John Harwood, chief Washington correspondent for CNBC and a political writer for The New York Times, has been tapped to lead the Nieman Foundation’s Advisory Board. A Nieman Fellow in the class of 1990, he has served on the board since 2006.

Commenting on his appointment, Harwood said “I’m honored and delighted to chair the Nieman Advisory Board. The foundation’s mission has never been as important as it is now, when journalism faces such profound challenges. It’s a privilege to have the chance to, in a small way, help our profession meet them.”

Nieman curator Ann Marie Lipinski added, “John has been a devoted member of the advisory board and I am grateful to him for assuming this leadership role. As a second generation Nieman Fellow, John has long valued the power of the Nieman Foundation to influence individual journalists and the industry more broadly. I look forward to working with him to further strengthen Nieman to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Harwood takes the reins from William O. Wheatley, Jr., NF ’77, who finished his term as head of Nieman’s advisory board last year. The board, comprised of leading journalists, Harvard advisors and media specialists, serves in a consultative role on issues related to the foundation’s work and future prospects.

Harwood’s work for The New York Times includes reporting and writing for the regular politics and government blog “The Caucus.” He was previously the political editor and chief political correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, where he also covered Congress and the White House. He is a regular contributor to NBC’s Nightly News and “Washington Week” on PBS.

Born in Louisville, Ky., Harwood grew up in Maryland just outside of Washington, D.C. He began his journalism career in high school as a copy boy at The Washington Star and is a magna cum laude graduate of Duke University. After college, Harwood joined the St. Petersburg Times, where he worked as the paper’s state capital correspondent in Tallahassee, Washington correspondent and political editor. He also traveled extensively to South Africa to report on protests against the country’s apartheid regime.

Harwood’s father Richard, a political reporter, editor, columnist and ombudsman for The Washington Post, was a Nieman Fellow in the class of 1956.