As we announced on Monday, AAN’s longtime executive director, Richard Karpel, is stepping down to take the same position at the American Society of News Editors.

As soon as the news went out on Monday afternoon, AAN placed an ad for Karpel’s successor on its website, as well as on Poynter, Idealist.org and CEO Update, which is geared to association executives and other nonprofit professionals. The association has already received more than 20 applications.

The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors will screen the applications and winnow the field to 10 or so candidates within a week of the application deadline, which is Nov. 20. However, if the Executive Committee determines that the quality of candidates isn’t acceptable, it will explore the possibility of hiring a firm to help with the search.

Members of the Executive Committee are President, Mark Zusman, Willamette Week; Vice President, Fran Zankowski, Colorado Springs Independent; Secretary, Sioux Watson, Independent Weekly; Treasurer, Ellen Meany, Isthmus; and Immediate Past President, Stephen Leon, Metroland.

After finalists for the position are identified, Zusman will appoint a separate committee that will likely meet and interview the candidates and make a final recommendation to the Board of Directors. Zusman will seek to ensure that the committee represents a wide range of interests within AAN’s membership.

In the meantime, the Executive Committee is also taking action to prepare for the period after Karpel departs on Nov. 25.

If you have any additional questions about the process, please contact Zusman at mzusman (at) wweek.com.