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.

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Chancellar Williams, Advocacy Manager

Chancellar (Chance) Williams entered the media reform movement as a volunteer for his local community radio station several years ago. This experience shaped his belief that the media system can transform communities, and led him to pursue his Maters degree in Public Service, which he completed in April of 2009. Chance explored the intersection of public service and media through an interdisciplinary approach that included communication and public dialogue, policy, and community development. These skills allowed him to work on variety of projects where he facilitated solutions to community development issues. These projects included connecting rural artists and artisans through a regional branding program that leveraged Internet technology, and helping to revitalize a community radio station in Mamfe, Cameroon. Chance is committed to bringing grassroots voices to national media policy debates inside Washington, and endeavors to be a diligent advocate for every voice.

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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. 

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