The Youth Media Alliance (YMA) has announced Athena Georgaklis as co-chair of its board of directors, which has also appointed six new members.

Georgaklis (pictured), head of development for Nelvana, becomes co-chair alongside Sinking Ship Entertainment founder J.J. Johnson, according to a news release issued Monday (Jan. 9).

The newly announced board members at the Montreal-based nonprofit org are: Julie Derome, director, youth and family content, Télé-Québec; Agustin Guevara Mastretta, acquisitions officer, TVOkids; Suzanne Hénaut, creative head of youth programming team Radio-Canada; Drew Mullin, executive in charge of production, children’s content, CBC; Mike Omelus, executive director of content and strategy, APTN; and Claude Sauvé, VP content and production, Groupe Média TFO.

They replace outgoing board members: Monika Ille, CEO, APTN; Nadine Dupont, chief content officer, TFO; Marie McCann, senior director, children’s content, CBC; children’s media consultant Marney Malabar, former director of kids programming at TVO; Nathalie Chamberland, director, youth programming at SRC; and Marysol Charbonneau, director of youth and family content at Télé-Québec.

The board of directors also includes treasurer Jonathan Finkelstein, president, Apartment 11 Productions; and secretary Michele Paris, senior program manager, Knowledge Network.

The other board members are: Sebastian Altmark, head of creative at For Heroes Only; Jadiel Dowlin, producer, Istmo Productions; Hoda Elatawi, VP broadcast entertainment/senior producer at GAPC Entertainment; Sarah Haasz, producer, Pillango Productions; Maria Kennedy, owner, executive producer, co-founder Little Engine Moving Pictures; and Shabnam Rezaei, co-founder, Big Bad Boo Studios.