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Journalistic Mission

NLGJA selects new executive director

by Yusef Najafi
August 1, 2007

The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA), which works to promote fair and accurate coverage of gays within the news industry, has appointed David Barre as its executive director, beginning Aug. 20.

Barre, a D.C. resident who has worked in management positions at Greenpeace, as well as the National Minority AIDS Council, was selected from a group of candidates from across the country. Before accepting the position at NLGJA, Barre worked for the Association of Corporate Counsel.

According to an NLGJA press release, he will be responsible for the organization’s day-to-day operations as well as the national office staff. Barre succeeds Pamela Strother, who served as the executive director of the NLGJA for 10 years before leaving the organization in October 2006.

Acting executive director Thomas Cashman Avila will resume his post as the group’s deputy executive director when Barre comes on board.

”I’m really excited about the new approaches that he’s going to bring, and the new ideas that he’s going to [implement] into NLGJA’s structure,” Avila says. ”That’s really exciting.”

”I plan to focus much of my energy on continuing to expand NLGJA’s membership, and in particular, strive to increase diversity among the members,” Barre says in the release. ”I will also be looking to diversify and expand NLGJA’s group of funders in order to help us respond to the needs of members.”

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