Elections for several positions on the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies Board of Directors will be held on Saturday, June 7, during the association's annual meeting in Philadelphia.

There will be ten positions opening on the board. Nine of those seats will be vacated as part of the normal election cycle set forth in the association's bylaws. A tenth seat -- display advertising chair -- will open as a result of the resignation of Carol Flagg, who has announced that she will be leaving the Austin Chronicle early next month.

Eight of the nine regularly scheduled board openings are for two-year terms. Incumbent board members have announced that they plan to run for all eight two-year positions.

The candidate for the other position that is opening on schedule -- the convention chair -- will announce his candidacy at the annual meeting. The convention chair carries a one-year term. The advertising chair being vacated by Flagg has one year remaining in a two-year term.

All of the nine members who have announced their candidacies are thus far running unopposed. However, AAN 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 can be nominated from the floor at the annual meeting.

The open seats and candidates:

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To acquaint AAN members with the candidates and their goals, AAN News asked each of them two questions. Responses from all candidates are below.

1. Why do you want to be on the AAN board?

2. What are the most important issues that AAN faces?

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Secretary

Sioux Watson
Publisher, Independent Weekly
Incumbent

1. Roles I love as a board member are to continue representing small to middle-sized independently owned papers and encouraging other women to run for board seats. Membership services is the most important aspect of what AAN exists for, and I will always work for the services papers need and want.

2. Fine-tuning revenue streams in the face of a changing marketplace, for both our organization and individual papers. Forecasting the needs and wants of papers in an industry that is morphing into an increasingly digital world. Always trying new ways to engage membership papers into our group-think organization, to find solutions to all the challenges we are facing rather than keeping to themselves & soldiering on in their own markets.

Treasurer

Fran Zankowski
CEO, Colorado Springs Independent
Incumbent

1. I love the alternative newspaper business. I like thinking about it and talking about it and figuring out how we can make it better. So it's only natural that I enjoy serving on the board, where I get to do all of that several times a year with the smart and dedicated group of people who serve on the board with me. And with my broad-range of experience in the business -- I've worked for several different AAN papers in just about every capacity, from circulation to sales to management to consulting -- I like to think that I offer insight and a unique perspective to the board.

2. The biggest issues are financial ones -- How can the association help its members to maintain a sound business environment? How can the association remain financially viable in order to provide members with the programs and services they need?

Diversity

Donna Ladd
Editor-in-chief, Jackson Free Press
Incumbent

1. AAN and AAN members have done a lot for my paper in our short life span, and I want to give back in whatever ways I can, as well as bring what could be fresh perspectives to the board and the organization from a small (but loud) alt in the Deep South. My newspaper, published in the heart of Mississippi, has had a diverse staff and readership from the beginning, and I am eager to share our experiences with other members of the organization to help member papers prepare for our changing markets, which have demographic shifts at their core. I believe strongly that diversity can be a strength for our papers, and that the key to diversifying our content and our staffs is to start wherever we are to take positive steps forward. I also believe that a lot of seemingly small steps can add up to major results. I've spent a great deal of time researching diversity media strategies and look forward to sharing those with our membership in upcoming months.

2. Our biggest challenge is how we respond to change. Change has a variety of components, and all of them need to be addressed simultaneously. Preparing for changing demographics and attitudes among young readers about diversity expectations is at the top of that list and, I would argue, is as important as developing sound web strategies. It's not either-or, of course; we must look closely at how to use the web and emerging technologies to spread our reach into emerging markets. This year's presidential election is highlighting the fact that our target readers -- of all races -- expect diversity in politics, in media, in entertainment, in everyday life. They don't always want to talk about race, but they will notice the lack of diversity, which they increasingly expect in all aspects of life. I believe that AAN needs to play a leadership role in getting demographic information, and diversity strategies, to our busy membership so every paper doesn't have to reinvent the same wheel. As the diversity chair, I look forward to helping gather and disseminate the information that our papers need to meet this challenge, as well as to continue to build on the excellent training/hiring strategies we already have in place.

Marketing

Jim Rizzi
Publisher, Salt Lake City Weekly
Incumbent

1. I've worked in the alt-weekly industry for more than 25 years -- my entire career. I love what I do and am one of the strongest advocates you'll find for our industry. I take my volunteer commitments seriously. The board is made up of members who've agreed to dedicate time looking at issues that affect us all. I want to ensure all members receive benefit from their membership in AAN and will strive to move the organization in a direction that's in the best interest of us all. Serving as the marketing chair for the previous several years has been an honor. I'd like to continue in this role helping to move AAN forward to accomplish its long term goals.

2. How do we attract, nurture and retain talented journalists and editors? How do we foster new readers? How do we embrace diversity in our communities? How do we adapt to the increasing and changing influence of the web in our markets? How do we build market share and remain relevant? We, as publications and as an industry, must step up to these challenges to survive. I'd appreciate your vote to bring my experience and enthusiasm to bear on these issues for another term of board service.

Membership

Erin Sullivan
Managing editor, Baltimore City Paper
Incumbent

1. I've decided to run for a second term as AAN's Membership Chair because I believe it's critical that the process of evaluating papers applying for membership be overseen by someone with plenty of experience on the committee. The chair of this committee needs to be familiar with the AAN bylaws governing membership, the committee's role in recommending papers for membership, and the process by which the committee makes its decisions. I have served on the Membership Committee for six years now, so I've got the depth of knowledge the job requires.

In the two years I have been the committee's chair, I have worked on making the membership process more transparent and easier for the general membership to understand. Under my chairmanship, we have begun researching the ownership structures of each applying paper to ensure that the papers meet our bylaws requirements. Those ownership reports are available to all AAN members in the AAN.org Resource Library. This year, we have also begun posting the Membership Committee's full report in the Resource Library the week before the convention, so that AAN members have time to read and digest the committee's recommendations well in advance of the General Meeting. My hope is to increase awareness about the membership process and urge more AAN members to cast an informed vote on applying papers at the General Meeting.

I'm hoping to serve another term on the board so I can make further improvements to the process and generate more interest in the Membership Committee's role in AAN.

2. I feel like a broken record when I say this, because I think I said it last time I ran for this board: The changing media landscape is the most critical issue facing AAN right now. Every year our industry faces a growing field of competitors, particularly on the web. I think our organization needs to help members find ways to remain relevant and competitive in volatile markets, increase presence and identity on the web, and maintain market share during poor economic times.

Design and Production

Ellen Meany
Creative director, Isthmus
Incumbent

1. First, I am obviously power-hungry. Second, this board needs white, middle-class women from fly-over states. Third, I feel I positively contribute to the witty repartee.

Seriously, the AAN Board of Directors brings together leaders who work to promote alternative media, and offer ideas for the challenges facing our industry. As the Design & Production chair, I think I bring a valuable perspective to the discussion. I promote art as content, an integral part of what we all produce, and worthy of the level of respect the AAN membership places on design. I want to be part of the future.

2. AAN papers are confronting the disruptive nature of change in the print industry, and the struggle to succeed in multimedia. And how to pay for health insurance.

Our mission is to avoid obsolescence. To manage rust. To foster innovation. To celebrate the reasons we still matter.

The AAN organization is challenged to support the membership through positive promotion, networking, research and advertising opportunities, and by helping to develop the best possible staff-training in a cost-effective way.

Display Advertising Chair

Blair Barna
Advertising director, Charleston City Paper

1. After 15 years in the alt-weekly business, the last ten as co-owner of a member paper, I feel I'm in a good position to give back to the organization. My paper has benefited greatly from our nine years in AAN, and my business partners and I have received mentoring from individuals within the ranks. In addition, I have thoroughly enjoyed the contributions I've been able to make, from mentoring other papers and sharing success stories to serving on Carol's committee to put together the advertising track for this year's convention.

2. I think the single most important issue that AAN faces is helping member papers evolve while staying relevant and competitive in the face of a changing media landscape. It's critical that AAN continue to facilitate the sharing of innovative ideas among our members, as well as seeking out consultants and companies to connect with members to help them thrive. There are fresh ideas out there, and there are also clever ways to repackage content, both online and in print. It's up to AAN to make sure that if our members have answers, we shine a light on them, and if there are answers outside our organization, we point members in the right direction.

At-Large

Jody Colley
Publisher, East Bay Express
Incumbent

1. I've always been an AAN geek, enjoying the exchange of information and collaboration between member papers which has helped me in my career. It's my turn to give back. I would like to assist our membership in continuing our commitment to useful member services, cultivating new talent in our industry, increasing networking and training opportunities, and to focus on bringing existing and emerging technologies to the membership to increase our editorial reach and revenue opportunities.

2. The divide has widened between our member papers concerning their need, desire and ability to react to the online and cellular world. It has become more difficult to serve everyone's interests as well as plan conference programming for the entire membership when needs vary so greatly. AAN CAN revenues which provide a majority of AAN's funding are in rapid decline with no immediate plan in place to significantly supplement that revenue source.

Regional conference training in the past year has shifted hands from AAN office organizing and support to local member organizing and support. Regional conference budgeting and planning needs further evaluation and structuring so we don't reduce or lose this as an invaluable member service for our line-level staff, when instead, we should be broadening it.

Because of increased competition, decreased staff sizes, and less resources for training, it has become more difficult to hire and retain career newspaper people. It is more important than ever that we identify and foster growth among our next generation of managers, editors, publishers and owners, and we bring their energy and new ideas to the membership to everyone's benefit.



Jeff Lawrence
President, Boston's Weekly Dig
Incumbent

1. In the past year, I've placed bets with several board members, pitting my powerhouse area sports teams, the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots, against lesser known teams such as the "Rockies" or "Giants." In doing so, I've won one bet and lost another. These odds are horrifying. With two World Series and three Super Bowls under the collective New England belt in the last seven years, one would think I'd be able to bat at least .685 if not greater. Therefore, it's imperative that I remain on the AAN board in order to continue betting and improve my average.

In addition, I think it's invaluable to have the owner of a top ten market publication that's been bought and sold twice in less than four years, on the board. The sheer insanity of that act and brazen disregard for the normal business acumen brings allows me to bring so much to the table.

2. People like me: semi-young numb-nuts who think they can change the face of the organization one vote at a time. As the old, graying, lethargy tipples their way towards retirement, AAN faces the challenge of weeding out the new screwballs from the young leaders, so that the institution as we know it survives yet another dot-com bubble, or the ravages of another change in classifieds technology and revenue.

We should also be addressing the issue of a paper-less world, where hand-held devices have become the new street corner and distribution box turf wars take place in the browsers.