Club honors 21 members with Vivian Awards

Bringing back a full calendar of in-person activity was at the top of National Press Club President Eileen O’Reilly’s agenda this year — and was successful largely  due to efforts of the 16 Club member teams, she said.

“I’m happy to see how busy we’ve been thanks to your leadership and hard work,” O’Reilly told team leaders on Dec. 6, at the Vivian Awards program in the First Amendment Lounge.

O’Reilly presented Vivians to 21 Club members at the event. The award, named after the Club’s first woman president Vivian Vahlberg, recognizes outstanding volunteer service. Vahlberg originated the award during her presidency in 1982, initially calling it the “hard work and inspiration” award.

"Vivian is a personal hero of mine — covering the contentious moment the Club voted to finally admit women as full members from the balcony where women had been sequestered, becoming a member and then working on the young members committee, the press freedom committee and eventually running for president,” O’Reilly said. “Those who are active on our member teams are our unsung heroes, who get things done and really are the reason we have such a strong sense of community at the Club."

The winners of this year’s Vivians, and the teams on which they participated:

Awards: Elissa Free; Broadcast-Podcast: Bill McCloskey, Irv Chapman; Communicators: Tom McMahon, Mitch Marovitz; Events: Cary O’Reilly; Freedom of the Press: Stephen Reilly, Alex Raufoglu; Headliners:  Chuck Porcari, Peter Copeland; History & Heritage: Edwin Grosvenor; International Correspondents: Dominique Bonessi, Alex Raufoglu; Membership: Jeff Plungiss; Photography: Noel-Marie Fletcher, Marshall Cohen; Publications/Wire: Eden Harris, Chris Teale; Scholarships: Hilary Saunders,  Mark Schoeff Jr.; Young Members: Chris Cioffi, Brittany Shammas.