Many Voices Advisory Board
Learn more about the advisory board for the Many Voices Prize!
Anthony Hazell
Anthony Hazell, FCLC ‘07, served as editorial advisor to The Observer from 2016-2022. As a student at Fordham, he majored in communication and media studies with a concentration in journalism while also serving as a reporter, news editor, managing editor and editor in chief for The Observer.
Currently the director of communications for Bay Ridge Prep, an independent K-12 school in Brooklyn, Anthony also earned a masters degree in school leadership from Vanderbilt University. He is vice president of NYC Independent Schools Communications Professionals (NYCISCP), a networking and professional development cohort composed of 100+ communications, marketing and advancement professionals from independent schools in the New York City Metro-Area.
Morgan Steward
Morgan Steward, FCLC ’19, is an Associate Producer at Jill Furman Productions (JFP). In March her latest show Suffs, a new, original musical by Shaina Taub about the brave women who fought to get the 19th Amendment passed, will start performances on Broadway at the Music Box Theater. In addition, JFP is also working with Lionsgate to adapt Wonder into a Broadway musical. Morgan also was a producer on “Reopening: The Broadway Revival,” an episode of PBS’ Great Performances series. She is the co-founder of the Associates of Broadway, a contributor to Broadway News and Broadway Direct and serves on the a young adult board of the Casey Feldman Foundation. While at The Observer, Morgan served as both as the Editor in Chief and an Arts & Culture Editor.
Brian Cuthbert
Brian Cuthbert is the Group Vice President at Diversified Communications, a global media company headquartered in Portland, Maine.
Brian graduated Fordham in 2001 with a B.A. in Communication and Media Studies working for The Observer as a news writer, Business Manager and Features Editor.
Since Fordham, Brian has worked for speciality information and events companies including Kennedy Information (divisions of it acquired by ALM and Bloomberg), Chief Executive Group and now Diversified. Currently, Brian oversees a 60-person group at Diversified which produces subscription and e-learning products as well as B2B events across a variety of industries.
Originally from Brooklyn, Brian lives in Southern Maine with his wife and two daughters.
Dionne Ford
Dionne Ford is an NEA creative writing fellow and author of Go Back and Get It: A Memoir of Race, Inheritance, and Intergenerational Healing. Her work has appeared most recently in the New York Times, Virginia Quarterly Review, and New Jersey Monthly magazine and won awards from the National Association of Black Journalists and the Newswomen’s Club of New York. She holds an MFA from New York University and a BA from Fordham University, CLC 1991 where she was Arts Editor of the Observer. She is an adjunct professor of creative writing at Fordham and Drew Universities.
Natalie Rodriguez
Natalie Rodriguez, FCLC ’06, is an assistant managing editor at legal newswire Law360. She served as a features editor on The Observer while at Fordham, and later earned a master’s degree at the Columbia School of Journalism. She began her career in shelter magazines, including working as an associate editor at This Old House and as managing editor at Holmes. She joined Law360 in 2011, rising from a general assignment reporter to managing a team that covers the business of law and the growing legal tech industry.
Marisa Flores Gladden
Marisa Flores Gladden, FCLC ‘03, is the Owner and Lead Planner of The Event Ninjas, and is recognized for her sleek and precise yet creative and bold approach to event management. With a diverse professional background from government to Fortune 500 companies, she launched her business in 2012 and brings strategic insights and grace under pressure to her role. Featured in publications like The Knot and USA Today Travel, she is a thought leader in planning and productivity, transforming venues from Williamsburg warehouses to Governor’s Island beach clubs, all while giving back to her community and planning Disney adventures.
While at Fordham, Marisa majored in communication and media studies in addition to serving as layout editor, managing editor and business manager for The Observer. She went on to earn a masters in strategic communication from Columbia University prior to launching her event planning firm.
Colin Sheeley
Colin graduated from Fordham College at Lincoln Center in 2019. He started on The Observer mid-sophomore year, became News Editor and then Editor-in-Chief. He currently works for NBC News as an assignment editor at the Network Desk.
Courtney Brogle
Courtney Brogle, FCLC ’20, is the former Managing Editor of The Fordham Observer’s 2019-20 cycle. While at Fordham, she majored in Film and Television studies (with a concentration in Television) and minored in Journalism. Currently, she works as an Assignment Editor at the NBC News National Desk. Most recently, she was nominated for two News and Documentary Emmy awards for NBC’s coverage on the 2022 midterm elections and the Uvalde school shooting.
Michele Thomas
Michele Thomas (FCLC ’98) was a Features Editor on The Observer, and now is a writer and educator based in Brooklyn, NY. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from St. Joseph’s College, and a Certified Sommelier credential from the Court of Master Sommeliers. A full-time wine buyer, her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Edible Brooklyn, and Activist Philanthropist, and she has taught English and Creative Writing at the college and high school level. She is also co-author of Culinary Careers for Dummies (Wiley), the author of two science books for middle-grade children, and serves on the Advisory Board for for the Fulton Street Fellowship, whose mission is to support the career development of Black wine professionals through education, scholarships, mentorship, and community. She is currently at work on a memoir in food and wine.
