Demopolis Times publisher Justin Averette has been elected president of the Alabama Press Association’s Journalism Foundation for 2014.

The Foundation supports journalism education in Alabama by awarding grants that support college and high school newspapers, workshops, an annual job fair and internships. The Foundation’s board also traditionally meets once a year on a college campus with journalism faculty and students.

Averette is a 2006 graduate of the University of Montevallo. He worked as news editor of the Shelby County Reporter in Columbiana before moving to The Clanton Advertiser where he was managing editor. In 2012, he was named publisher in Demopolis.

Averette, a native of Greensboro, was the 2005 recipient of the Journalism Foundation’s Metz Scholarship, which goes to one student in Alabama with newspaper management potential.

Jack McNeely, publisher of The Daily Mountain Eagle in Jasper, was elected vice president. Averette succeeds Darrell Sandlin, publisher of the TimesDaily in Florence, who became chairman of the board.

Tom Clifford, executive editor at the Montgomery Advertiser, was elected for his first term on the Foundation board.

Board members elected for a second two-year term are: Robert Bozeman, publisher of The Evergreen Courant; Robert Jackson, vice president of sales and operations of The Anniston Star; David Clemons, publisher and editor of The Fort Payne Times-Journal; Brenda Pujol, publisher of The Geneva County Reaper; Tim Reeves, editor of The Selma Times-Journal; and K.A. Turner, state news director for Alabama Media Group.

Board members remaining on the board are: Cindy Crawford, editor of the Birmingham Business Journal, and Caroline Quattlebaum, co-publisher of the Southeast Sun in Enterprise.

The Alabama Press Association has also elected officers for the new year. Mike Marshall will remain president another year after taking over the role following the resignation of David Moore in June 2013.

Marshall’s newspaper career started 40 years ago when he was hired as a copy boy at the Mobile Press-Register. From 1999 to 2012, he served as executive editor of that newspaper. He is now director of statewide commentary for Alabama Media Group.

Tommy McGraw, publisher of the Sumter County Record-Journal and Moundville Times, was elected first vice president, and Michele Gerlach, publisher of The Andalusia Star-News, was elected second vice president. Alan Davis from The Dothan Eagle will remain chairman of the board.

New board members elected were: Kenneth Boone, publisher and editor of Tallapoosa Publishers Inc.; Brad Shurett, publisher and editor at The Daily Sentinel in Scottsboro; Jim Rainey, publisher of The Tuscaloosa News; and Ed Trainor, general manager at The Eufaula Tribune.

Members elected for a second two-year term are: John Harvey, editor at The Advertiser-Gleam in Guntersville; and Russell Quattlebaum, publisher and ad director at The Southeast Sun in Enterprise.

Members remaining on the board are: Joe Thomas, publisher and editor of The Tri-City Ledger in Flomaton; Tim Prince, publisher of The Clanton Advertiser and the Shelby County Reporter in Columbiana; Scott Brown, director of operations for The Decatur Daily; Pam Siddall, president of Advance Central Services Alabama /Alabama Media Group; Horace Moore, publisher of The Times-Record in Fayette, The Northwest Alabamian in Haleyville and the Journal Record in Hamilton; and Glenda Curl, publisher and editor of The Wilcox Progressive Era in Camden.