John Brooks Named ELCA News Director

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- John R. Brooks, 42, becomes director for news and information in the Department for Communication of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on Jan. 4, 1999.  He succeeds Ann E. Hafften, who resigned to become director for communications at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., a seminary of the ELCA.
     "John Brooks brings the combination of experience and excellence in journalism and love for the church that we need in an ELCA director for news and information," said the Rev. Eric C. Shafer, director of the ELCA Department for Communication.  "We are looking forward to welcoming him to Chicago in January and to the busy year of churchwide activities in which he joins our staff."
     Brooks is currently communications specialist and project leader for news, video production and distance education for statewide educational and research organization at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, La.
     Born in Buffalo, N.Y., Brooks attended the University of Maryland, College Park, Md., earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, and received a master's degree in journalism from Louisiana State University.
     While studying at LSU, Brooks was a full-time radio announcer at WYNK AM/FM in Baton Rouge and a teaching assistant in the School of Journalism.  Before pursuing his master's degree, Brooks was the sports director and a news announcer for the Louisiana Radio Network; news director for KBST radio in Big Spring, Texas, and a newspaper copy editor for the Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise.
     In Fort Worth, Brooks was a computer operator in the classified advertising department of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, an intern at WBAP radio and a sports assistant for KXAS-TV.  At Texas Christian University, he was associate editor of Image magazine, a reporter for the Daily Skiff newspaper and an announcer for KTCU-FM.
     At the University of Maryland, Brooks was a reporter for the Diamondback newspaper and for WMUC-FM.
     Brooks has been secretary and director of communication for the ELCA's Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod and the synod's correspondent and supplement editor for The Lutheran, magazine of the ELCA.  He was also a member of the ELCA Department for Communication's advisory committee.
     Brooks served three terms as council president of the Lutheran Church of Our Saviour, Baton Rouge.  He and his wife, Dr. Ellen R. Brooks, are the parents of a daughter and a son.

For information contact:
Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Director (773) 380-2955 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html