Veteran regional media practitioner Kalafi Moala and renowned Palauan journalist Leilani Reklai have been elected as the new President and Vice President of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) Board. 

The election took place during the PINA Board meeting in Niue this morning.

Moala, who secured 22 out of the 36 votes, was elected as President, succeeding outgoing President Kora Nou of Papua New Guinea, who was also a nominee for the position. 

Reklai received a total of 29 votes to become Vice President, with Iliesa Tora of RNZ Pacific also in the running.

In his address to the Board after his appointment, Moala thanked the members for their confidence in him, vowing to lead PINA in representing the interests of media across the Pacific region.

Vice President Reklai described her election as an honor, noting that PINA now truly represents the media landscape of both the northern and southern Pacific and also the smaller newsrooms, which are the reality for many island nations.

Reklai says she is humbled to be part of this group of dynamic disruptors and she looks forward to collaborating with the Board to further strengthen the Pacific media industry.