Sue Valentine and Charlie Stadtlander join the ACOS Alliance Board of Directors
- ACOS Alliance
- Dec 18
- 2 min read
The ACOS Alliance is delighted to announce the appointment of Sue Valentine, media consultant, and Charlie Stadtlander, The New York Times’s Executive Director for Media Relations and Communications, to the ACOS Alliance Board of Directors. Both Sue and Charlie bring a wealth of experience supporting independent journalism and journalist safety in the US and globally.
Their appointments come as Maria Salazar-Ferro, Director of Newsroom Safety and Resilience, steps down as Chair of the ACOS Board after two terms, alongside David Rohde, Senior Executive Editor for National Security at NBC News, who was ACOS's founding Chair of the Board and a subsequent member.
"Maria and David have both played an essential role in the creation and development of the ACOS Alliance. I'm deeply grateful for their trust, commitment and service. They have shaped our journey from a small but unique and ambitious initiative, to the organization and established movement that we are today. I have no doubts that their contribution will have a long lasting positive impact”, said Elisabet Cantenys, Executive Director.
Elisabet added, “We are excited to welcome Sue and Charlie, who each bring hugely valuable expertise and perspectives to the board: Charlie with communications, media strategy and journalist safety; and Sue with journalism protection issues, fundraising and organizational strategy. I know how passionate they are about the ACOS mission and the critical work that we do. Their dedication and insights will be vital as we navigate new challenges and opportunities in the years ahead.”
Sue Valentine joins Elisa Muñoz, Executive Director of the International Women's Media Foundation, as co-Chair of the board. Sue recently spent almost ten years at Open Society Foundations (OSF) in London where she held several roles, including Division Director and Program Director in OSF’s media program, dedicated to providing grants and other support to strengthen, reinvigorate, and protect independent journalism. Prior to joining OSF, Sue worked as the Africa Program Coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists and as a journalist and editor in South Africa during the country's transition to democracy.
Charlie Stadtlander is a communications and strategy expert with fifteen years of experience supporting journalists, advocating for reporter access and safety, and supporting the cause of independent journalism in the US and abroad. He currently leads media relations and communications at The New York Times where he is also a member of The Times’s security and newsroom safety teams, regularly supporting reporters to prepare for and respond to safety issues and threats. Prior to joining The Times, Charlie was a public affairs and media director for various agencies across the U.S. government.
