As expected, David Willey, senior vice president of Rodale, was elected president of the American Society of Magazine Editors today at the annual ASME luncheon. He replaces outgoing president Cindi Leive. Willey, who is the editor-in-chief of Runner's World and the editorial director of Running Times, is the first ASME president based outside of New York in more than a decade.

Elle EIC Roberta Myers will serve another term as vice president, while New York's Adam Moss and Self's Lucy Danziger get one more year as secretary and treasurer, respectively.

Joining the board for two-year terms are Larry Hackett, managing editor of People, James B. Meigs, EIC of Popular Mechanics, and Ladies' Home Journal's Diane Salvatore.

Full release after the jump.

DAVID WILLEY OF RODALE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGAZINE EDITORS

Hackett, Meigs, Salvatore Join the ASME Board

NEW YORK (April 30, 2008)—David Willey, a Senior Vice President of Rodale, who serves as Editor-in-Chief of Runner's World, and Editorial Director of Running Times, has been elected President of the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), it was announced today by Marlene Kahan, Executive Director of ASME. He is the first ASME President to be based outside of New York City in nearly a decade. Willey, based in Rodale's Emmaus, PA, headquarters, has served on the ASME board since 2006.

Willey joined Runner's World in 2003, and after attracting a roster of editing, writing and design talent to the magazine, he oversaw its award-winning redesign in 2004. Since then, Runner's World has earned three National Magazine Award nominations, including its first ever for General Excellence, and six of its feature stories have appeared in The Best American Sports Writing. The past four years were also the most successful in the magazine's 41-year history, with paid circulation growing 23 percent to 640,000, newsstand sales improving 26 percent, and ad pages increasing 41 percent. In 2005, Runner's World was named to the Advertising Age "A-List" and ranked #1 on the Adweek Magazines "Hot List" (10 Under 50).

In 2006, Willey assumed editorial oversight of runnersworld.com. After a redesign in 2007, traffic increased 150 percent, to more than one million unique visitors and 17 million page views per month. Runnersworld.com, now the most popular running-related site, has received a number of industry honors, including a National Magazine Award nomination for General Excellence and an MPA Digital Award nomination for Website of the Year.

Prior to joining Runner's World, Willey spent more than eight years at Men's Journal, starting as Assistant Editor in 1995 and serving most recently as Executive Editor. Willey has made dozens of television appearances, and in 2007 he was the on-course reporter for NBC's broadcast of the ING New York City Marathon.

"David Willey is a real leader—a thoughtful, dynamic editor who combines journalistic integrity with smart instincts for success," said Glamour Editor-in-Chief Cynthia Leive, the outgoing President of ASME. "He's immensely respected by his peers, and I can't think of anyone better to oversee ASME's evolution at this key moment for magazines.

"I'm honored to serve as ASME's President, especially during this dynamic time," said Willey. "Under Leive's leadership, the ASME board has embraced the digital challenges that editors face today. I look forward to continuing those efforts, while remaining a strong voice for editorial excellence and integrity in print, online and in whatever medium comes our way next."

Roberta Myers, Editor-in-Chief of ELLE, has been re-elected Vice President for a second one-year term. Other officers include Adam Moss, Editor-in-Chief of New York, who has been re-elected as Secretary, and Lucy Danziger, Editor-in-Chief of Self, who has been re-elected Treasurer, each for their second one-year term. An ASME officer is elected for a one-year term and can be nominated for a second one-year term.

Larry Hackett, Managing Editor of People, James B. Meigs, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Mechanics, and Diane Salvatore, Editor-in-Chief of Ladies' Home Journal, have been elected to the board for two-year terms, and may be re-elected for a second two-year term.

Angela Burt-Murray, Editor-in-Chief of Essence, Peggy Northrop, Editor-in-Chief of Reader's Digest, and Jacob Weisberg, Editor of Slate, have been re-elected to the board for a second two-year term.

The other members of the board who continue their terms are: Betty Cortina, former Editorial Director of Latina; Hugh Delehanty, Editor-in-Chief of AARP The Magazine; Rosemary Ellis, Editor-in-Chief of Good Housekeeping; Eric Schurenberg, Managing Editor of Money; and Richard David Story, Editor-in-Chief of Departures. Leive remains on the board Ex-officio.

ASME sponsors the National Magazine Awards, the prestigious program that honors editorial excellence in magazines, and the Magazine Internship Program, which places about 40 college juniors at national magazines for ten weeks each summer. ASME also holds monthly lunches and seminars for members and a seminar program for junior editorial staffers. Each fall, it co-sponsors The American Magazine Conference for all publishing executives with Magazine Publishers of America.

The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) is a non-profit professional organization for editors of print and online magazines, which are edited, published and distributed in the U.S. Established in 1963, ASME currently has about 900 members nationwide. Among other things, ASME provides an opportunity for magazine editors to network with their peers. ASME works to preserve editorial independence and speaks out on public policy issues, particularly those pertaining to the First Amendment.