Jin Ding is the Center for Public Integrity’s chief of staff and operations. Jin started their career in media as a sports journalist in China and reported on the 2012 London Olympics as a correspondent. She worked at NBC Sports, Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, the International Women’s Media Foundation, and the Associated Press. Jin holds an M.S. degree in international sport management from the State University of New York, Cortland and London Metropolitan University. She also has a B.A. in journalism from Tianjin University of Sports. A graduate of Poynter’s Leadership Academy for Women in Media, they are a Knight Foundation fellow in the Executive Program in News Innovation and Leadership at CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.

ABOUT THE WINNER: Jin Ding, AAJA’s vice president of finance, has been a pillar for AAJA’s growth and success for several years. Her drive to advance AAJA’s mission is not just focused on the present, but also towards sustaining our future. She is the definition of a high-impact, selfless leader who exemplifies all that is great about AAJA.

“It’s not necessary to list all that she’s done for AAJA, or all the impact she’s made, because chances are good that she had a hand in it. From supporting local fundraisers, to planning our national convention, all the way up to the core health and vitality of a nonprofit like ours, it can be safely assumed that Jin was involved in its execution,” a nominator said.

Leadership in AAJA can often become a thankless volunteer position, and Jin has operated outside of the spotlight more than she has been in it. Nevertheless, Jin continues to make an outsized impact on AAJA. Her productivity, thought leadership and spirit continues to lift AAJA to new heights.