July Simpson Elected to the American Humanist Associations Board of Directors

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Merrill Miller, 202-238-9088 ext. 105, merrillmiller@americanhumanist.org

(Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2015)—The American Humanist Association is pleased to announce the recent election of July Simpson to its board of directors. Simpson is an attorney with the Washington State Attorney General’s office in Olympia, Washington. In serving on the AHA board of directors, she continues the legacies of her father, James Simpson, and her mentor, Lyle Simpson (no relation), both of whom are former board members of the Humanist Foundation and the American Humanist Association.

“As a board member, my goal is to serve the American Humanist Association with the same vigor and enthusiasm as my father and my mentor, as I strive to live my life as a ‘happy humanist,’” said Simpson. “I am proud to further the organization’s mission of advocating for the separation of church and state and the rights of humanists, atheists and the growing number of Americans that do not identify with any religion,” she added.

“From her experience living in a variety of places, from the metropolises of Japan to rural Maine, July Simpson brings a wealth of knowledge and perspective of the world and its vast array of people to the American Humanist Association’s leadership,” said Rebecca Hale, president of the American Humanist Association.

Simpson started her first term as an AHA board member along with Christine Shellska of Calgary, Canada, who is also the Secular Humanist Liaison at the Faith and Spirituality Centre at the University of Calgary and a member of the board of directors for Atheist Alliance International.

The American Humanist Association voting board of directors, made up of twelve unpaid volunteers, is democratically elected by the membership. Elections of board members were effective January 1, 2015.

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Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other non-religious Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming philosophy of humanism, which—without beliefs in any gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.