PIMA Elects 'New Faces' To Join Core Executive

AUCKLAND (AUT Journalism/Pacific Media Watch): Several new faces were elected today alongside core members of the Pacific Islands Media Association executive at its annual conference in Auckland.

New vice-chairperson Chris Lakatani comes from outside the media industry but is looking forward to bringing a "corporate mindset" to PIMA.

"I'm used to breaking down barriers for Pacific Islanders in business and I look forward to this opportunity," he says.

He is a director of corporate training firm The Great Scott Company.

Nui FM's Trevor Gagamoe was a vocal contributor to the meeting and is the new radio representative. He is joined by new print representative Eleanor Ikinofo.

AUT Pasifika scholarship student Leilani Momoisea has been elected as student representative on the board.

John Utanga (chairperson), Sandra Kailahi (secretary), Angelina Weir (treasurer) and Adrian Stevanon (TV representative) were re-elected unopposed to their previous positions.

Utanga says making PIMA an incorporated society was a significant achievement in the past year.

"Sandra has done a great job, it was a key strategic goal to get incorporated, so we can have formal structure and so we can get some real money."

In the next year he wants to continue getting "our house in order" by improving communication with its members especially through their website.

"We've got it looking good, now we need to focus on what it can do for our members, the back-end stuff."

He says the main issue for PIMA is ever-present - recruiting Pacific people into journalism careers.

"It's great to have that broad communication framework but my personal objective is to get more kids thinking about journalism and getting them writing in school."

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
http://www.pmw.c2o.org

© Scoop Media