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RNA announces new board of nine directors following review
The Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) has announced a new board of nine directors who will lead the association in taking forward its strategy and the recommendations from its recent review, voted for last year by members.
In 2021 members voted to support a root and branch restructure in a ballot on the association’s future after the previous chair and vice-chair said they would be stepping down after six months into their roles owing to the “demands” of their positions.
The RNA at the time described an "unprecedented situation" where chair Imogen Howson and vice-chair Jean Fullerton were "no longer willing to stand for re-election owing to the extreme, unreasonable and unrelenting pressures of the job", which is unpaid and voluntary. It described an environment where committee members were "bombarded" with demands on social media and subjected to "unprecedented" personal attacks that left the entire committee on the verge of resigning too.
New governance officer Seána Talbot said: “I’m delighted to be joining the RNA board at such an exciting time. The review was timely, robust, and thorough, and will help us strengthen the RNA so it is fit for the future. I’m looking forward to leading on governance matters to ensure the RNA has appropriate structures and systems in place.”
Jean Fullerton, chair, added: “Myself and the board have worked hard this past year to steer our wonderful organisation through choppy seas. I’d like to thank the membership for putting their trust in the board and I’m now confident to say that we have futureproofed the Romantic Novelists’ Association.”
The nine directors are: Jean Fullerton (chair), Andrea Davies (education officer), Lisa Firth (website co-ordinator), Clare Flynn (member services officer), Annette Hannah (press officer), Sharon Ibbotson (Romantic Novel of the Year awards organiser) Laura E James (industry awards organiser), Sue Merritt (events co-ordinator) and Seána Talbot (governance officer).
Other members of the leadership team include Melanie Griffiths (PA to the board and RNA event PR), Ali Henderson (secretary) and Liam Livings (diversity and inclusion officer).
