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IGDA Names Joshua Caulfield as New Executive Director

MT. ROYAL, NJ – July 2, 2009 – The International Game Developers Association (IGDA), the world’s largest organization serving the individuals who create digital games, today announced that Joshua Caulfield has been named the association’s new executive director. Caulfield brings more than a decade of association leadership experience to the new position. In his new role, Caulfield will work closely with the elected board to further the IGDA’s goals of advancing the careers and enhancing the lives of game developers everywhere.

“The decision to hire someone from outside the games industry was not taken lightly,” said Bob Bates, Chairman of the IGDA. “But when the board examined the challenges we face, we realized our key volunteers already have a wealth of industry knowledge, and what we needed was an experienced association professional to help us manage the organization to better serve the needs of our SIGs, Chapters, and members worldwide.”

“While the executive director role has traditionally been an outward-facing one,” Bates continued, “in the future the chair will take on the spokesperson role to enable the executive director to focus on the critical tasks of running the association.”

“The games industry is filled with talented people and the IGDA has a position of great importance in representing the development community,” said Caulfield “The opportunity to work with the board and become a greater catalyst in the growth of the association is something that fits perfectly with my experience and capabilities. I’m confident the IGDA will become an even greater organization over the next several years.”

Caulfield joins the IGDA from the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (AMTDA) where he served as executive vice president and interim executive director. Prior to AMTDA, he held a number of senior level positions in business management and marketing, including consulting advisor/chief marketing officer for TechRiver, director of marketing/new media for the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers’ Institute, and other roles which have given Caulfield the experience to manage all operational aspects of growing associations.

Caulfield is also an avid gamer, with several bookshelves of paper-based role-playing games and a long history of playing console and computer games. “I enjoy single-player games,” Caulfield said, “but I also have a group of friends who move between MMOs. Most recently we’ve been playing World of Warcraft, where I am a shadow priest and backup healer – support roles that reflect my real world positions of providing support within associations.”

About the International Game Developers Association (IGDA)
The International Game Developers Association is the largest non-profit membership organization serving individuals who create digital games. The IGDA is committed to advancing the careers and enhancing the lives of game developers by connecting members with their peers, promoting professional development, and advocating on issues that affect the developer community. For more information on the IGDA, please visit www.igda.org .

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