Meet the New Chief Editor of The Dean Daily
- Maximilian Kent
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Dean Daily has officially named Natalie Judith Zona as its next Chief Editor, succeeding outgoing editorial leadership from Maximilian Kent for the upcoming academic year. Zona is a rising senior pursuing a double major in Sports Broadcasting and Communications. She steps into the newsroom's top role following her term as Co-Chief Editor and Sports Editor during the 2023–2024 academic year. A native of Auburn, Massachusetts, and an alumna of Auburn High School, Zona brings an extensive record across campus journalism, collegiate athletics, and external sports media operations to the head position.
Zona first joined the publication during the fall semester of her sophomore year by pitching and writing weekly NFL analysis columns. She was appointed Sports Editor the following spring and stepped up to Co-Chief Editor as a junior. Over the past year, Zona worked alongside student staff and faculty advisor John Rooke to oversee daily news operations, manage reporting beats, and integrate the newly introduced Dean Daily classroom curriculum. Her term included key operational milestones, such as surpassing $700 in direct semester advertising revenue, expanding external reporting opportunities, and implementing structured journalistic review standards across all publication desks.
"I think we ended up doing a lot more than what I originally thought," Zona said regarding the past year of newsroom development. "In terms of being a leader, I think I've grown a lot, not just with The Dean Daily, but also with other things I've done outside of it. Being able to be someone that people aren't afraid to reach out to if they have questions is a big thing. This past year helped me grow as a leader, and it helped with my communication skills, time management skills, and organizational skills".
Outside the newsroom, Zona maintains an active slate of campus responsibilities and professional industry internships. At Dean College, she will serve as Co-President and Sports Broadcasting Director for Dean News Network (DNN) while competing as a defense player on the women's lacrosse team. Her professional background includes internships with the Brockton Rox of the Frontier League, Focal Athletics, and Milford Legion Baseball, alongside event and merchandise management experience with the WNBA's Connecticut Sun.
"Building up your leadership within something that you're comfortable with allows you to grow that confidence and use it in other things, whether it's career aspirations or other clubs like DNN and broadcasting director," Zona noted. "Doing this and being able to learn alongside the team has allowed me to take on leadership roles in other aspects of my life".
Serving alongside Zona on the executive editorial board for the upcoming year will be Ava Membreno as Co-Chief Editor, Shannon Suckerman as Head of Advertising, Ricky Struzziery and Ben Smith as Heads of Sports, Sophie Hunter as Head of Engagement, and Jacob Murtagh as Head of Local News. This leadership group combines seasoned returning seniors with rising underclassmen talent, creating a structured mentorship within the newsroom.
"I think it will be important, especially going into the spring semester, to give people a look into what they could do next year, ask if they are interested in taking on leadership, and then have them learn under us," Zona explained. "Being thrown into it and figuring it out is a really valuable way of learning. No one is going to let you just fail because you have people to help you, whether it's our leadership group or John Rooke. It is about learning from experience and starting that process earlier rather than later".
Under Zona's direction, the editorial team plans to balance rigorous reporting practices with student-driven interest pieces. Future initiatives include launching specialized multimedia avenues such as podcasting, developing contributor compensation models, and broadening off-campus press credentials across sports, arts, and local community events.
"At its core, it's a place where you are able to express yourself, but also we are the hub of information and news for our college," Zona emphasized. "It's an important role that we have, writing stories and telling stories that maybe not everyone is talking about. You join The Dean Daily and people stay with it. It's an organization that you get a lot out of, where you can grow, build a portfolio, and develop skills that are needed after you graduate from Dean College".
