2026 Sag Harbor & ATL hostesses
Rochell Sleets, Newsday, Editor-In- Chief,
Rochell Bishop Sleets is the Editor and Chief Content Officer at Newsday, where she is responsible for the overall direction, content and quality of the multiplatform newsroom, working closely with Newsday’s award-winning team to provide impactful, differentiated coverage to its diverse audiences.
Sleets was previously the Director of News at the Chicago Tribune, where she was a key leader in restructuring the news department to find innovative approaches to expand and focus coverage, and leverage talent to create high-performing, equitable organizational culture. Her appointment to the masthead in 2020 at the Chicago Tribune made her the news organization’s first Black news director, and in 2024, she became the first Black woman to lead Newsday. Sleets, who joined Newsday in February 2023 as managing editor, launched her journalism career in high school as a Dow Jones scholar at the Asbury Park Press newspaper in her home state of New Jersey.
She has worked in journalism for three decades and has been dedicated to telling the full, fair stories, the joys and the sorrows, of all people. Sleets served as a Pulitzer Prize juror for Local Reporting in 2024 and as chair of the Local Reporting jury this year. Sleets, who has been honored and recognized for her editing work, is also a licensed educator.
As part of giving back to her community and supporting diverse youth and young adults, she has been a tutor and college adviser to students for over a decade, helping them achieve their academic goals and setting them up with the tools they need to help launch professional careers. She currently serves as a faculty adviser for FNewsmagazine at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago.
A first-generation American to immigrant parents from Belize, Central America, Sleets graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C., with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and received a master’s degree in teaching from National Louis University in Chicago. She and her husband, Gentry, live in Suffolk County and have four adult children.
Amaryllis Greene, 2025 Black Authors Festival Youth Honoree
Amaryllis Greene is a dynamic young author, actress, and emerging creative whose voice reflects the curiosity, courage, and imagination of a new generation of storytellers. At just fifteen years old, she has already distinguished herself as a published author with her poetry collection Poets Are Children Too, a thoughtful and inspiring work that encourages young readers to embrace creativity, self-expression, and confidence in their unique voices.
Amaryllis first gained public attention when she demonstrated remarkable poise and curiosity as a child, asking then New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio thoughtful questions during a Queens Town Hall meeting at August Martin High School. Her determination and confidence caught the attention of an Emmy Award–winning investigative reporter, who has continued to support and highlight Amaryllis’s inspiring journey since that moment.
In addition to her work as an author, Amaryllis is an actress currently appearing in the series The Book of Raven, streaming on Prime Video, Plex TV, and Tubi, where she portrays the character Malaika. Her creative talents also extend into the world of fashion. She has graced the runway for notable designers including Harley D’Olivera, Artwear by Janis Leigh, Kali Kouture, Tyrone Chablis, Tashi Couture, and Versatility at Large.
Committed to giving back to her community, Amaryllis made her first public speaking appearance at the Celebration of Books & Literacy event in Harlem, where she encouraged school-aged children to embrace reading. She also volunteers regularly at food pantries, supports community events hosted by elected officials, and contributes her time to culturally rich initiatives.Last year she was the Youth Honoree at the 3rd Annual Black Authors Festival @SagHarbor.
In her free time, Amaryllis enjoys reading, writing, skateboarding, coding, listening to music, and exploring new skills. Guided by faith, determination, and a strong support system, she believes that young people can pursue their dreams at any age. As she reminds others through her poetry: B.Y.B.Y. — Be Your Best You, because no one else can be you.
TBA Soon, ATL Hostess
2026 Auctioneer
Yvette Highsmith
Yvette Highsmith-Francis is the vice president of Community Health Center, Inc.’s Eastern Region. Yvette has worked with CHCI for 24 years in a variety of capacities. In her current role, she oversees eight of the fourteen CHCI locations as well as the School Based Health services across the state. Committed to the elimination of racial/ethnic health care disparities, Yvette works diligently to ensure that the community’s most vulnerable residents continue to have access to quality medical, dental, mental health and school-based services and that those services are delivered with dignity and respect. Yvette is actively engaged in the communities she serves and is committed to public and civic service in her personal time as well. Yvette currently oversees Community Advisory committees and is the co-chair of the PCMH+ Oversight Committee. She is a graduate of the UCLA/Johnson & Johnson Health Care Executive program as well as the Connecticut Health Foundation’s 2009 Health Leadership Fellows Program. Yvette was a Martin Luther King Scholar at Long Island University and received her master’s degree in management from Cambridge College.