Contact: Mark Winz, Evangelical Press Association, 407-826-2379

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 7, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Evangelical Press Association Board of Directors has announced the appointment of CFO Lamar Keener as the new Executive Director of the association, effective January 15, 2015.

The action follows the resignation of current Executive Director D'Arcy Maher, who informed the Board in December that she was stepping down in light of new opportunities for a joint ministry with her husband.

"In the final months of 2014, my husband and I received an invitation to work together as a team in an international capacity," Maher said. "After prayerful consideration, we are walking through the steps to finalize this significant decision. Releasing the role at EPA is certainly bittersweet, but it's the right time in order for the association to continue moving forward."

"D'Arcy has served the association well, and while we will miss her, we celebrate this new opportunity with her," said President-elect Mark Winz, who presided over the discussion and voting.

After considering several options, the EPA Board voted unanimously to offer the position to Keener, who has been serving in a part-time business management role for EPA since 2012. His role will now expand to include Executive Director.

"Lamar's wealth of industry knowledge, professionalism and marketing expertise make him a great fit," said Winz. "Since he's already on staff, he will be able to seamlessly step in to keep the work of the association moving forward."

Keener has been an active member of EPA for more than 25 years. He was the publisher of the award-winning Christian Examiner newspaper group from 1988 to 2014, and he is the current publisher of Refreshed magazine, launched last year. He previously served as Treasurer and President of the EPA Board.

The Evangelical Press Association is a professional association of Christian publications — magazines, newspapers and newsletters — and content-rich websites. Founded in 1948, the association includes 300 members in the U.S., Canada, Israel and India. The next annual convention will be held April 8 - 10, 2015, in Westminster, Colorado. For information on EPA and the convention, visit www.evangelicalpress.com.