NAHJ
Names New Executive Director
WASHINGTON
-- Veteran newspaper reporter Iván Román has
been named the new executive director of the National Association
of Hispanic Journalists, effective Sept. 15.
Román,
who is currently the San Juan Bureau chief for the Orlando
Sentinel, was chosen by the NAHJ board of directors in a unanimous
vote that followed a national search. He succeeds Anna Lopez
who resigned June 30 to become executive director of UNITY:
Journalists of Color, Inc.
"Iván
is the right person at the right time to lead this organization,"
said NAHJ president Juan Gonzalez. "He will provide clear
vision and dynamic leadership as NAHJ grows rapidly in the
coming years."
A professional
journalist for two decades, Román has also worked as
a reporter at the Rochester Times-Union, the San Juan Star,
El Nuevo Herald, and the Miami Herald. Among his many journalism
achievements is a 1987 First Place Award from the Overseas
Press Club of Puerto Rico for a series in the San Juan Star,
"Immigrants, Alien Smuggling: Scandalous Racket."
From 1995
to 1998, Román was executive director of the Center
for Integration and Improvement of Journalism at San Francisco
State University. A member of NAHJ since 1986, he has been
elected to five different terms on its board of directors,
and has been responsible for organizing the track of all-day
professional development workshops at several of NAHJ's annual
conventions.
"I'm
thrilled to have the chance to dedicate more time to an organization
I love and have believed in for so many years," Román
said. "The number of people who believe in our mission
and are investing in it grows every day, and I'm sure our
future successes will have a major impact on the industry."
"Iván
is a consummate professional who knows the industry inside
and out," Gonzalez said. "He has worked at both
Spanish and English language publications. He knows the needs
of NAHJ's membership and knows journalism education as well
as anyone. Plus, he has had the experience of running a non-profit
organization in our industry. Iván is the perfect fit."
Born in
the Bronx, New York, Román grew up in New York City
and Puerto Rico and has a B.A. in journalism from Temple University.
In addition to NAHJ, he is also an active member of the Society
of Professional Journalists and the National Lesbian and Gay
Journalists Association.
Founded
in 1984, NAHJ's mission is to increase the percentage of Latinos
working in our nation's newsrooms and to improve news coverage
of the country's Latino community. With more than 2,000 members,
NAHJ is located in the National Press Building in Washington,
D.C
