Mike Smith, having garnered the most write-in votes, was elected to the vacant Communicator board seat with a three-year term. No names appeared on the ballot for that board seat because no candidate had submitted enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
The COVID-19 pandemic and political polarization in recent years have created distrust of the media, Judson said. She said her top goals for her year at the helm of the Club include emphasizing education about the importance of a free press and protecting journalists around the world.
She pledged to continue the club’s advocacy for the release of journalist Austin Tice, who was detained while reporting in Syria nearly 10 years ago. She met recently with his mother, Debra, at the Club and said she would work to ensure “2022 will be the year he comes home.”
Judson has been covering defense news in Washington since 2012. After working at Politico and Inside Defense, she has been working at Defense News for more than six years, reporting on the complicated bureaucracy of the Pentagon and Capitol Hill for policy-makers and readers in the defense industry.
Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Judson earned a master of science degree in print journalism from Boston University and a bachelor of arts degree from Kenyon College in Ohio.
She now lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Jim and their two toddler sons, Frankie and Teddy.
In her campaign statement ahead of the election, Judson said she has found the Club to be “a haven of both inspiration and camaraderie in good times and bad, and my goal is to ensure this continues for all members.”
She recounted her experience serving in leadership roles on the Young Members Committee and the Scholarship Committee. She was elected vice president of the Club in December 2020.
The pandemic has "deeply affected" the Club, which had to make tough decisions to curtail services and in-person events. Many journalists are suffering from burnout and financial stressors, she said.
In the year ahead, she sees the Club as "a place to re-energize" and reconnect with others.
