LOS ANGELES, CA.- Howard Rehs, of New York-based Rehs Galleries, Inc. will step down from his 12-year tenure as President of the Fine Art Dealers Association on July 1, 2009. Betina Tasende of Tasende Gallery in La Jolla and West Hollywood has been appointed as in-coming President.

“We have made great strides in the past decade: our membership has grown; the Los Angeles Art Show has become one of the most important shows in the United States; and we are currently running one of the most aggressive association advertising campaigns. But, there is still a lot of room for growth. Betina Tasende, a long-term board member, will take FADA to the next level.” states Howard Rehs.

Tasende moves into the Presidency with a goal to grow the Los Angeles Art Show on an international scale. Owned by the Fine Art Dealers Association, the Los Angeles Art Show is the Association’s Flagship show, bringing in 35,000 visitors and more than 130 exhibiting galleries to the 2009 event.

“The Fine Art Dealers Association is a wide-spread, all-encompassing organization, “states Tasende, “My goal is to increase our international footprint, to expand the reach and influence of the Los Angeles Art Show and our membership. As Art Dealers, we all have common goals and issues. We are a global community and I hope to move FADA even further into the international arena.”

With a strong focus on membership growth, Betina Tasende hopes to increase membership nationally and internationally. Fine Art Dealers Association Member benefits currently include: participation in FADA’s advertising campaign, inclusion on the website, access to the FADA network (exhibition announcements) and listserve.

Tasende will also develop new Board Committees. Chaired by a board member, these new committees will be open to all members of the Fine Art Dealers Association. Proposed committees currently include: The Los Angeles Art Show, Sponsorship, Membership, Advertising/Website and Media among others. The committee system will open the doors for FADA members to have more influence in the continued growth of the organization.

Betina Tasende has been involved with Tasende Gallery from a very early age. Founded by her father, Jose Tasende in the mid 1960s, Tasende Gallery has grown to become one of the most influential Modern and Contemporary art galleries in the country. Residing, at different times, in Mexico, Europe and the United States, Betina Tasende has brought an increasingly international perspective to the Fine Art Dealers Association. Tasende was appointed to FADA’s Board in 2005 and has been actively involved with the increased growth of the Los Angeles Art Show.

Howard Rehs has served as Fine Art Dealers Association Board President from 1997 to July 2009. During his tenure with FADA, Howard increased membership to its current levels and implemented a strong advertising program and collector outreach program. Rehs, holds an Art History degree from NYU and has recently been awarded an Honorary Life-time membership for the Association of Historians of Nineteenth-Century Art. In 2008, Rehs was appointed to the Internal Revenue Service’s Art Advisory Panel.