Celebrate Bill McCarren's Club career on Friday

National Press Club Executive Director Bill McCarren, who is retiring this month, will be honored at a reception at 7 p.m. Friday, June 2, in the Reliable Source.

McCarren, who returned the Club to financial health and was an advocate for press freedom, has worked for the Club for more than 15 years, first as general manager and then as executive director.

Friday's event, open to all Club members, will feature a toast and cake.   

The Board of Governors hired McCarren, a Club member since 1986, as general manager in July 2007 and appointed him executive director in 2010.

McCarren, who was founder and CEO of U.S. Newswire, led the Club to financial health and orchestrated several high-profile press freedom campaigns, including advocating for the release of Washington Post writer Jason Rezaian, who was imprisoned for 544 days in Iran, and for Austin Tice, who remains in captivity in Syria.

Didier Saugy, former general manager of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong, will succeed McCarren as the Club's executive director on Tuesday, June 6.