Press Release

Rafael Olmeda Becomes Next President of NAHJ

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - Rafael Olmeda, an assistant city editor with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, was elected president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists at the association’s Hall of Fame Gala held during its annual convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Olmeda, who was the association’s vice president of print, will serve a two-year term. Olmeda ran unopposed. He will take over the presidency from Verónica Villafañe, of the San Jose Mercury News, who will now serve a one-year term as an ex-officio board member. Cindy Rodriguez, a columnist with the Denver Post, was elected vice president of print. She ran unopposed.

Manny De La Rosa, a reporter with KRGV-TV,defeated Luiz Cruz,news director of KYMA-TV, for the position of vice president of broadcast.

Sam Diaz, an assistant technology editor for the Washington Post, was re-elected as the board’s financial officer. He ran unopposed.

Elizabeth Zavala, assistant metro editor of the Dallas Morning News, was re-elected as the secretary of the board. She ran unopposed.

Gary Piña, Arlington editor for the Fort Worth Star Telegram, ran unopposed and was elected the board’s at-large officer.

Lavonne Luquis, a web editor for the National Education Association, was elected to the position of online at-large officer; and Claudio Alvarez-Dunn, a managing editor at Primera Hora, was elected Spanish-language at-large officer. Both ran unopposed.

Christine Show, a student at Syracuse University, defeated David Combs, a student at the University of Missouri, to become NAHJ’s student board representative.

This election marked the first time the association used online voting to elect candidates for the association’s board of directors.