Berkeley Journalism Announces New Assistant Dean for Advancement Steve Katz

Photo by Beryl Terry (’23)

Dear Berkeley Journalism Community,

I am thrilled to announce that Steve Katz has joined Berkeley Journalism as our assistant dean of advancement after 19 years as lead fundraiser and publisher at Mother Jones.

During his time at Mother Jones, the nonprofit journalism organization’s philanthropic revenue increased by 250%, setting the foundation for the organization’s growth in staff and influence.

I am so thrilled to have someone with Steve’s fundraising expertise and passion for our mission as my partner in removing the economic obstacles to people from underserved communities becoming journalists, in addition to strengthening our school’s core programs.

“The assignment is to equip the J-School’s students with the tools and experience to succeed in this challenging, ever-changing field and to (literally) change the face of American journalism by removing the economic barriers that J-School graduates, especially first generation and BIPOC grad students, face as they start their professional lives,” Steve says.

“I look forward to putting everything I’ve learned and done over the years into play towards these goals.”

Before joining Mother Jones, Steve was vice president for development at Earthjustice and managing director at Communities for a Better Environment. He cut his nonprofit teeth in the South Bronx in the 1970s; in the 1980s, he worked in the Bay Area’s nonprofit theater scene.

Steve holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and received his doctorate in sociology from UC Santa Cruz in 1987. (His son Noah graduated from UCSC in 2011, and went on to study theater at The Julliard School.) Steve lives in the Bay Area with his wife, Rachelle, a psychotherapist working for the County of Marin, and their rescue dog, Ryn.

“I’m tremendously excited to be joining the J-School at such an important moment in our country’s history, when journalism is being called to recommit itself to its obligation to foster an authentic, democratic discourse,” Steve says.

“In particular, I’m looking forward to working with Dean Geeta Anand and everyone at the J-School — students, faculty, staff, and alumni — to change the face of American journalism. We’ll do this by building on the J-School’s tradition of innovation, commitment to change, and leadership in opening journalism to voices and communities too often left out.”

Steve is working part time for us through March, as he supports Mother Jones with this transition.

Steve will work closely with me as well as our Advisory Board, faculty, staff and campus community in pursuing our ambitious fundraising goals.

Please join me in welcoming Steve into our incredible community,

Geeta Anand
Dean and Professor
Robert A. Peck Chair
Berkeley Journalism