March 13, 2026 — The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is pleased to announce three newly appointed Regional Directors who will serve on its board of directors.
NAHJ is built on the strength of its eight regions that span the United States and Puerto Rico. Each region represents distinct journalists, chapters and local newsrooms. Regional Directors are the link to people across diverse geographies.
NAHJ Regional Directors serve on the front lines of the organization’s mission. They build and sustain relationships with members, local chapters, journalism schools and industry partners. They organize events, support chapter development and bring the concerns of their regions to the national board.
This year, Regional Directors will play a key role in supporting the “Holding the Mic” sessions, NAHJ’s new national dialogue series that will focus on challenges facing Latino journalists and our communities.Â
The dialogues will create conversations in the NAHJ regions to engage local members and bring awareness of community issues throughout the country.
The newest NAHJ Regional Directors:
Kim Haas — Region 2 Director
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont
Kim Haas is the executive producer, host and creator of Afro-Latino Travels with Kim Haas, a PBS travel series celebrating the African influence in Latin America. She is also the founder of losafrolatinos.com and owner of Haas Media LLC, a multilingual community outreach and communications firm in the Greater New York City area. She has served as Director of Marketing for WWSI Telemundo in Philadelphia and speaks fluent Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. Her work has taken her across Latin America and her series has filmed in Colombia, Costa Rica and Guatemala.
Robert Niño — Region 7 Director
Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming
Robert Niño is a Technical Product Manager of Field Technology at NBCUniversal Local, where he leads the development and deployment of technology solutions that support local news teams across the country. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Niño brings discipline and mission-driven focus to his work at the intersection of broadcast journalism and field operations. His efforts help ensure journalists in the field have the tools they need to deliver timely, impactful coverage to the communities they serve. Niño is based in Arizona.
Blanca Rios — Region 6 Director
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin
Blanca Rios is a special projects producer at WLS ABC television in Chicago. She is no stranger to this role. Rios previously served as Region 6 Director and later as NAHJ Secretary. She has also helped lead the Adelante Leadership Development Academy and the Chicago auction. She returns to the NAHJ board with deep institutional knowledge and a proven commitment to the region and its members.
Regional Directors are the primary liaisons for members in their areas, support local chapter elections, organize regional events and advise the NAHJ board on programming. They keep local chapters active, engaged and aligned with NAHJ’s mission.
Bienvenidos Kim, Robert and Blanca.
Meet all of our board members at the 2026 NAHJ Conference & Expo in New Orleans in July. This year’s conference will create space for honest conversations about challenges facing journalists while providing practical tools to develop their skills.
The conference will tackle urgent topics: immigration, Latino voter engagement, press freedom and journalists safety. Also, threats to education, climate, newsroom diversity along with the political landscape in a critical election year.
NAHJ will celebrate our diverse Latino cultures and storytelling rooted in our host city of New Orleans, including music, identity and the global impact of artists like Bad Bunny.
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Press Contact: communications@nahj.org
About NAHJ:
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States, dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. Established in 1984, NAHJ works to increase the number of Latinos in newsrooms and to ensure fair and accurate representation of Latino communities in media. Learn more at NAHJ.org.