Club presidential candidates debate Nov. 28; communicator board candidates Nov. 30

The three candidates for National Press Club president will debate at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28, in the conference rooms.

Later in the week -- at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 -- candidates for a communicator seat on the Club board will debate.

Club Vice President Keith Hill, Board of Governors Chair Theresa Werner and Young Members Chair Tim Young are vying for Club president, the top elected officer position.

Which one is qualified to interview heads of state during the nationally televised luncheons? Which one has the experience needed to resolve many difficult Club issues? Which one has the personal skills that would make him or her an effective leader of the Club’s volunteer officers, committee chairs and committee members?

You’ll have an opportunity to gain insights to those questions at the debate, which will be moderated by former Club President Gil Klein, and webcast here*.

Communicators Suzanne Struglinski and Emily Whitten are seeking to unseat Rodrigo A. Valderrama from one of the three board seats reserved for communicators.

What are their qualifications for this key job? What do they have in mind to advance the stature of the National Press Club – making our membership more valuable for both communicators and journalists? How would they make Press Club membership more valuable for communicators?

You can get the answers to those questions and more at the Communicators Debate at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 in the Holeman Lounge. Former Club President Alan Bjerga will moderate.

You can find a complete list of candidates for all positions and their candidate statements here.

The election is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 9. Absentee ballots are now available.

The polls will open at 8 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Ballots will be counted by the Election Committee immediately after the polls close. The final results will be announced in the Reliable Source and posted on the Club’s website the evening of Dec. 9.

*Note: You must be logged into the site to access the debate webcast. The webcast requires the free Windows Media Player plugin.