American Atheists California Announces New Director & Awards

The annual American Atheists California awards were presented at the San Francisco Winter Solstice party in December 08. Congratulations to:

Dave Seaborg - Distinguished Service Award

Don Havis - California Badass 2008 (for protest against Proposition 8)

Orange County Atheists - 2008 Activism Award (for their work combating “In God We Trust” public displays)

Larry Hicok - Affiliated Group Volunteer 2008

Michael Doss - Dedication Award 2008

Howard Burman – Pioneer Atheist 2008 (for founding Santa Cruz Atheists)

During the awards ceremony, Dave Kong announced that he is retiring as state director for American Atheists in order to focus on his new position as the director of state and regional operations for the national organization. Dave has held the state director position for over 13 years. He said that it has been an honor to represent the members of our state, and he now looks forward to working with Atheist activists throughout the country.

Dave Kong then announced the appointment of Michael Doss as the new state director for California. Michael lives in southern California and is the founder of the Orange County Atheists. Under Michael’s leadership, the OCA has worked on significant activist projects, including monitoring city council meetings for sectarian invocations and opposing public placements of “In God We Trust” throughout the county. Michael is young, energetic, and has excellent leadership skills. Dave Kong is confident that Michael will serve the Atheists of California well, and we wish him the best in his new position.