Ithaca City of Asylum (ICOA) board of directors has elected new  officers for 2011-2012.  ICOA is a community organization that provides sanctuary to writers whose works are suppressed, whose lives are threatened, whose cultures are vanishing, or whose languages are endangered.  The group serves as a bridge into the community, assisting visiting writers and their families in meeting the challenges of a new environment.

For the period 2011-2012, Kathleen Rourke will serve as chair of the board; Dan Renfrow as vice chair; Kathleen Gemmell as secretary; and Mark Temelko as treasurer.

ICOA was formed as a part of an international network of cities of refuge under the auspices of CRESP Center for Transformative Action, a non-profit organization affiliated with Cornell University.  The group works in partnership with Cornell University, Ithaca College, Wells College and several community organizations.

This year ICOA celebrates its tenth year working in the Ithaca community.  A brochure detailing the group’s work over the past decade and the writers it has supported is available below.