ATypI: Gerry Leonidas steps down as president
“ATypI today announced (with an embarrassingly kind and generous text by Tamye Riggs) that I am stepping down from the presidency for health reasons” posted Gerry Leonidas on his social media. “For the next few months I need to be careful where I devote my energy. It's definitely not terminal, but it's right that I step aside.”
“For over 20 years ATypI has been at the centre of my engagement with the typographic community: it has been a space for learning, mentoring, and making connections with like-minded people from around the world” reads his statement.
“Some I've worked with, some I have the privilege of calling my friends, and from all I've learned more than I put in. Especially at a time when politics give me reason to despair, the Association has been, and is increasingly so, a force for good, with a global outlook and a mission I could get behind wholeheartedly” adds the scholar and type design afficionado whose agenda has always been both educational and social through the power of type.
“I am convinced its reach and impact will continue to grow” adds Leonidas of his mission.
“Gerry Leonidas, president of the board of directors of the Association Typographique Internationale (ATypI), has resigned his position effective April 7, 2020. Gerry, who has been involved with ATypI in various capacities since 1997, is stepping down for personal reasons related to his health. His term was due to expire in September 2020” reads ATypI’s statement.
“Currently a professor of typography at the University of Reading, Gerry has been working in our field since 1986. A respected expert on typeface design, typography, and typographic education, he began teaching at the university in 1998, and now supervises PhDs, leads a range of Masters programs, and runs the TDi summer course.”
“For more than twenty years, Gerry has been an engaged contributor to the ATypI community. He first appeared on an ATypI stage during the organization’s 1997 conference in Reading, presenting on ‘Typography and the Greek language: designing in a cultural context.’ Gerry became a loyal member, volunteer, and regular speaker, then joined the ATypI board in 2004. He served until 2010, then took a short break from board duties. He was re-elected to the board in 2013, serving as vice president for four years. In 2017, Gerry was elected president of the ATypI board of directors at ATypI Montréal.”
Per ATypI “Gerry has worked diligently to help move ATypI forward and broaden its global reach. One of his major initiatives was reviving the ATypI Working Seminars, a series of intimate, focused events developed in collaboration with academic partners and volunteers around the world. Since the rebirth of the program in 2019, there have been successful Working Seminars in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Puebla, Mexico, and Amiens, France.”
In addition to his work with ATypI, Leonidas has been involved with countless organizations and events in the typographic sphere, including the Institute for the Study of Typography and Visual Communication (ISTVC) and Granshan and he has published extensively on type and design, with his written work appearing in academic journals, books, and design publications such as Eye, Slanted, and Computer Arts UK.
“Gerry has been a friend, a teacher, a mentor, and a generous partner to so many of us. Although he is leaving the board, his hard work and his ideas will continue to inspire the ATypI team. We wish Gerry all the best as he takes time to focus on his health and his family. We are hopeful that he will grace the ATypI stage once more when life permits” notes ATypI’s executive director, Tamye Riggs.
“I am grateful for the trust of my fellow members in giving me the opportunity to be on the Board, and being given leadership roles. More than everything, I am thrilled to be part of a network that spans decades, continents, and industries, and brings together motivated, inspiring people who share a passion for typography and learning from each other” writes Leonidas.
In related news, the ATypI board elected Carolina Laudon to the position of second vice president on April 1, 2020.
A type designer and educator, Laudon is the ATypI country delegate for Sweden.
She will share vice-presidential duties with Jean-Baptiste Levée, who has served as VP since 2017.
Tags/ typography, atypi, teacher, education, association typographique internationale, typeface design, university of reading, author
