The Romance Writers of America held special elections last week for its board of directors. All posts at the organization were open after the 9,000-member Houston-based RWA suffered a large number of resignations after a dispute about diversity that resulted in one of its best-known authors being censured.

Alyssa Day was the sole candidate for president. In a pre-election Q&A, she wrote: “I believe we can reinvent the RWA from the ground up,” Day wrote. “I believe we can make RWA 2.0 a place where authors from marginalized communities can shine and have an equal seat at the table. My vision of RWA 2.0 does not involve ‘fixing’ or ‘saving’ the RWA that existed in December. It involves reinventing RWA from the ground up. As a past board member, I had the chance to do some good, but I also bitterly regret that I didn’t see more–didn’t do more. The policies and procedures must be built entirely to eliminate any institutionalized racism.”

A former trial lawyer, Day has written more than forty-five books, several appearing on the New York Times bestseller list.

The RWA secretary position will be held by C. Chilove. She previously served as the president of the Cultural, Interracial and Multicultural Special Interest Chapter of the RWA. Chilove, in her election Q&A, wrote, “I have decided to continue my membership within RWA, because the change needed to make the RWA an organization that valued diversity, access, and inclusion has to come from within.”

E.J. Russell ran unopposed for treasurer.

Twelve new directors-at-large were also elected from a field of nineteen. They are: LaQuette, Siera London, Skye Warren, Anna Zabo, Veronica Forand, Lisa Kessler, Jessa Slade, Amy Quinton, Avery Flynn, Nikki Sloane, Elizabeth Schechter, and Leslie Hachtel.

Annag MacCallum won election as the PRO Advisor. PRO is the RWA community that has written a manuscript but not yet been published.

With a new board in place, the RWA will attempt to stabilize itself as its annual conference approaches. The group already canceled this year's annual RITA awards; authors for several years had criticized the awards for lacking diversity.

The new board officers will hold their posts until August 31, 2020. The organization's regularly scheduled elections will take place this August.