Sylvia Smith

Sylvia Smith was elected president of the National Press Club in December 2007 after serving as secretary for seven years. She chaired and served on various committees since joining the Club in 1989.

In her campaign, Smith said her key priorities are:

• Improving and expanding the professional development and training programs offered to journalists.

"Our Club must be more tech savvy, both in the training programs we offer members and in the way we present ourselves as an organization. We are already making great strides in that arena with the hiring of a web master and an IT professional. The Professional Development Committee has a special mission to help journalists learn or retain the tech skills we need as the contours of our jobs change," she said.

Smith offered an example of how to inculcate technology into the Club: "Every time our Professional Development Committee schedules a workshop, panel or other training session, the presumption will be that it will be videotaped. There will have to be a good reason NOT to videotape it rather than a good reason TO videotape it."

• Expanding the Club’s outreach to communicators outside of Washington, especially through training programs posted on the web site.

"It’s no secret that the journalistic community in Washington is shrinking," she said. "To expand our membership, we must look more broadly. We can make a much stronger case to journalists in Indiana, for instance, that they should spend abut $200 a year to belong to the National Press Club if we give them $200 worth of professional training programs they can access online."

• Ensure the Club not only celebrates its 100th anniversary year with parties but uses the time to delve more deeply into the rich history of the storied institution.

Smith has worked for The Journal Gazette since 1973 and moved to Washington in 1989 to open a one-woman office. She covers the Indiana congressional delegation and issues relevant to Hoosiers.

She received the coveted Berny Krug award in 2003 for her volunteer activities with the Club.