Former Wall Street Journal Reporter Joins National Council of Nonprofits

Washington, D.C. – The National Council of Nonprofits is bolstering its nonprofit advocacy work with the addition of Christopher Conkey as Policy Research and Public Affairs Specialist. A former journalist, teacher and hospital staffer, Mr. Conkey brings a diverse set of skills and experience to the National Council.

At the National Council, Mr. Conkey will take on a number of research projects and focus on ways the network can raise awareness of the critical public policy issues impacting nonprofits today, especially those relating to the intersection between governments and 501 (c)(3) organizations. 

“The National Council needed someone to help nonprofits tell our story and the important stories of how public policy is affecting our unique network of more than 22,000 small and midsize organizations in local communities across the country. Chris knows how to tell these stories and we are honored to have him join our team.” said Tim Delaney, President and CEO of the National Council.

Prior to joining the National Council, Mr. Conkey spent nine years as a journalist in the Washington bureau of The Wall Street Journal. As a staff reporter at the Journal, Mr. Conkey covered a variety of public policy issues including economics, consumer safety, transportation and personal finance. He joined the paper as a news assistant in 2001 and was a member of the Journal staff that was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Most recently, Chris reported on the impact of the economic recovery package and threats to the independence of federal inspectors general. In 2008, his stories on regulatory lapses at the Federal Aviation Administration were part of a series nominated by Journal editors for a Pulitzer Prize.

Before his career in journalism, Mr. Conkey spent two years working as a psychiatric technician and behavioral health specialist at a nonprofit treatment center for adolescents with emotional, behavioral and psychiatric disorders. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1996 with a degree in American Government.

For more information about the National Council of Nonprofits, please visit www.councilofnonprofits.org.

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