The Texas Daily Newspaper Association has a new executive vice president for the first time since 1985.

TDNA’s Board of Directors voted Dec. 2 to promote Ken Whalen to head the association. Whalen, TDNA’s director of legislative and governmental affairs since 2000, will succeed Phil Berkebile who retired at the end of 2004.

TDNA president Donnis Baggett, editor and publisher of The Bryan-College Station Eagle, said TDNA board members think Whalen is a good fit to lead the association into the future.

Berkebile was hired in 1985 after 10 years as executive director of the Nebraska Press Association. He has won numerous state and national awards for his work representing the newspaper industry both in Texas and Nebraska.

Whalen is a graduate of Texas State University-San Marcos and worked as a journalist after graduation. He served as chief of staff for Rep. Barry Telford and director of governmental affairs for the Texas Commission for the Blind before joining TDNA in 2000.

Whalen has led TDNA’s legislative program at the State Capitol since 2001. He will continue to serve in that capacity while taking on the other duties of executive vice president.

The board also voted to promote Darla Thompson to director of member services for TDNA. Thompson has worked for TDNA in a variety of capacities since 1985.

W. Lawrence Walker Jr., publisher and CEO of the San Antonio Express-News, has been named president of the TDNA board.

Jeremy Halbreich, American Consolidated Media chairman, president and CEO, has been named vice president; Bob Carlquist, Houston Chronicle executive vice president and general manager, was named treasurer; and Baggett was named chairman of the executive committee.

TDNA moves into TPA

TDNA also in January completed its relocation into the upstairs suite of the Texas Press Association building  in downtown Austin.

TDNA’s address will be 718 W. Fifth St., Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78701. TPA’s address remains the same but adds Suite 100.

TPA’s existing tenant, Texas Press Clipping Service, will adopt Suite 150.

TDNA’s relocation from its former location in West Austin will give its staff better access to the State Capitol during the Legislature.

TPA extensively remodeled the upstairs space to create a lobby, storage and two offices for the TDNA staff. Several years ago the space  housed the TPA Computer Lab but had not been regularly used since TPA began the Mobile Lab.