Justin Sherwood [he/him] joined Firelight Media in 2020 and currently serves as Senior Director of External Affairs. In this role, he leads external and internal communications for the organization, manages partnerships, and supervises fundraising activities. He previously served as the Senior Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives at The New School (Schools of Public Engagement), where he also directed the college’s public program series, managed external partnerships, and taught classes for the Creative Writing Program. In 2026, he earned a Certificate in Social Impact Management and Leadership from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice, which he attended as a Surdna Foundation Fellow.

Justin is the author of the poetry chapbook Low Theory (Seven Kitchens Press, 2016). His poems, essays, and interviews have appeared in Women’s Studies Quarterly (WSQ), H.O.W. Journal, and The Brooklyn Rail, among other places. He earned an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School, where he was awarded the Paul Violi Prize in Poetry, and a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago.