ProPublica announced Thursday that Simon Tran is joining its staff as events associate. In this newly created role, Tran will contribute to the development, growth and execution of a wide range of events and programs for audiences in the Midwest, South and Southwest as ProPublica expands its operations in those regions. He will work closely with director of marketing Cynthia Gordy Giwa, along with reporters and editors, to support live digital and in-person experiences that spark debate, encourage lively discussion and bring ProPublica’s investigative journalism to life.

Tran was most recently producer of community engagement and events at WBEZ Chicago, where he led the production of community conversations, live podcast tapings and cultural programming across the Chicago area. He also organized listening sessions, tabling opportunities and partnerships to improve WBEZ’s storytelling and coverage of the city.

He previously served as an assistant producer for The Moth, organizing Chicago StorySlams that provided content for “The Moth Radio Hour.” He also completed the Obama Foundation’s Community Leadership Corps program, which trained young leaders on community investment, creative storytelling and equity-driven project management.

“We see events as an increasingly vital platform for conversation with and connection to the communities ProPublica serves through our journalism,” said Giwa. “With Simon’s track record for community-centered, informative and creative programming, he is the perfect person to help us reach new and varied audiences with quality and innovation.”

“I am absolutely thrilled to join ProPublica, an organization dedicated to expanding its mission of investigative journalism all across the country,” Tran said. “I am honored for this opportunity to help expand the scope of ProPublica’s impact through events and community partnerships.”