Downie, Johnston, Cribb join IRE Board of Directors

Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. The IRE Journal, Summer 2009

Veteran journalists Leonard Downie Jr. and David Cay Johnston won seats on the IRE Board of Directors during the annual membership meeting June 13 atthis year's conference in Baltimore.

Downie, vice president at large and former executive editor of The Washington Post, recently joined the journalism faculty at Arizona State University. Johnston, who retired as a reporter at The New York Vmes In 2008, continues to write books, magazine articles and columns.

Four incumbents also were elected to the board for two-year terms: Lise Olsen of The Houston Chronicle, Cheryl Phillips of The Seattle Times, broadcast journalist Lea Thompson and Alison Young of The Atlanta journal-Constitution.

In addition, Robert Cribb of the Toronto Star has joined the IRE Board of Directors to finish the remaining term of a seat vacated by Jason Grotto, who resigned June 26. Under Section 6.1 0 of IRE's Code of Bylaws, vacancies on the board areto be filled by "the next qualified highest vote recipients among nominees at the last previous election, to serve until the next meeting of the membership..." Cribb was the next highest vote recipient at the election June 13.

Here were the vote totals (including absentee ballots) for the six seats up for election:

Leonard Downie Jr.: 149

Alison Young: 149

David Cay Johnston: 134

Cheryl Phillips: 133

Lea Thompson: 122

Lise Olsen: 1 15

Robert Cribb: 104

During the meeting, IRE members also approved an amendment to IRE's articles of incorporation that removes the restriction on the number of academic members who can serve on the Board of Directors.

IRE members whose membership status was current through July 1, 2009, were eligible to vote. Members who did not attend the conference were allowed to vote by absentee ballot.