as there will be convocation ceremonies downtown for other UGA units that same day.
More information can be found at https://grady.uga.edu/graduation/

A professor and students with graduation gowns and stoles pose for a picture in front of Grady College.

Spring 2026 Grady Graduation Celebration

Graduates and their parents are invited to celebrate with other graduates and faculty/staff at this drop-in celebration from 5 to 6:30  p.m. on May 8, 2026. Guests will enjoy light refreshments and photo opportunities with Dean Davis and others. Tickets are not required for the celebration at Grady College.