living in the area, although The Clarion-Ledger and other media had reported that he was no longer alive. In January 2007, the Justice Department announced that Seale had been indicted for federal kidnapping and conspiracy charges in connection with the case. Ladd's work on the case drew national and international attention, including from NPR, CNN, BBC, CBC Radio, CBS Radio, Editor & Publisher, and the Poynter Institute. In June 2007, Seale was convicted of federal charges and sentenced to life in prison. Diversity work Ladd is the national Diversity Chair for the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. She teaches annual writing workshops at the Academy for Alternative Journalism at Northwestern University every summer, a program to increase diversity in the alternative press. Her work for racial conciliation and justice in the state have been recognized widely, including in a Glamour magazine profile, as well as by other media outlets. Ladd serves on the board of directors of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and as its national Diversity Chair. She is also vice president of the ACLU of Mississippi. Awards In 2006, Ladd and Mississippi NAACP chapter president Derrick Johnson were co-recipients of the Friendship Award, an annual prize given by Jackson 2000, a racial reconciliation group. Ladd has received six awards from the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies for her investigative work and political commentary, including for her Dee-Moore series and as part of the team that investigated Mayor Frank Melton. 2005, Ladd was designated one of Mississippi's leading 50 businesswomen by the Mississippi Business Journal References External links Donna Ladd's Blog Donna Ladd's AAN Awards Erica Beras, "Donna Ladd: Reporting Her Face Off in Mississippi", Association of Alternative News, 13 Oct 2005 American investigative journalists 1961 births Living people People from Philadelphia, Mississippi Mississippi State University alumni Journalists from Mississippi