FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2020
NAHJ Leadership Announces Historic Decision to Cancel 2020 Board Elections
Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) announced a formal decision to cancel the 2020 national board elections. After much consideration, the board voted to temporarily limit any unnecessary radical change in the interest of preserving a strong and effective organizational foundation.
The terms set to expire include executive board members elected in 2018, and positions filled by appointment in 2019. Per the bylaws, NAHJ is on a timeline for the national board election tied to the annual convention. While NABJ and NAHJ have not canceled the convening in July, the final decision is not able to be made at this time due to contractual obligations. Additionally, the 2020 NAHJ Hall of Fame Awards and the 2020 NAHJ Ă‘ Awards will not take place.
Throughout the calendar year, national leaders for NAHJ are a vital part of the association ecosystem.
“At a time when our communities, industry, and nation are facing unpredictability, it is essential to make decisions that facilitate strength and stability,” said Hugo Balta, NAHJ President. “Temporarily extending the duties of a knowledgeable board that can act with certainty is the most responsible course of action.”
Patience through this crisis will offer fair and equal access in member participation, and allow the process to attract future board directors who are most capable of leading.
Members who currently hold national director seats have been asked to remain in place until next year’s election cycle. While everyone faces the same pandemic, not everyone is afforded the same time and resources to continue extracurricular leadership. NAHJ leadership will respect any director’s choice to step down. The national board has recommended equal measures apply for local chapter leadership.
Each election cycle takes a financial toll on the organization and includes a rigorous onboarding process. With the following 2021 International Training Conference and Career Fair taking place in July 2021, NAHJ is grateful to all members who choose to make this commitment and grant their leadership to the association for one additional cycle.
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About the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States and dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. The mission of NAHJ is to increase the number of Latinos in the newsrooms and to work toward fair and accurate representation of Latinos in the news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has approximately 2,500 members, including working journalists, journalism students, other media-related professionals, and journalism educators. For more information please visit NAHJ.org or follow on Twitter @NAHJ.
Media Contact:
BA Snyder
Veritas Group for NAHJ
512.630.6337
BA@VeritasAustin.com