Letter of thanks from membership secretary Wojno

Dear National Press Club Members:

Happy New Year! As we usher in 2014, I would like to take this moment to thank you all for your membership and support for The National Press Club.

At the risk of using a cliché, I say with great sincerity that the world’s leading professional organization for journalists and communication professionals would not be the success that it is today without your dedication and support. The countless voluntary contributions from our members in organizing the diverse list of events we hosted this past year reflects how vital membership involvement is to the success of the Club. We hope to see that level of support increase in the new year.

2013 was a banner year for the Club. Our Newsmaker and Speakers Luncheons featured heads of state including the presidents of Chile, Colombia and Iceland, ambassadors from Lithuania and Mexico, and the mayors of Los Angeles and Houston. Other notable speakers included the CEOs of the Associated Press, General Motors and Charles Schwab, CEO-turned-philanthropist Carly Fiorina, BET founder Robert L. Johnson, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns (who was inducted as an honorary member of the Club earlier in 2013), actors Mariska Hargitay, Goldie Hawn and George Takei, and Bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs.

Upcoming speakers in 2014 include U.S. Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno, an NPC Book Event featuring political pundits James Carville and Mary Matalin on their latest book, and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute, the non-profit arm of the Club, also hosted a variety of professional development classes geared towards training communication professionals on new techniques and resources needed to keep pace with the changing media environment. Upcoming classes in 2014 include how to use advanced Internet searching techniques using Google Drive and an interactive workshop for self-employed professionals.

Revelations about NSA information-gathering, WikiLeaks government data drops and Justice’s subpoenas of reporter phone records were three events in 2013 that kept the Club’s Freedom of the Press Committee running at full throttle. In addition to hosting panels and publicly decrying crackdowns on press freedom in Azerbaijan, the Committee worked with a coalition of media organizations to promote a national shield bill, which was approved on September 12 by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Known as the Free Flow of Information Act, the bill protects journalists in most circumstances from having to reveal confidential sources.

These highlights represent a mere handful of all the events that shaped the Club in 2013. As it enters it 106th year, The National Press Club continues to be THE premier journalism institution in Washington, DC. Thanks to its diverse membership throughout the D.C. metro area, the country and across the globe, the Club is gaining greater recognition for fostering professional development resources among its members in the rapidly-evolving news industry, while supporting and advocating freedom of press causes and initiatives globally. Again, these accomplishments could not have been possible without your help.

As we set our focus on 2014, we welcome your participation in the Club, from dining and listening to live jazz performed at our stylish Fourth Estate Restaurant, to attending a speaker luncheon or contributing your time and expertise to one of our 23 committees.

For more information about the Club, its many upcoming events and getting more involved, check our website or contact the membership department to receive our regular Wire e-mails. Your feedback is also vital. For questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the membership department at [email protected] or (202) 662-7511.

Thank you for making the National Press Club THE place where news happens in the nation’s capital and for making it a GLOBAL professional organization for journalists and communications professionals. We look forward to serving you in 2014.

Sincerely,
Marc A. Wojno
Membership Secretary