The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has announced new executive directors for both the IGDA and the IGDA Foundation, filling leadership vacancies left by Jen MacLean’s departure in April.
Renee Gittins has been named the new executive director of the IGDA, a move that comes after serving on the organization’s board of directors for more than two years and pulls her from her soon to be former position as a solutions architect at Spirit AI.
In a press release, Gittinis notes that her plans for the future of the IGDA include taking an active role in representing the needs and rights of game developers, and kicking off an initiative to foster the IGDA’s community as part of that effort.
The IGDA Foundation, the IGDA’s charitable organization, has named former ESA head of public affairs Nika Nour as its own executive director. Nour herself has spent more than ten years working with companies on social and cultural impact initiatives, and has held positions at the ESA, Internet Association, and the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and commerce.
“Diversity and inclusion efforts are critical to ensuring the growth and success of video game developers, players, and businesses,” said Nour. “The industry can do more to support women, minorities, LGBTQ, accessibility needs and underserved communities, and the IGDA Foundation’s work would be incomplete if we didn’t focus on the whole inclusivity pipeline.”