Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists

TBABJ Executive Board

Alexia mckay

President

Alexia McKay is a working freelance journalist, publisher, speaker, and entrepreneur. She is the publisher and editor of chief of RoyalTee Magazine and former vice president of print for the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists.

Born and raised in Tampa, Fla., Ms. McKay attended Howard W. Blake High School. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the school of journalism and graphic design at Florida A&M University. Also, as a student, she officially became a member of NABJ in 2011.

In addition to her entrepreneurial career, Alexia has over a decade of journalism experience and has nourished her talents at BET, CBS, FOX, ABC, and Spectrum news affiliates. She also currently works for the Florida Courier and Daytona Times newspaper as an editorial and social media contributor, and is the creator of Rattler Girls Rock, a platform that highlights women of Florida A&M, promotes sisterhood and HBCU unity.

Alexia currently lives in Tampa, FL, and is a devoted member of Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists and the Tampa Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Avis Bradley

Vice President of Broadcast

Bradley attended North East College of Communications, where she studied broadcast journalism. After college, she was hired as a photographer at Media One in Massachusetts. From there, she went on to be a freelance photographer at WJAR in Rhode Island, eventually landing a full-time spot.

She moved to Florida in 2012 and was hired by WFLA News Channel 8, where she works as a photojournalist.

breanna a. rittman

Vice President of Print

Breanna A. Rittman is a journalist, blogger and podcaster. She is the current Vice President of Print for Tampa Bay’s Association of Black Journalists and News Feature Writer for The Ledger in Polk County.

As a child, Breanna frequently relocated due to her father serving in the Navy. She graduated from Beaufort High School in Beaufort, SC before attending Florida A&M University.

Prior to relocating to Tampa Breanna worked as a reporter and internship coordinator for Gadsden County News Corp and Priority News, Inc which owns The Gadsden County Times, The Havana Herald and The Chattahoochee News Herald-Sneads Sentinel.

Breanna lives by the mantra that a detour is not a dead end. In her spare time, she is either reading or watching historically-inspired movies. In addition to being a member of TBABJ Breanna is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and Iota Sweethearts, Incorporated.

WoNETHA HAll

Treasurer

Wonetha Hall was elected as the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalist’s Treasurer in 2021. She is Marketing Manager for the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revolutionizing early learning to inspire children, engage families, and elevate educators. She has worked in the field of communication and marketing for nearly 18 years as a reporter for several media organizations and marketing executive for several not-for-profit and for-profit agencies.

Hall was born and raised in the Metropolitan Detroit area. She graduated from Wayne State University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications Studies. She was a full-tuition Journalism Institute for Minorities Helen Thomas Scholar as well as a Michigan Student Conclave award winner in radio production.

Hall has been a dedicated member of TBABJ since 2018 and is a board member and treasurer for Family Enrichment Services in Pinellas County.

fran mcmorris

Secretary

Frances McMorris is currently the secretary for TBABJ and a content marketing specialist for a global consulting firm that focuses on legal, insurance and engineering matters.

For a number of years, Frances reported on legal issues in state and federal courts as a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal, the New York Daily News, The New York Law Journal and Newsday. She covered some of the biggest trials in New York City, ranging from securities fraud to terrorism.

She later served as editor-in-chief and editorial director of On Wall Street, a trade magazine and website for financial advisers. After that, she worked as a senior vice president of marketing and communications with Guy Carpenter & Company, a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan, where she wrote about complex issues such as big data, predictive analytics and catastrophe bonds.

In December 2015 she relocated to Florida and covered law firms, legal disputes, the airports, and tourism for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Frances is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and admitted to the New York and New Jersey bars. She is a former president of the Newswomen’s Club of New York, the first and oldest professional organization for female journalists in the country. She also served as secretary of the Anne O’Hare McCormick Memorial Fund, which awards annual scholarships to talented women attending Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in Manhattan.

winston williams

Parliamentarian

jasmine styles

Immediate Past President

Jasmine Styles was elected as TBABJ’s secretary in 2019. She’s a morning weekend anchor and morning reporter for ABC Action News. She’s also worked in Beaumont, TX as an evening anchor and Columbia, SC as a multi-media journalist.

Styles was born and raised in Orlando, Fla. and went to The Florida State University. She graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media/Communications Studies and a minor in Journalism through a co-op program with Florida A&M University.

Styles is a devoted member of the National Association of Black Journalists, which she credits for refining her journalism skills. She’s also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.