Robert Naylor

Robert Naylor has more than three decades of experience as a reporter, editor, and news executive for newspapers, television stations, and The Associated Press. Most recently, he served as a consultant to Report for America’s mentor program. As director of career development for AP’s News Division, Naylor implemented ground-breaking leadership and management development programs for editors and staff around the world. He also managed industry-leading student programs and partnered with human resources managers on recruitment and diversity initiatives. Prior to that, Naylor was AP’s director of editorial planning, responsible for strategic, tactical, and operational planning. He previously was chief of bureau for Upstate New York and for Mississippi. He also spent five years in Washington, where he covered telecommunications, labor, Congress, and presidential politics. A native of Meridian, Mississippi, Naylor received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York Association of Black Journalists and the Louis C. Inglehart Freedom of Information Award from the Society of Collegiate Journalists. He has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with a concentration in journalism from Jackson State University. He has professional certificates in leadership studies and emotional intelligence from the Cornell University School of Industrial. He also has a graduate certificate in servant leadership and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University. He received a professional coaching certification through the Life Coaching Institute of Orange County (CA).