Nine board seats will be up for election at this year’s convention, including president and vice president as well as an at-large position being vacated by Jane Levine, publisher of the Chicago Reader.

Phoenix Media Communications Executive Editor Clif Garboden, currently vice president of the board, will run for president. By long-standing AAN tradition, the vice president is the heir apparent to the organization’s presidency. Andy Newman, editor of Pittsburgh City Paper, has announced that he will seek to replace Garboden as vice president.

Patricia Calhoun, editor of Westword, will run for the Editorial Committee Chair being vacated by Newman. Calhoun was AAN President in 1999-2001 and has been one of the most active members of the association since it was formed.

Carol Flagg, advertising director of the Austin Chronicle, will run for the Advertising Chair now held by Phyllis Britton, advertising director of the Arkansas Times.

Neil Skene, senior vice president of the Creative Loafing Inc., will run for the at-large seat now held by Levine.

Three board members have announced they will seek re-election to their current seats: Robby Robbins, classified ad manager of Independent Weekly, who was appointed Classified Chair in February to complete Stuart Folb’s original term; Tim Redmond, executive editor of the San Francisco Bay Guardian will run again for First Amendment Chair; and Fran Zankowski CEO of New Mass Media, Inc., will run for re-election to the Organization/Bylaws Chair.

All board seats aside from the Convention chair are for two-year terms. A candidate for the convention position will be announced later this week along with the sites for the next two conventions.

Board members who still have one year left in their terms are: Secretary – Sioux Watson, publisher, Independent Weekly; Treasurer – Mark Bartel, publisher, City Pages (Twin Cities); Admissions – Kenneth Neill, publisher, Memphis Flyer; Diversity – Michael Lenehan, executive editor, Chicago Reader; Marketing – Paul Curci, publisher, Philadelphia City Paper; and At-Large members Paula Routly, co-publisher and co-editor, Seven Days, and Matt Gibson, publisher, Missoula Independent.

The voting for the board election will take place during this year’s annual meeting, which will be held in Pittsburgh on Sunday, June 8.

According to the association’s bylaws, all AAN publication members are eligible to run for any of the seats that are up for election this year. Anyone interested in announcing a campaign for a position on the board or in knowing more about the responsibilities of a board member, please call Executive Director Richard Karpel at (202) 822-1955.

Publication members who will not be able to attend the annual meeting can transfer their right to vote by completing a proxy assignment and returning it to the AAN Secretary according to the instructions on the form.

AAN last week mailed to every member publisher both a proxy form and a notice (download PDF here) that includes the agenda for the annual meeting.