CFFC board appoints Jon O'Brien as president.

THE BOARD OF Catholics for a Free Choice has appointed Jon O'Brien to be the next president of the organization. The current president, Frances Kissling, steps aside in February 2007, and Mr. O'Brien, currently executive vice president, will take office March 1.

Jon O'Brien has more than 20 years' experience working on reproductive and sexual health and rights in the United States and around the world. In his 10 years at CFFC, he has played a key role in the development of CFFC'S many international and domestic campaigns, CFFC'S continued high-profile presence at the United Nations and the European Parliament and the development of the organization's media profile.

Before coming to CFFC, Mr. O'Brien worked as program manager at the International Planned Parenthood Federation's European Bureau in London, where he oversaw the federation's work in a number of Eastern European countries during a time of immense political and social turmoil.

A life-long Catholic born in the Republic of Ireland, Mr. O'Brien's initial involvement in reproductive rights was sparked by his reaction to the great injustices that women especially face as a result of the Catholic hierarchy's influence over public policy in the country. Mr. O'Brien worked for many years as a key staff member of the Irish Family Planning Association, establishing Ireland's first youth peer sexuality education program, a highly successful nationwide telephone hotline, the first young people's contraceptive and counseling clinic that was co-managed and run by young people. He was involved in the development of the country's first HIV/AIDS documentary and school resource, "Stories from the Silence." He was a co-founder and media director for the Frontline Pro-choice Coalition of reproductive rights groups who successfully campaigned for the release of "X," a young girl who was being held by the Irish state under an antiabortion clause in the constitution. Mr. O'Brien was also instrumental in developing the strategy that successfully engineered the downfall of Ireland's restrictive condom laws.

A frequent contributor over the years to radio, television and print media, Mr. O'Brien authored two sex advice columns in national magazines. He has given speeches around the world including a keynote presentation at a briefing to policy makers and parliamentarians in the U.K. Parliament, testimony to an Irish government committee on the Irish constitution, a briefing on reproductive rights for grunge band Pearl Jam, a speech to the city government of Milan, and a presentation at the UNFPA/WHO conference From Abortion to Contraception in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Marysa Navarro Aranguren, the chair of the CFFC board, said, "We are delighted that Jon O'Brien has accepted our offer to become the president of CFFC and are confident that he will continue the extraordinary work done by Frances Kissling over the past quarter-century. We have been very lucky to have been able to count on him for the past 10 years and look forward to his leadership of CFFC in the future. The decision to appoint Jon was a unanimous one, and one we made with great pleasure and confidence."