NPC Elections

Candidate Statement

Three years ago when I first ran for office at the National Press Club, I wrote here about a Taco Night from the 1980s in which I spent hours talking with the man who would later become my husband of 35 years. In subsequent years, as a candidate for Secretary and then for Treasurer, I used this space to write about the international threat to press freedom and security.

This year, as I ask for your support in a bid to become your Club’s Vice President, I feel compelled to write about the threats journalists face right here at home.

The fight to do our jobs safely has never been more at risk nor the need greater, at least not during my lifetime. The stakes have been raised. And I’m very proud of our efforts to rise to the occasion, to meet that challenge, with a renewed focus on press freedom and advocacy. Like so many of us here at the Club, I originally wanted to be a reporter to give voice to underreported communities. I thought of it as a noble profession. Today it is a critical vocation because, now more than ever, we are performing an essential service.

I am driven to give voice to excellent reporting that’s coming under fire. Entire stories and outlets are knowingly being misrepresented and maligned and are in danger of being scuttled into the dark. Reporters are being targeted with increasing frequency and by elected officials.

Over the last year, your National Press Club has been hard at work on the critical issues journalists face – personal safety, press freedom and professional development. We’ve heard from extraordinary leaders across sectors, we’ve had sessions on personal development and coping with stress, and we’ve learned some reporting best practices. Your executive board, led by outgoing President Emily Wilkins and outgoing Vice President Mike Balsamo, has been tireless in advocating for journalists including Austin Tice, who has been unjustly held for 12 years and three months.

All of that, successes like the release of journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, and a storied 100-plus year history, form a solid foundation upon which we can build our next efforts.

But we really need your help -- your time and your talents.

So not only am I once again asking for your vote. This year, I also am asking for your engagement. Please consider getting more involved. That may be joining a team, stopping in for dinner at The Reliable Source, watching a feature documentary or Headliners event or listening to our pod Update-1.

Whatever that looks like for you, I hope you’ll consider it.

I am honored to be a part of this community of journalists and communicators, and I strongly support our work to ensure safe, intelligent storytelling in the months and years to come.

Thank you for your consideration!

Candidate Bio

Alisa Parenti is an award-winning journalist, reporter, anchor and storyteller. She's worked in Washington for the last 23 years at WJLA-TV, MarketWatch/Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News, where she is currently a Breaking News Editor. Prior to that, Parenti was a reporter and anchor at Newschannel 9 in Syracuse, New York. In addition to her work in journalism, Parenti has served as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University teaching multimedia journalism and news writing. In April 2021, Parenti's first book was published. BETRAYAL: The Ethel Rosenberg Story reveals the under-reported perspective of the only woman executed by the U.S. government on espionage-related charges. Parenti earned a master's degree from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where she previously served as Director of the Medill Mentorship Program, linking current student journalists with working alumni. She and her husband Jim are the parents of two young women and a rescue dog named 'Lily.'

Candidate Statement

I’m running for reelection because I think the knowledge I’ve gained as a board member -- and especially as a budget committee member -- will be helpful as the club continues to recover from the pandemic and build its membership ranks.

I have also spent a career watching as the news industry changed and its relationship with public officials changed with it. As journalists navigate a political environment where we are often disparaged as players for one team or another rather than observers trying to help people make informed decisions, we need the club to remain a resource that helps us do our jobs and explain this thing we do to the public.

I will be an asset to the board, and ask for your vote.

Candidate Bio

Herb Jackson has been a National Press Club member since 2005 and has served on the board of governors since 2020.

He works as a newsletter editor for Bloomberg Industry Group, and formerly worked as politics editor for CQ Roll Call and as the Washington correspondent for the Bergen Record. Before he came to Washington in 2005, he covered New Jersey government and politics for several outlets, including The Associated Press.

He us a former chairman of the press club's professional development committee and former president of the Regional Reporters Association.

A graduate of Rutgers University, Jackson served on and chaired the board of the independent corporation that publishes Rutgers’ student newspaper and website, The Daily Targum.

Candidate Statement

My name is Maria Rodriguez and I’m running to serve as a communicator member of the National Press Club’s (NPC) Board of Governors. I will bring business leadership experience and a strong dedication to our communicators community and the mission of the NPC to my work on the board, if elected.

I am president and CEO of Vanguard Communications, an award-winning, mid-sized public relations and communications firm that I co-founded more than 35 years ago to advance social change. I have been honored for my contributions to the field, being inducted into the National Capital Public Relations Hall of Fame and recently being named a “Woman Who Means Business” by the Washington Business Journal.

As a seasoned entrepreneur, I have navigated a number of challenges: economic downturns; a firm-wide restructuring; the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting remote-work world; and most recently, the emergence of artificial intelligence and its impact on our business.

The NPC has steered through similar scenarios, and looking forward, I realize that the NPC must prioritize: membership retention and growth, profitability so that the NPC can meet the needs of the Club and its members, relevance as a place where news is made, AND most important, stewardship of First Amendment rights and Freedom of the Press.

National Press Club Leadership Experience: I co-chaired the Communicators Team for two years and now serve as a member of both the Communicators and the Membership Enrichment Teams. I have orchestrated external partnerships to bring attention to detained journalist Austin Tice and most recently brought members of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists to visit and learn more about the Club.

Community Contributions: As the daughter of immigrants who has overcome many obstacles to get to my current position, “giving back” to the community is part of who I am. I’ve volunteered at a number of organizations and have served on several boards, including as chair of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; treasurer of Girls Scouts Nation’s Capital; and board member of the National Latino Behavioral Health Association, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, and Women Chefs & Restaurateurs.

Commitment to Diversity: In 2017, I joined with my alma mater, George Washington University, to establish the Comunicadores for the Future program. I fund paid communications-focused internships every summer at nonprofit organizations for first-generation Latinx students, which brings more diversity into the field and serves as an important stepping stone for young careers.

The National Press Club has been part of my life since I started my PR and communications career in the 1980s. If elected, my goals would be to ensure that all communicator members are heard and represented and to increase member diversity and involvement at the Club. This requires going beyond volunteering for teams and actually giving members a new sense of energy and reason to participate in our one-of-a-kind Washington institution.

I would be honored to have your vote and work alongside each of you to pursue NPC’s growth, relevance and sustainability.

Candidate Bio

Maria Rodriguez leads a team of 25 staff at Vanguard Communications — the PR agency she co-founded with a business partner at age 27 — to advance social change and champion causes that help protect the health and well-being of our planet and its people. Today, this business-minded PR professional is the sole owner of the award-winning firm she helped create. With a keen eye on cultural and linguistic competence and the needs of underserved populations, Maria and her colleagues work with the philosophy (and tagline) of “People. Purpose. Progress.”

As the daughter of immigrants, Maria learned the importance of education and hard work early in life. Finding her true “calling” as a PR practitioner, she has been honing her skills in strategic communications, social marketing, media relations, inclusive community engagement and event production for more than 35 years. Maria’s work has focused on reducing infant mortality, preventing substance abuse, rallying communities to address underage drinking, promoting civic engagement, educating women about the risk of heart disease and bringing attention to the mental health needs of children and youth. She has provided content expertise for countless communications and marketing campaigns for a broad spectrum of national and community-based nonprofit organizations, foundations and government agencies.

Maria has been nationally recognized for her work, including being inducted into the PRSA National Capital Public Relations Hall of Fame for her lifetime contributions to the public relations profession and recently being honored by the Washington Business Journal as a “Woman Who Means Business.” Maria also has contributed her expertise through board positions with the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital, the National Latino Behavioral Health Association, the National Network to End Domestic Violence and Women Chefs and Restaurateurs.

She has demonstrated her commitment to mentoring young communications professionals and cultivating diversity in the profession through Comunicadores for the Future, a joint program she conceptualized and funds with The George Washington University’s (GW) Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute.

A native Washingtonian, Maria graduated from GW with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Candidate Statement

My name is Sarah Clune and I’m running for Secretary of the National Press Club to strengthen our community of journalists and the important, vital reporting we do here in Washington, DC and farther afield.

After more than twenty years with the PBS NewsHour, fair storytelling is built into everything I work on — whether producing interviews with powerful political leaders or with the regular citizens they represent. Being entrusted to give the powerless a voice is one of the aspects of journalism that makes me the most gratified and drives me to carry on reporting.

It’s one of the reasons the National Press Club is so important and why I want to not only help foster its mission, but strengthen it. Truth, courage, integrity and hard work are necessities to our trade and the package of traits I hope to help pass on to the next generation of journalists.

I will also shine light on the issue of press freedom in the U.S. and abroad, as well as the challenges some of our foreign journalist members face here from overseas.

I’d appreciate your support and look forward to serving you on the NPC board.

Candidate Bio

Sarah Clune is an award winning television producer with decades of experience in broadcast journalism, many of them spent at PBS News Hour (previously PBS NewsHour, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer).

Clune has written and produced hundreds of day-of-air reports on tight deadlines in the more than two decades she’s spent at PBS News. As one of the producers on the America at a Crossroads series with Judy Woodruff, she’s currently reporting on the many divisions fracturing the United States and what can be done to overcome them.

Before returning to domestic reporting in 2022, Clune produced reports for Fred de Sam Lazaro’s Under Told Stories Project from across South Asia, Africa and Southeast Asia on a variety of topics, including the impact of climate change on farming in India, flood recovery in Pakistan, halting the spread of Ebola in Uganda and landmine clearance in Cambodia.

Clune was also PBS News’ Health Unit producer during the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Aside from health policy, her health reporting has spanned a myriad of subjects -- from drug shortages to cancer treatment to dental health in far-flung Toksook Bay, Alaska. As a general assignment producer before that, she traveled to Moscow to report on the state of US-Russian relations and Berlin to tell the story of Germany’s contribution to the war in Afghanistan.

Among her awards, Clune won a George Foster Peabody Award in 2019 for her work on the 5-part PBS NewsHour series, ‘The Plastic Problem.’ She also received the Walter Cronkite Award for political television coverage, was a media fellow at Harvard Medical School and participated in the National Press Foundations Cancer Program.

She’s a graduate of Boston College and Jakarta International School in Indonesia. She currently lives with her husband and daughter in Lake Ridge, Virginia.

Her recent NewsHour work can be found here.

Candidate Statement

I am running for a one-year open position on the board of directors of the National Press Club because I believe members, when possible, should volunteer for leadership positions, especially for such a vital and storied institution as ours.

The Club had my back and those of my VOA colleagues when political appointees broke through our newsroom’s firewall that prohibits partisan interference, threatening our institution and directly targeted some of our journalists, including me. Club leadership also came to my defense when I was among the journalists suspended from Twitter by Elon Musk.

For that I am deeply gratified and want to pay it forward.

While I expect I would learn much by serving on the board, I do bring years of experience on the boards of similar entities, including as president of both the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (a 2,500-member organization) and the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club. I also was elected to the board of the Overseas Press Club of America and other journalist organizations. These roles schooled me in administering complex non-profit membership groups and the responsibilities of maintaining the physical operations, spending funds prudently and enhancing the reputations of press clubs.

The National Press Club is really a global institution with gravitas far beyond the Beltway. We have a significant number of foreign correspondents who are members. I would like to ensure we’re able to better serve their needs and desire to expand the number of international newsmakers who come to the Club. Much of my career has been spent overseas -- and whether it was in Bangkok or Bishkek -- the resources of press clubs, as a watering hole for fellow reporters, sources and government officials to interact in person, have been invaluable.

As a member of the board, I will advocate for increasing the club’s support for investigative journalism, expanding its role as a hub for press freedom advocacy and ensuring it remains an inclusive space for all stripes of journalists—whether they are seasoned veterans or young reporters just starting their careers. We have a valuable mentorship role to play and our senior members can be better utilized sharing their experiences.

More than ever, we face unprecedented challenges. There are the growing threats to media freedom and the rise of disinformation. There are fewer jobs in traditional journalism as print contracts and broadcasting streamlines. The Club should be at the forefront of shaping the digital media revolution, helping ensure our traditional values of truth, integrity and ethics.

For these reasons, I would be honored to have your vote.

Candidate Bio

Steven L Herman is the chief national correspondent for the Voice of America. From 2017 to 2021, Steve was senior White House correspondent and subsequently VOA's White House bureau chief.

Steve is former president of both the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan and the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club and a former vice president of the DC chapter of AAJA. Steve was also previously on the board of governors of the Overseas Press Club of America. He served for eight consecutive years on the board of governors of the American Foreign Service Association.

Steve is the author of Behind the White House Curtain: A Senior Journalist’s Story of Covering the President — and Why It Matters, is a 2024 release from Kent State University Press.

Steve spent more than a quarter of a century in Asia, including years of reporting from Tokyo and subsequently as a VOA correspondent and bureau chief in India, South Korea and Thailand. Steve also served in 2016 as VOA's senior diplomatic correspondent, based at the State Department.

In addition to being an adjunct associate professor at Shenandoah University and an adjunct lecturer in the journalism department at the University of Richmond, Steve is a 2024-2025 Council on Foreign Relations Higher Education Ambassador. He has also been the JURIST Journalist in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a Kiplinger Fellow at Ohio University and has also taught a media literacy course for Johns Hopkins University/OLLI.

Steve is one of the most active Washington journalists on social media with nearly 350,000 followers across major platforms.

In addition to years of reporting for AP, including as the wire service's state broadcast editor in West Virginia, Steve's career has also included stints as a media executive in Asia, launching Discovery Channel and Animal Planet in Japan.

Steve is an East West Center media alumnus, a First Cohort of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford and a member of the AEJMC, Authors Guild, the National Press Club, the Public Diplomacy Council of America, SAJA, SPJ and the White House Correspondents Association.

A native of Cincinnati, Steve began his media career in Las Vegas before moving to Asia. He was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2023. Steve earned a B.A. at Thomas Edison State University and an M.A. in Public Diplomacy from Mountain State University.

Candidate Statement

Now more than ever, the world needs a strong, fearless press—and there’s no better champion for that cause than the National Press Club. As we navigate a landscape where democracy, truth, and press freedom face unprecedented challenges, our mission is not just relevant; it’s vital.

I would be honored to earn your support as I run for President of the National Press Club. My passion for our mission and the role we play in journalism has never been stronger. This institution stands as a bulwark for press freedom and a pillar of democracy. We must fortify this foundation for future generations.

Having served in various leadership roles — Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer and currently Vice President — I’ve witnessed the extraordinary resilience of our community. Together, we’ve celebrated significant wins, like welcoming home Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva this year. But our work is far from over. My vision as President is to build on our momentum, deepen our outreach, and amplify our advocacy for press freedom, especially through the development of our new Press Freedom Center.

As the national law enforcement editor at The Associated Press, I lead a team of reporters covering critical issues in the justice system. I know firsthand the hurdles journalists face in today’s climate. That’s why I’m committed to enhancing our efforts to support journalists grappling with trauma and abuse — from the daily stress of our profession to the alarming rise in threats against our colleagues.

Financially, we’ve made great strides at the Club in the last few years, thanks to a dedicated leadership team that navigated the challenges of the pandemic. We’ve increased our events and member programs and have put ourselves on a solid financial footing. But we can’t rest on our laurels. I am dedicated to ensuring our long-term stability by recruiting new, diverse members and keeping our financial outlook robust.

Diversity isn’t just a goal; it’s essential. Elevating diverse voices will enrich our community and strengthen our advocacy. I’ve also had the great privilege of judging our scholarships and awards for the past four years, supporting the next generation of journalists — an investment in the future of our industry.

The need for journalists has never been clearer, especially amidst growing distrust of the media. We must champion news literacy and support the training by the National Press Club Journalism Institute, empowering the public to discern reliable information from misinformation and giving journalists the tools they need to do their jobs.

I hope you will also join me in supporting an incredible team of candidates at the Club, including Alisa Parenti for Vice President, Poonam Sharma for Treasurer, Mark Schoeff Jr. for Secretary, Steve Reilly for Membership Secretary, Tara Copp and Herb Jackson for Journalist Governor (3 year term), Sarakshi Rai for Journalist Governor (1 year term) and Maria Rodriguez for Communicator Governor (3 year term). Their dedication and expertise will ensure we thrive in the years to come.

Thank you for considering my candidacy. Together, we can enhance the legacy of the National Press Club and ensure it remains a vital resource for journalists and communicators everywhere. Let’s rise to the challenge and strengthen our club for the future!

Candidate Bio

Mike Balsamo is the national law enforcement editor for The Associated Press, helping to lead coverage of criminal justice, breaking news, and strategic initiatives across the U.S. With extensive experience in law enforcement reporting, Balsamo has covered some of the nation’s most significant stories, including the Justice Department under the Trump administration, the special counsel's Russia investigation, and criminal cases involving Donald Trump.

Balsamo also led a groundbreaking investigation into the federal prison system, which resulted in the resignation of the Bureau of Prisons director and sparked significant legislative reforms.

A two-time winner of the White House Correspondents’ Association Award for Deadline Reporting and a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, Balsamo has served on the National Press Club’s board for five years. Before moving to Washington, he reported for the AP in Los Angeles and New York City.

Candidate Statement

From our press freedom efforts to work building a vital media community in Washington and around the world, our members are at the heart of everything we do at the National Press Club. Expanding, broadening and retaining our membership base is essential to the future of both the Club and the media industry.

I am running for Membership Secretary at the National Press Club this year because I believe my experience in the industry and at the Club has left me well-situated to help lead the advancement of those efforts. As Membership Secretary, I hope to build on the work of current and past club leaders and professional staff who have long recognized that our club’s future depends on a strong and inclusive membership base.

It’s no secret to those who are reading this that membership at the National Press Club is the best deal in D.C. for journalists and communicators at all stages of their careers. But it’s a message that we need to keep spreading to an even wider range of potential members.

The Club’s bylaws state that Membership Secretary “shall lead Club efforts to recruit and retain members,” and I plan to execute this mission through outreach to a range of groups, organizations and leaders in the industry. I will also be asking members for their ideas and thoughts about how we can do more to improve membership outreach efforts.

I’m grateful for your consideration, and I hope to work together with you to help build our membership base that will keep the National Press Club strong for decades to come.

Candidate Bio

Steve Reilly is a Senior Investigative Data Journalist at CBS News and Stations based in Washington, D.C.

He was previously a reporter on USA TODAY's investigative team, where his reporting led to reforms in rape kit processing protocols, helped spur congressional hearings on the security of the nation’s power grid and prompted national improvements in background checks for teachers. He has also worked as an investigative reporter at the startups Grid News and The Messenger, and as the reporting assistant for Washington Post Associate Editor Bob Woodward.

He was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Investigative Reporting in 2017 for a series on educator misconduct, and has twice been a finalist for the Livingston Awards for Young Journalists.

Reilly has served on the National Press Club Board of Governors since January 2023, and currently serves as its Chair.

He is a graduate of Vassar College and earned his master’s degree at the University of Cambridge, where his thesis focused on international press freedom. A Pennsylvania native, Reilly began his journalism career at community newspapers in rural Pennsylvania and upstate New York.

Candidate Statement

As a kid, much of my time was spent either sitting next to my mom as she lectured to a sea of students at the Islamic Saudi Academy or in the back of a television studio at the Newseum as my dad produced a show for C-SPAN, and on special occasions, it ended with us chasing protests through the streets of our nation’s capital—experiences that profoundly influenced my passion for justice and impactful storytelling.

During my time with the Peace Corps, Close Up Foundation, and American University, I had the privilege of engaging with communities that taught me the transformative power of people—through the stories they hold close and the relationships that arise from unexpected connections.

Peace Corps was the hardest and most fulfilling experience. Full immersion in another culture and language pushed me to develop strong cross-cultural communication skills, which taught me the importance of community, a grassroots approach to capacity building, and the trust required to build a sustainable partnership.

Today, with more than a decade of experience in content development, project management, and strategic communication, I am eager to contribute to the National Press Club's mission of safeguarding press freedom and promoting informed public discourse.

As Managing Editor of Trusteeship magazine, I lead the production of print, digital, and web editions. In this role, I have optimized workflows, enhanced editorial processes, and expanded the magazine's reach to around 40,000 higher education leaders. My position has afforded me a unique opportunity to engage with the notoriously shrouded governing systems on the other side of 2,000 higher education boardroom doors worldwide.

If elected to the Board of Governors at the National Press Club (NPC), some of my priorities include building a coalition amongst international press clubs to deter the arbitrary detention of journalists, lobbying Congress for the release of wrongfully detained journalists, providing reintegration support for previously detained journalists and their families, strategizing efforts to combat disinformation, assisting exiled journalists in finding employment opportunities, creating an internal job hub for NPC members to post freelance and full-time positions, and developing a marketing campaign to cast the widest net of support possible. I am deeply passionate about advocating for human rights, women’s rights, and LGBTQIA+ rights, and striving to amplify marginalized voices and foster inclusivity and equality.

With my international experience and expertise in managing complex projects, I am excited to bring fresh perspectives and drive collaboration within the NPC community. It would be an honor to support journalists, communicators, photographers, broadcasters, documentarians, podcasters, novelists, social media influencers, and every other content creator, disseminator of information, and purveyor of the truth out there. It is time to meet the moment. It is time to embrace more creative approaches, outside-the-box thinking, collaborative partnerships, and strategic alliances across sectors, political divides, generations, and continents. We, the people, must endeavor to realize the untapped potential that is just around the corner.

Candidate Bio

Erin Geraghty is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in international affairs, writing, and project management. Erin holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Virginia Commonwealth University and a master’s degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from the School of International Service at American University. Her background as an English Educator with the Peace Corps, Lead Graphic Designer at the Close Up Foundation, and Graduate Advising Program Coordinator at American University has equipped her with valuable insights into project coordination and effective communication strategies, making her a dynamic asset in high-pressure, results-driven environments and collaborative team settings.

As a Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar, Erin advanced educational opportunities by teaching English, securing grants, and initiating community projects, including the construction of a school and library under the Let Girls Learn initiative. She currently serves as Managing Editor of Trusteeship magazine, the award-winning publication of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. In this role, she oversees editorial processes, content development, and stakeholder engagement. Throughout her career, she has a proven ability to coordinate complex projects, manage diverse teams, and drive operational excellence.

Check out Erin's magazine portfolio here.

Candidate Statement

After 116 years of history, we at the National Press Club have a golden opportunity. At a time in which the world needs journalists more than ever, we have the chance to breathe new life into our organisation, ushering in a new age in which we are both a shining light for press freedoms around the world and making our club the premier destination for reporters - both veterans and those just entering the industry - in our city.

As a board member, I believe I can help usher in some of those changes.

Over the few years, I’ve helped lead the National Press Club’s Young Members committee, helped recruit new members, been a proud member of our International Correspondents Committee and - I hope - helped as we continue to recover from what were several difficult years during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

We’ve come a long way, but there is still work to be done. We’re already making tremendous progress in terms of our finances and programming, and the club is doing admirable work when it comes to press freedom. We all know our achievements this year - particularly the work done to advocate for Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and other journalists in need.

I believe, however, that we can still do more to recruit new, young, diverse members, leveraging the experience of our members to instil skills and values for future generations of journalists and communicators. I also hope to bring in a new vibrancy to the Press Club much like what you see at the Frontline Club in London - a place that is buzzing with excitement and some of the best names in journalism. All of which we have right here in DC as well.

We are far more than a social and professional organisation - we are the future of this industry. With a renewed focus on young members, recruitment and development and events going forward, we can be ready for the next 116 years as well.

It’s a topic that’s dear to my heart. I’m a young member myself, and in many ways an outsider. I moved to the US four years ago, and quickly found a second home at the club and met some of my best friends here as well. I hope to be able to bring the same drive and dedication I’ve brought to my career to the Press Club as a board member.

The National Press Club has done so much for me, and I hope to be put in a position to help it move forward. I hope you consider me for that job as a board member and I hope to work closely with many of you in the future.

Candidate Bio

Sarakshi Rai is Director of Audience Development and Content Strategy at The Hill, where she leads the team that oversees the intersection of editorial strategy, data analytics, social media and SEO for one of the leading political news outlets in the US. She also frequently writes about US politics and foreign policy for The Hill, and regularly appears on television as a political commentator.

As part of her role, Sarakshi helped lead 2024 election coverage and worked to promote fair, non-partisan news to build trust with readers of all political stripes and convince even the reluctant that, in true journalism, there is no underlying agenda.

Sarakshi grew up in what is often termed “the City of Dreams” - Mumbai, India - and has previously worked at a range of publications including the Times of London, the Hindustan Times, National Geographic and ESPN Star Sports.

After receiving an MA in International Journalism from City University London, she moved to Dubai. There, she worked for five years interviewing world leaders and Gulf rulers and had the opportunity to lead digital coverage for some of the Middle East’s top business and lifestyle publications, including Esquire’s Middle East Edition.

She moved to Washington in mid-2020 and soon after began working at The Hill.

Candidate Statement

I’m Poonam Sharma, and I’m running for the office of Treasurer of the National Press Club. I have served the Club in various roles, including as Secretary this year, Membership Secretary last year, and as a journalist member of the Board of Governors before that. I respectfully request your support to continue serving the Club in 2025 as Treasurer.

In my years on the board, I have collaborated closely with the team to shape a five-year strategic plan for the Club and to establish the new Press Freedom Center, which is now launching. I have also recruited new members and introduced new clients to strengthen the Club’s network. If elected Treasurer, I will work tirelessly to bring in prospective members, build stronger partnerships with professional journalism associations, enhance revenue opportunities, and support the Club’s long-term sustainability.

My journalism career started at age 10 when, along with my classmates, I started a newspaper at Sana’a International School in Yemen called the Jambia Journal.

My volunteer experience includes serving on the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) board in leadership roles, including overseeing professional development, membership, programming, and finances both at the chapter level and at the regional level, overseeing 17 chapters in the US.

I am proud to be a member of the National Press Club and look forward to continuing to support its mission of advocating for press freedom worldwide and championing the cause of journalists. I hope you will support me and give me an opportunity to do so. Thank you.

Candidate Bio

Poonam Sharma is the founder and editor of Global Strat View. Throughout her career, she has worked across various fields of journalism, from broadcasting at a community radio station in Canberra, Australia, to multimedia news reporting in India; from producing radio programs in Canada to running India America Today in Washington, DC, alongside her late partner Tejinder Singh, who was an active NPC member himself.

Sharma holds a postgraduate diploma in journalism and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Delhi University, where she majored in English, History, and Political Science.

Her global perspective was shaped by a childhood spent in the United States and years living in South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, East Asia, Australia, East Africa, and Canada.

Candidate Statement

I am running for National Press Club Board Secretary and asking for your vote.

I have been a Club member for more than 19 years and chair or co-chair of a committee in each of those years. Since 2020, I’ve been a Board member, chairing the body in 2023.

This year, I’m the Membership Secretary. In that role, I am proud to be part of an effort that has increased our membership. We are on an upward trajectory after suffering setbacks during Covid.

I am running for Board Secretary because I’m confident that I can continue to make positive contributions to the Club. In this role, I will help ensure a smoothly running governance structure that listens to members and is transparent.

It was a privilege to serve on the Board when our 2020 president, the late Mike Freedman, essentially saved the Club during the pandemic. I have done my best as a Board member and officer to help Mike and every president since then strengthen this great institution.

Within six months of joining the Club in 2005, I was selected to chair the Awards Committee.

Later, I led what was then called the Newsmakers Committee for a couple years. In 2011, I became co-chair of the Wire Team.

For the last 13 years, my fellow co-chair, Donna Leinwand Leger, and I have led the Wire. The publication has always been important. During the pandemic, it became the connective tissue of the Club.

We publish the Wire four days a week with a volunteer staff of seven editors – each taking two-week shifts -- and about 10 writers. We work hard. We hope that we add to the vitality of the Club.

The Club has been central to my professional life – and much of my social life – ever since I joined. It is an honor to serve the Club as an officer. I hope I can count on your vote.

Candidate Bio

Mark Schoeff Jr. is the financial services and financial technology reporter at CQ Roll Call. He joined the publication in June 2024.

Previously, Schoeff was a reporter at InvestmentNews for nearly 14 years, covering legislation and regulations affecting retail investment advisors and brokers. He won an award in 2022 from Editor & Publisher magazine for his column, D.C. Insider.

Prior to joining InvestmentNews in April 2010, Schoeff served for nearly five years as the Washington correspondent for Workforce Management, a former Crain Communications publication. He wrote about employment and labor law. He also contributed regularly to Howey Politics Indiana, a weekly political newsletter based in Indianapolis, from 1997 through 2022.

Schoeff’s other career experiences in Washington included serving as director of external relations at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and as press secretary for former Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana.

After growing up in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, he began his career in New York City, where one of his jobs was managing editor of a community paper in Manhattan. He wrote for the sports desk of the Ft. Wayne News-Sentinel during high school and college.

Schoeff is Membership Secretary at the National Press Club. He also is co-chair of the Club’s Publications Team and serves as an editor of the Wire, the Club’s electronic newsletter.

Schoeff earned his undergraduate degree from Purdue University, where he was a reporter and editor on the daily campus newspaper, The Purdue Exponent. He has a master’s degree from George Mason University.

Candidate Statement

Thank you for considering my candidacy for the journalist at-large three year position on the National Press Club Board of Directors. I am seeking re-election to my position. I’ve had the privilege of serving with the board for the last three years, as we navigated the club through the pandemic and our successful reopening. During my time on the board I’ve volunteered to serve as a judge for our college scholarships, served as a co-chair on our awards committee and as a volunteer on panel focused on increasing our membership numbers through a faster new member application review. Over the next three years I want to build on those efforts and look at ways we can expand the club’s ties to local newsrooms across the country to connect them with resources and member expertise for their reporting projects.

Candidate Bio

Tara Copp is a Pentagon correspondent for the Associated Press. She has covered national security issues for two decades and reported from dozens of countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Korea, Japan, Colombia, Mexico and throughout the Indo-Pacific, Middle East and Europe. She has appeared on NPR, PBS NewsHour, Fox, CNN and MSNBC and served on multiple panels as a discussion moderator on space, nuclear weapons, toxic exposure in the military and the intelligence community. She is the recipient of the American Legion’s Fourth Estate Award and the Joe Galloway Award.

Tara is a graduate of the Plan II Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin where she served as editor of The Daily Texan. She earned a master’s degree in security studies from Georgetown University.