Elections for 11 positions on the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies’ board of directors will be held on Saturday, June 16, during the association’s annual meeting in Portland. Current members of the board have indicated their intention to run for nine of the open seats.
Nine of the positions are opening according to AAN’s regular, staggered election schedule. Two other seats will be up for election as a result of the resignations of the members who originally held them.
Here’s a list of the open seats and the current board members who have indicated their intention to run for them:
President: Stephen Leon, publisher and editor of Metroland in Albany, NY. Leon is presently the association’s vice president. The VP, by long-standing AAN tradition, is the heir apparent to the presidency.
Vice President: Mark Zusman, editor of Willamette Week. Zusman is now completing a two-year term as Organization and Bylaws Chair.
Treasurer: Francis Zankowsi, CEO and general manager of Colorado Springs Independent. Zankowski was appointed treasurer in Aug. 2006, replacing Rob Jiranek, who resigned when he left Portico Publications for an executive position with the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Zankowski is running for the one-year remaining in Jiranek’s term.
Classified Advertising: Robby Robbins, director of new media at Santa Barbara Independent. Robbins is seeking his third term as Classified chair.
Display Advertising: Carol Flagg, advertising director for Austin Chronicle. Flagg is seeking her third term as Display Advertising chair.
Editorial: Patricia Calhoun, editor of Denver Westword. Calhoun, formerly president of the association, is running for her third term as Editorial chair.
First Amendment: Tim Redmond, editor of the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Redmond is seeking his third term as First Amendment chair.
Organization and Bylaws: Bill Bleakley, publisher of Oklahoma Gazette. Bleakley is planning to resign from the one year remaining in his at-large seat (see below) to run for the Organization and Bylaws chair.
Convention: Paul Curci, publisher of Philadelphia City Paper. The City Paper plans to host the 2008 AAN Convention in Philadelphia. Curci previously served on the board as Marketing chair.
At-Large, two seats: Mark Bartel, publisher of City Pages in Minneapolis. Bartel was elected to a one-year, at-large term last year, and he plans to seek reelection to one of the two at-large seats opening this year in Portland. One of those seats carries a two-year term, and the other — which will be vacated when Bleakley resigns to run for Organization and Bylaws — is for one year.
AAN members who are interested in running for the board of directors, or who would like to know more about what’s involved in serving on the board, should contact executive director Richard Karpel at 202/289-8484 or rkarpel at aan.org. However, the association’s bylaws do not require individuals to declare their intention to run in advance. Any regular members who are interested in seeking a seat on the board may be nominated from the floor at the annual meeting.
