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GIJN 2025 Board Election Results: Three New Members Join, Four Incumbents Re-Elected
GIJN’s member organizations re-elected four current board members whose terms expired in 2025, and also voted in three new board members.
The GIJN community elected four at-large board representatives, including new members Jeff Kelly Lowenstein and Mercedes Bluske Moscoso and returning members Margo Smit and Khadija Sharife. Smit continues as vice chair.
Three regional representatives were also elected. Incumbents Oleg Khomenok (Europe) and Anton Harber (Sub-Saharan Africa) were re-elected for another term, while Yasuomi Sawa (Asia/Pacific) was elected to the board for the first time.
Yasuomi Sawa won the Asia/Pacific board seat through a coin toss, per GIJN by-laws, prevailing in the tiebreaker over Wahyu Dhyatmika.
In all, 18 candidates vied for seven seats on the 14-member board, and 139 votes were tallied. The number of candidates and votes were both the highest in GIJN history. Elections for half the board are held every year. Board members serve for two years.
The top vote-getter overall was Oleg Khomenok. Full voting information is available at GIJN Board Election – 2025.
The 2025 class of GIJN Board members includes:
- Oleg Khomenok (Europe)
- Khadija Sharife (Sub-Saharan Africa)
- Jeff Kelly Lowenstein (North America)
- Mercedes Bluske Moscoso (Latin America/Caribbean)
- Margo Smit (Europe)
- Anton Harber (Sub-Saharan Africa)
- Yasuomi Sawa (Asia/Pacific)
Voting took place by electronic ballot from October 14 to 30. For election background and rules, see our post on GIJN’s 2025 Board Election.
The new board will officially start after the 14th Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Malaysia, and will have its first board meeting in December 2025.
GIJN welcomes its new board members, and thanks all the candidates for their participation. GIJN also thanks outgoing board members: Syed Nazakat (Asia/Pacific), Nina Selbo Torset (Europe), and Zikri Kamarulzaman (Conference representative) for their significant contributions to the organization and investigative journalism around the world.
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