National Officer Elections | Chapter elections
AAJA National Officer Elections
Every year, AAJA holds membership-wide elections for national officers. The elections are staggered to ensure continuity on the Board of Directors. In odd years, the positions eligible for elections are Senior Vice President, Vice President of Journalism Programs and Vice President of Communications. In even years, the positions eligible for elections are President, Vice President of Civic Engagement and Vice President of Finance.
The national officers are members of the AAJA Board of Directors. In addition to the six national officers, the Board of Directors is comprised of five elected board members who are members of the AAJA Advisory Board: two board members representing small chapters (fewer than 50 full members) and/or medium chapters (50-99 full members), one board member representing a large chapter (100 or more full members) and two members elected at-large by and from the Advisory Board. These five members’ terms are also staggered to ensure continuity on the Board of Directors.
AAJA’s elections are rooted in the following core principles: dedication to AAJA’s mission, transparency, respect, empathy, open and constructive debate and the pursuit of organizational and financial stability of AAJA as a nonprofit.
AAJA 2024 National Officer Elections
current positions up for the 2025-2026 Term
President
The president shall be the chief executive officer of the corporation and shall, subject to the control of the Board of Directors, have general supervision, direction and control of the business and officers or of the corporation. They shall preside at all meetings of the membership and at all meetings of the Board of Directors and Advisory Board. The president shall be an ex-officio member of all standing committees, including the executive committee, if any. They shall have the general powers and duties of management usually vested in the office of president of a corporation and shall be vested with such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the board of directors or the bylaws. The holder of this office shall be a member of the corporation’s Board of Directors.
Vice President of Civic Engagement
The Vice President of Civic Engagement is dedicated to fulfilling key tenets of AAJA’s mission, including providing outreach to AAPI communities and leading AAJA’s media awareness efforts. This role involves raising awareness within the AAPI community about the news media and how to gain fair access, as well as researching and highlighting instances where news media organizations deviate from accuracy and fairness in their coverage of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and related issues.
Vice President of Finance
The Vice President of Finance, also known as the Treasurer, is responsible for maintaining accurate and correct accounts of the organization’s properties and business transactions in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. This includes managing accounts of assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, capital and earnings, which must always be open to inspection by any Board of Directors member. The Treasurer deposits all funds and valuables in the organization’s name with designated depositories and, along with the President, has signatory powers over these accounts. They disburse funds as ordered by the Board of Directors and provide financial reports upon request. Additionally, the Treasurer serves on the Finance Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors. The Board includes six national officers and five elected members from the AAJA Advisory Board, representing small, medium and large chapters, as well as at-large members.
ABOUT THE CANDIDATES
Candidate for President: Nicole Dungca (incumbent)
Biography: Nicole Dungca is a reporter in The Washington Post’s investigative unit and the board president of the Asian American Journalists Association. She was part of the reporting team that investigated the Smithsonian Institution’s collection of human remains, which included an illustrative narrative that was a finalist for the 2024 Pulitzer Prizes in the Illustrated Reporting and Commentary category. She was also named a finalist in the Audio Category of the 2023 Pulitzer Prizes as the co-host of Broken Doors, a podcast about no-knock warrants. She got her start in journalism at Filipinas Magazine, and was also a staff writer for The Boston Globe and The Oregonian. Read candidate statements here.
Candidate for Vice President of Civic Engagement: Marian C. Liu (incumbent)
Biography: Marian Chia-Ming Liu has dedicated her career to the communities she represents — Asian, immigrant and female — and has covered everything from K-pop to anti-Asian attacks, interviewing everyone from Britney to BTS. Currently, Liu is The Washington Post’s Projects Editor of Special Initiatives and Partnerships, focused on reaching new readers through specialized coverage and innovative technology. She’s managed several launches, including The Post’s new Style and Well+Being sections, plus the Pulitzer-winning January 6 series.
Previously, she was a writer, music critic and editor at CNN in Hong Kong, The Seattle Times, San Jose Mercury News, Source Magazine and the South Florida Sun Sentinel, where she launched a hyperlocal entertainment site and app. Liu also directed the student multimedia convention projects for AAJA and UNITY. She currently serves as AAJA’s National Vice President of Civic Engagement and is in charge of updating the style guide for the AANHPI community. Read the candidate statements here.
Candidate for Vice President of Civic Engagement: Xintian Tina Wang
Biography: Xintian Tina Wang is a journalist, author, photographer, and communication professional with years of experience in covering cultural stereotypes and innovations, including gender & sexuality, arts, business, and technology. Her recent work appears in TIME, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, VICE, ARTNews, Observer, ELLE, The Daily Beast, Inc. Magazine etc. She also serves as the Director of Events at the Asian American Journalist Association (AAJA) New York Chapter. As a bilingual journalist, she also published several stories in Chinese in well-known publications like Jiemian News, Rolling Stone China, and VICE China.
As a visual storyteller, Wang is constantly speaking for cultural minority groups whose voices are buried in mainstream discourses. Her documentary “Size 22” won the “Best Short Documentary” at the Boston Short Film Festival and an “Audience Award” at the New England Film Festival. The film is also selected to screen at the Salem Film Festival and First-Time Filmmaker Sessions. Her photojournalism work is featured in TIME, HuffPost, The Sunday Times, JoySauce, Air Mail, etc. Read the candidate statements here.
Candidate for Vice President of Finance: Chris Nguyen
Biography: Whether he’s interviewing executives or everyday superstars, Chris Nguyen is passionate about connecting with people from all walks of life. He serves as a news and business anchor at Scripps News and helms the weekday editions of “Main & Wall” and “The National Report” from 4pm to 6pm ET. Prior to joining the E.W. Scripps team, he served as a DC-based correspondent at CNN, covering breaking news and national politics for the network’s news partners around the globe.
Outside of the newsroom, Chris enjoys trying new restaurants, working out at Barry’s, volunteering on projects that are close to his heart, and spending time with family and friends. He graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication.
Chris is long-time AAJA member and serves as an at-large representative on the national governing board. Read the candidate statements here.
Election Timeline
Nomination Period:
- Opened: Monday, July 8, 2024
- Closes: Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at 11:59 PM PT
Eligible members (current Professional, Gold Professional, Platinum Professional, Lifetime, retired or student members in good standing) can submit nominations using the Nomination Form. Renew your membership or join here today to add your submission.
Candidates for national president must have at least one year of experience either on the national board of directors or as a chapter president, per AAJA bylaws.
Campaign Period:
- Starts: Thursday, July 18, 2024
- Ends: Thursday, August 8, 2024, at 11:59 PM PT
You must be an Eligible member (current Professional, Gold Professional, Platinum Professional, Lifetime, retired or student members in good standing) to be a candidate.
Voting Period:
Ballots will only be sent once. If you are unsure of your membership status or email, we encourage you to look into it beforehand.
- Opens: Thursday, July 25, 2024
- Closes: Thursday, August 8, 2024, at 11:59 PM PT
All eligible members (current Professional, Gold Professional, Platinum Professional, Lifetime, retired or student members in good standing) in good standing as of 11:59 PM PT July 24 will receive their voting ballots at the email associated with their AAJA membership on July 25, 2024.
Results Announcement:
- Date: Saturday, August 10, 2024, during the #AAJA24 Gala
Voting Eligibility
Eligible Voters in Good Standing:
Professional, Gold Professional, Platinum Professional, Lifetime, retired or student members in good standing with no outstanding fees and meeting membership criteria by July 24, 2024.
Ineligible Voters:
Associate/Ally Members and Corporate Members do not have voting rights.
AAJA National Officer Elections Guide:
Please refer to and familiarize yourself with the AAJA National Officer Elections Guide, which incorporates updated practices and standards governing AAJA’s elections.