Román – Executive Director @ National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Veteran newspaper reporter Ivan Roman has been named the new executive director of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, effective Sept. 15.

Roman, who is currently the San Juan Bureau chief for the Orlando Sentinel, was chosen by the NAHJ board of directors in a unanimous vote that followed a national search. He succeeds Anna Lopez who resigned June 30 to become executive director of UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc.

“Ivan is the right person at the right time to lead this organization,” said NAHJ president Juan Gonzalez. “He will provide clear vision and dynamic leadership as NAHJ grows rapidly in the coming years.”

A professional journalist for two decades, Roman has also worked as a reporter at the Rochester Times-Union, the San Juan Star, El Nuevo Herald, and The Miami Herald. Among his many journalism achievements is a 1987 First Place Award from the Overseas Press Club of Puerto Rico for a series in the San Juan Star, “Immigrants, Alien Smuggling: Scandalous Racket.”

From 1995 to 1998, Roman was executive director of the Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism at San Francisco State University. A member of NAHJ since 1986, he has been elected to five different terms on its board of directors, and has been responsible for organizing the track of all-day professional development workshops at several of NAHJ’s annual conventions.

“I’m thrilled to have the chance to dedicate more time to an organization I love and have believed in for so many years,” Roman said. “The number of people who believe in our mission and are investing in it grows every day, and I’m sure our future successes will have a major impact on the industry.”

“Ivan is a consummate professional who knows the industry inside and out,” Gonzalez said. “He has worked at both Spanish and English language publications. He knows the needs of NAHJ’s membership and knows journalism education as well as anyone. Plus, he has had the experience of running a non-profit organization in our industry. Ivan is the perfect fit.”

Born in the Bronx, New York, Roman grew up in New York City and Puerto Rico and has a B.A. in journalism from Temple University. In addition to NAHJ, he is also an active member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.

Founded in 1984, NAHJ’s mission is to increase the percentage of Latinos working in our nation’s newsrooms and to improve news coverage of the country’s Latino community. With more than 2,000 members, NAHJ is located in the National Press Building in Washington, D.C.