Alissandra Calderon is the Associate Director of Communications for ProPublica. In this role, she oversees media relations and communications strategy for ProPublica.

Alissandra previously served in various communications roles for several Chicago-area nonprofits, including Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, the largest social service agency in the Midwest. As assistant director of communications there she managed marketing, social media strategy, and crisis and employee communications, along with serving as editor of the agency’s quarterly donor magazine.

Calderon’s nonprofit work also includes Junior Achievement of Chicago, where she served as senior programs operations manager for Latino outreach. As a former public information officer for the State of Illinois, Calderon served as a spokesperson for various state agencies, managing media relations, internal communications and multiple statewide education and recruitment campaigns.

Calderon began her career at WBBM-TV, Chicago’s CBS station, as a desk assistant, quickly rising to the position of assignment editor. At the station, she made key decisions on breaking news stories and field-produced reports for on-air coverage, including the 2005 World Series, the 2008 U.S. presidential election and the Chicago bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.