With 177 votes the membership of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) elected Mekahlo Medina as their new president.
Mekahlo is an Emmy Award-winning technology and social media reporter for KNBC-4 in Los Angeles and until recently, the group’s VP of Broadcast.
The election results were revealed on Saturday, August 9, at the gala awards ceremony during the organization’s 30th year anniversary convention in San Antonio.
Mekahlo replaces outgoing president Hugo Balta, who was also elected in 2012 in an uncontested race, and will lead the organization for the next two years.
Mekahlo ran unopposed as did all the candidates for the other executive national board seats.
The other winners are:
VP Broadcast: Ivette Davila-Richards, Associate Producer for CBS News’ Newspath in New York, with 189 votes.
VP Online: incumbent Rebecca Aguilar, freelance news reporter in Dallas, with 189 votes.
At large officer: Ken Molestina, anchor and reporter at KTVT-TV in Dallas with 189 votes.
Spanish at-large officer: César Arredondo, freelance reporter and current president of the NAHJ Los Angeles chapter, with 186 votes.
Academic officer: incumbent Yvonne Latty with 187 votes. She’s the Director of NYU’s Reporting New York and Reporting the Nation programs Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.
There were no candidates for vice president of print, financial officer, student representative and secretary.
With over 1,600 current members, there was very little voting participation in the uncontested races. The board will appoint other NAHJ members to fill the empty seats.
**UPDATE: AP’s Barbara Rodriguez has been appointed interim VP of Print and KABC-7 reporter Sid Garcia is interim Secretary.