Junior Zachary Perret was selected Sunday to lead the Duke University Union, outgoing DUU President Chamindra Goonewardene said. Perret will begin in April.

Perret, who is currently DUU's executive secretary, has been involved in the Union for just a year-but he has demonstrated great innovation and leadership during this time, said Goonewardene, a senior.

"[Perret] has a unique set of skills," he said. "He actually demonstrated a lot of leadership in a short period of time and really demonstrated a commitment to the Union. I don't think the fact that he's only been in the Union for a year is going to hinder his potential.... We're really excited to have him as president next year."

Four candidates vied for the Union's top post this year, Goonewardene said, noting that this pool is larger than usual. The University Union Board-a panel consisting of faculty and representatives of several major student organizations-interviewed the applicants Sunday and determined the winner.

Perret said DUU has struck a good balance between large-scale and niche programming over the past few years-a trend that he hopes to continue during his tenure. Performances by comedians BJ Novak and Russell Peters have sold out quickly, and Jazz at the Mary Lou and East Campus Coffeehouse programming have also drawn sizeable crowds, Goonewardene noted.

"I know DUU really well and see how it plays into campus life as a whole," Perret said. "I think we need to make sure we're serving all students. I want to keep the programming strong, keep giving students what they want."

Perret cited the establishment of the Union Consulting Group, an organization the Union founded to help other student groups on campus plan events, as another accomplishment during Goonewardene's term. In the coming year, Perrot said he hopes UCG will work with the Student Organization Finance Committee to evaluate how student groups can sponsor events more economically and "reduce unnecessary student activities fund spending."

Perret added that he plans to explore other sources of financial support for WXDU and Cable 13, which he said provide important services for students but occupy a significant portion of the Union's budget.