Our Staff
Beth McConnell, Executive Director
Ms. McConnell joined the Coalition staff in May 2007, and works to link together local, state and national organizations around media policy initiatives and provides strategic back-up support to those efforts. Ms. McConnell was the Director of the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG) from 2002 through 2007, where she led the organization to victories including winning the release of patient safety data from hospitals that can save lives, giving consumers tools to protect their personal information from would-be identity thieves, defeating a plan by the IRS that would have allowed the sale of consumers' tax returns, and expanding health care access to tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians. Ms. McConnell began her public interest career in 1993 as a Citizen Outreach Director with the Fund for Public Interest Research, and has extensive experience working with the media, developing strategic campaign plans, training emerging leaders, policy development and analysis, fundraising, crafting effective messages and coalition building. She sits on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group, PennEnvironment, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, and PhillyCAM.
Rachel Colyer, Organizing and Communications Manager
As Organizing and Communications Manager, Rachel Colyer joined the coalition to win on media issues by engaging more people and building a broad network of support that will promote access and build community. Previously, Ms. Colyer served as Field Director at Working America, the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO, running issue advocacy and electoral campaigns in various states. This work illustrated the necessity of grassroots organizing to shape policies from Washington and the need for people to understand the impact of these policies on their daily lives’ to mobilize them into action. She is utilizing this experience to build a stronger, deeper media reform and media justice movement.
Rachel also currently serves as the Campaign Network Chair at WIN, the Women’s Information Network, where she helps to organize events and professional development trainings for members in DC. She is a recent DC transplant, originally hailing from Ohio. She obtained her BA from The Ohio State University in Mass Media Communications and Political Science.
Qres Ephraim, Advocacy Manager
Ms. Ephraim joins the Coalition to help ensure a free and just American media/telecom system. As Advocacy Manager, she will represent the Coalition on Capitol Hill and at The Federal Communications Commission.
Ms. Ephraim earned her Master of Arts in Communication Culture & Technology at Georgetown University and Bachelor of Arts in Human Communication at California State University Monterey Bay. Her background includes work at an independent weekly newspaper, commercial radio, and health communication-consulting firm.
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You will be missed @MediaAccess: MADCo's Statement on MAP Suspension http://t.co/AyrVoPyH
Media and Democracy Coalition We are sorry to hear Media Access Project will be suspending operations. You and your work will be missed. Thank you.
Education is key in helping the public understand their privacy in today's digital world says @kashhill and @CRCalabrese. #JonesDCRB
Alito had the idea of a sliding scale of crimes and could determine GPS warrant need based on the crime, says @CRCalabrese #JonesDCRB
Third Party Doctrine: you do not have privacy protection in any interaction shared with a third party entity (ie banks). #JonesDCRB
