Virgil and Joann Smith Thought Leaders Forum
Sponsored by:
The Virgil and Joann Smith Family Fund
The AI Communicator: Blending Creativity, Critical Thinking and Technology
Women’s History Month
March 12, 2026
Speakers
The Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center for the Advancement of Women in Communication is honored to showcase the Virgil and Joann Smith Thought Leaders Forum, which highlights women thought leaders who bring to the forefront thought-provoking ideas and expert commentary on issues in the field of communication to a national audience.
The Kopenhaver Center will showcase the Forum speakers in its signature virtual workshop, held annually in the spring during Women’s History Month. The Forum and the speakers will also be highlighted on the center’s website and social media platforms through a series of multi-media video presentations.
Thought leaders who participate in the forum will actively contribute to the center’s online educational archive by providing world-class ideas and expert guidance on contemporary issues, ensuring transformational conversations and change for women in the field of communication.
The 2026 Thought Leaders Forum topic focused on AI and on becoming an effective communicator by using AI as a tool. The AI Communicator:
Blending Creativity, Critical Thinking and Technology. Featured speakers for the 2026 Thought Leaders Forum were the following:
- Emily Brown, Journalism Director, Microsoft—Keynote Speaker
- Erika Gonzalez, Anchor/Reporter, CBS News Miami—Convener
Emily Brown
Keynote Speaker
Journalism Director
Microsoft
Emily Brown is Microsoft’s Journalism Director, focused on advancing a world where local journalism is trusted, sustainable and resilient in the age of AI. She leads partnerships that help newsrooms responsibly apply technology, build AI skills and strengthen trust with their communities.
Her work includes placing engineers in newsrooms, supporting AI tools that can transform editorial workflows and creating cohorts that help journalists prototype AI projects while shaping editorial policy.
Before joining Microsoft, Emily was USA TODAY’s Managing Editor for Audience and Digital Platforms, where she led teams focused on social strategy, audience growth and data‑driven engagement. She began her career as a features reporter in northern Virginia and remains passionate about helping newsrooms reach audiences and sustain high‑impact journalism.
In 2018, Emily was selected for the Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Digital Media, a competitive program designed to develop rising leaders in journalism. She graduated from the University of Lynchburg with a degree in communications and a concentration in journalism, followed by a master’s degree from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications with a degree in Magazine, Newspaper and Online Journalism. Emily lives in Washington, D.C.
Erika Gonzalez
Convener
Anchor/Reporter
CBS News Miami
Erika Gonzalez joined CBS Miami/WFOR-TV in November 2024 as part of the CBS News Miami Morning Edition team.
Before returning to South Florida, she spent nine years as an evening anchor at KDVR/KWGN in Denver and previously worked as a reporter at WBRC in Birmingham and WMBF in Myrtle Beach, where she also served as a traffic anchor.
A Miami native, Erika began her career in public relations before transitioning to television as an assignment editor at WFOR-TV.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and psychology from Florida International University. A first-generation daughter of Cuban and Guatemalan immigrants, she lives in Miami with her husband, two sons, and rescue dog.