It is bittersweet news that SMC announces the departure of Erica Jones. After more than 7½ years working at Somerville Media Center, Jones and her partner Vanessa are moving to the NYC Metropolitan area. As the staffer with the most tenure at SMC, Erica has witnessed some significant milestones of this place – a full staff and board turnover, rebranding to become Somerville Media Center, incorporation of BostonFreeRadio.com into its activities, VOX POP and more.

Erica’s professional career has been dedicated to the community media movement. Her initial involvement with community media began after Grad School from Suffolk University, as an AmeriCorps Volunteer assignment to the Access Channel in Albuquerque, NM. Upon returning to Boston, Erica began working here for the past 7½ years at Massachusetts’ oldest Access station.

Locally, EVERYONE knows Erica Jones. Her name is synonymous with this organization and her efforts to build bridges with community partners across Greater Somerville, has cemented our standing within the community as a safe and empowering place for creative expression from the diverse elements that comprise this community.

Erica is a true champion of the community media movement. In addition to her work here, she has had a long involvement with the Alliance for Community Media (ACM) – Most recently as the president of the ACM North East Region – which constitutes all of New England plus New York State. There she has navigated some rocky terrain, such as establishing its 501(c)(6) status. Erica has also played key roles in organizing the regional ACM conferences and working hard to keep ACM members appraised and aware of implications of FCC rulings, supreme court rulings, etc.

Erica, we will miss you. We wish you and Vanessa all the best on this new, exciting chapter in your lives. Needless to say, these are TREMENDOUS shoes to fill. And we ask the forbearance of SMC members as we make the transition staff-wise.

— Brian Zipp, SMC Executive Director