NLGJA President Michael Triplett Dead at 48

Michael Triplett, president of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, died today at age 48 after a battle with cancer.

"While Michael only served as president for a few short months, he has been a member of our leadership team for several years, first as a Washington, D.C., chapter board member and president and then as a national board member and vice president for print," NLGJA officials said in a press release posted on the group's website.

Triplett was assistant managing editor at Bloomberg-BNA, where he helped guide coverage of tax and labor issues, drawing on his background in law. He frequently served on NLGJA panels dealing with legal matters.

When NLGJA joined UNITY: Journalists for Diversity, he played a key role in the move, and he was one of NLGJA's first representatives to the UNITY board. He also was a principal contributor to NLGJA's RE:ACT blog.

"Michael was truly a joy for all of us to work with, and his loss will be felt among our organization for years to come," NLGJA officials said. The board plans to elect an interim president soon and also determine the best way to memorialize Triplett. Survivors include his partner, Jack.