National Press Club Elects Sylvia Smith as its 101st President

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Veteran Washington
journalist Sylvia A. Smith was elected today to serve as president of the
National Press Club during its Centennial Year. Smith will take office on Jan.
18, 2008, and her inauguration will be celebrated at a gala event in the
Club's ballroom on Jan. 26.
The Washington editor of the Fort Wayne, Ind., Journal Gazette, Smith has
a long and distinguished record of service to the Club. She has served on most
of the Club's committees and has held the office of Club secretary since 2000.
Smith defeated independent journalist Wayne Madsen in a contested race.
Smith received 289 votes to 65 for Madsen. She will succeed Jerry Zremski,
Washington bureau chief of The Buffalo News, as the Club's president.
Smith has worked her entire career for the Journal Gazette as a reporter
and editor. She moved to Washington to open the paper's Washington bureau in
1989. Long regarded as one of the city's top regional reporters, Smith has
appeared on the cover of American Journalism Review and served as president of
the Regional Reporters Association in 1995-96.
"I am delighted to have been elected to serve the members of the National
Press Club as their president during 2008. It is an honor to represent this
iconic Washington institution at such an important time in our history," Smith
said. "I look forward to encouraging today's journalism through our programs,
guests and training, while honoring and preserving the history of journalism
through our archives and helping to encourage the future of journalism through
our mentoring and scholarship programs," she said.
In uncontested races, the Club elected Donna Leinwand of USA Today as vice
president, Alan Bjerga of Bloomberg News as treasurer. Maureen Groppe of
Gannett News Service won an uncontested race for secretary, and Mark Hamrick
of AP Broadcast, who also was unopposed, won a second term as membership
secretary.
The Club also elected John Hughes of Bloomberg News and Jennifer Sergent
of Scripps Media Center to three-year terms on the Board of Governors. Hughes
got 261 votes and Sergent got 224 votes. Myron Belkind of Associated Press
(retired) received 192 votes.
Meanwhile, John Donnelly of Congressional Quarterly won a contested race
to fill the remaining two years of Bjerga's term on the Board of Governors.
Donnelly won 214 votes, beating Ron Baygents of Kuwait News Agency, who
received 140.
In addition, in an uncontested race, Gayela Bynum of the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development was re-elected to another two-year term as a
member of the Board of Governors representing affiliate and associate members
of the Club.
The National Press Club, with 3,400 members, is the most prestigious press
club in the world. It serves its members through professional development
programs, social activities, free-press advocacy and a Clubhouse featuring the
Reliable Source Bar and Grill, the Fourth Estate Restaurant and the Eric
Friedheim National Journalism Library.
Contact: Bill McCarren,
(202) 662-7534 or
Jerry Zremski,
(202) 246-2396

SOURCE National Press Club

Bill McCarren, +1-202-662-7534, or Jerry Zremski, +1-202-246-2396, both of
National Press Club