LareDOS publisher Guerra named to board
of Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas

LareDOS publisher and CEO María Eugenia Guerra has been elected to the board of directors of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Also named to serve were Brett Thacker, assistant managing editor of The San Antonio Express-News; Fred Zipp, managing editor of The Austin American-Statesman; and Linda Knight Quick, marketing consultant and former advertising and marketing director for Foley's.
The announcement was made by FOIFT executive director Katherine Garner after the FOIFT's December executive committee meeting.
Guerra, a native Laredoan, is a resident of San Ygnacio. She has published LareDOS since December 1994. She is a graduate of Southwest Texas State University and is a member of the Association of Women Journalists. "That the framers of the Constitution put the pen before the sword, safeguarding the freedom of the press in the First Amendment before the right to bear arms -- this speaks to the value of public discourse and the printed word in open government," Guerra said, adding, "I'm proud to join the FOIFT board in its efforts to ensure the right of the press and the public to have access to public records. Readers of LareDOS over the last eight years know the value we place on the information in open records, information that ultimately reveals whether or not public officials and/or government are using taxpayer funds in the manner in which they were intended."
Thacker, a veteran at the Express-News as an assistant managing editor and sports editor, began his career in journalism at the Beaumont Enterprise in 1977. He holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in communication from Lamar University.
"Our paper is very aggressive in seeking public information through open records channels. The filing and pursuit of Freedom of Information Act requests is second nature for many metro and state desk writers and editors, and the fruits of our labors can be seen in not only good stories but useful information for our readers on their government agencies operate," Thacker said, adding, "But as we've seen in recent months -- and as we experienced ourselves with a successful three and a-half-year court fight to get the San Antonio Police Department to reveal their use of force statistics -- there are those who are quick to block the public's right to know how public servants make decisions and perform their jobs."
Austinite Zipp, a 24-year veteran of daily news publication, serves on the Freedom of Information Committee of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. A graduate of Duke University, Zipp said, "I'm excited about the opportunity to work with the FOIFT to build awareness of the importance of open government."
Linda Knight Quick is President & CEO of Quick Thinking, Inc., a marketing consulting firm in Dallas. A former senior vice-president and chief marketing officer for Foley's, she is a member of the board of directors for QuikTrip, a $3 billion gas and convenience store company headquartered in Tulsa. "I am extremely honored to have been asked to join the board because it is the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment that make America so unique," she said.
Guerra, Thacker, Zipp, and Knight Quick will serve alongside FOIFT board president Wanda Garner Cash, publisher, The Baytown Sun; Dionicio (Don) Flores, editor and publisher, The El Paso Times; Keith Shelton, Journalist in Residence, University of North Texas; Kathy Vetter, managing editor/Enterprise & Invesitgations, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Rob L. Wiley, attorney, Locke, Liddell & Sapp, LLP; Paul Watler, attorney, Jenkens & Gilchrist; Vathy Martindale, executive editor, Amarillo Globe News; Daniel Cavazos, publisher, The Brownsville Herald; Jud Dixon, editor, FOI FOCUS; David H. Donaldson, attorney, George & Donaldson, LLP; Thomas Leatherbury, attorney, Vinson & Elkins, LLP; Ralph Langer, executive vice-president and editor (ret.), The Dallas Morning News; Jack Loftis, Editor Emeritus, Houston Chronicle; John Lumpkin, Texas Chief of Bureau, The Associated Press; Larry Norwood, communciations consultant; Tony Pederson, executive editor and senior vice-president, Houston Chronicle; Don R. Richards, attorney, McWhorter, Cobb and Johnson, LLP; Larry Rose, president and publisher, Corpus Christi Caller-Times; Daniel Russ, creative director and vice-president, GSD&M; Randy Sanders, editor, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; Brett Shipp, news reporter, WFAA TV, Dallas; Tommy Thomason, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Journalism, Texas Christian University; Joel White, attorney, Ogden, Gibson, White & Broocks, LLP; Stuart Wilk, vice-president and managing editor, The Dallas Morning News; Thomas J. Williams, attorney, Haynes and Boone, LLP; and FOIFT director Garner.
The purpose of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas is to encourage, sponsor, and facilitate a greater appreciation, knowledge, and understanding of the First Amendment. Working to ensure that the public's business is conducted in public, the FOIFT has successfully helped citizens access open meetings and documents that should be a matter of public record.
Since 1978, the Foundation's goal has been to educate media and legal professionals, educators, students, public and business officials, and individual citizens about their rights and responsibilities as citizens in our democracy.
The Foundation provides a statewide clearinghouse and assistance through a network of attorneys for information relating to FOI issues.
The FOIFT is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) supported through grants and tax-deductible donations from private citizens, corporations, and foundations.