Matthews helps Club survive pandemic, increase diversity

National Press Club President Lisa Nicole Matthews took office in the middle of a pandemic that has made an always challenging role even harder.

Her goal since being inaugurated as the Club’s 114th president in January has been to ensure the health, safety and continued engagement of members, staff and guests.

“We’ve had to take some tough and important steps to keep the Club running,” Matthews told the Club’s Communicators Team at an Aug. 5 lunch meeting. “President is a one-person title, it’s not a one-person job.”

Matthews is the third person of color to serve as the Club’s president and leads an all-female team of officers – a first in the Club’s history. She noted that while there remains much work to be done, her administration has made strides toward her goal of increasing diversity, equity and inclusion at the Club.

“We have been successful in projecting a diverse face with our Headliners and our other events,” she said. “We had individuals join the Club because they see a person of color in a top leadership role…and because we have an all-woman leadership team.”

A graduate of James Madison University, Matthews is the U.S. video assignment manager for the Associated Press. She has worked for the AP at its Washington bureau during two separate periods in her career for a total of more than 20 years. During that time, she’s won two Edward R. Murrow Awards, among other accolades.

Journalist-Communicator relationship

In between her time at the AP, she served as a vice president at Hager Sharp, a Washington, D.C.-based, strategic communications firm.

A respected career journalist who has also worked as a communicator, Matthews brings a unique appreciation for and understanding of the Club’s communicator members and has been inclusive and outspoken in recognizing the value they bring to the Club.

When asked during the Q&A about communicator members having more of a decision-making voice, Matthews explained that under her leadership, the Board of Governors -- the governing body that manages the business and affairs of the Club -- now operates in “committee of the whole,” meaning the votes of communicator members no longer have to go through the tedious process of convening in executive session to count.

“Communicator members have a vote on the board that matters,” Matthews said. “The board members value each other’s opinions whether we are journalist members or communicator members.”

Additionally, Matthews introduced a free one-year Club membership for graduates of historically Black colleges and universities, a program she hopes will continue after her tenure ends.

“Students are our future…if we want to truly be a diverse Club we have to start with the students by encouraging them to come to the Club, and offering those free first year memberships,” Matthews said.

Connecting Club community

For the remainder of her one-year tenure, Matthews said she will continue her work to expand the Club’s efforts to build connections with the community, promote and defend press freedom and spread news literacy to a broader audience. She also will seek unique ways of bringing people and business into the Club, such as the 2021 Fourth Estate Award Gala honoring Lester Holt on October 20.

Despite the challenges, she is hopeful about the Club, the news business and the business of communications.

“The most important thing Communicator members can do is get involved in our teams,” Matthews said. “There are lots of opportunities to get engaged, it’s just a matter of your interest. I’m really excited about our future at the Club.”

Communicator members can learn more about the many teams that support the Club, including the House Team, Awards Team, Young Members and Events Team, among others, on the Club's website. Simply log in with your member number, click on “Dashboard” and scroll down to “Club Teams” for a complete list with contact information.

To learn more about Communicators Team programs, events and activities, visit https://www.press.org/communicators-team. If you would like to join the Communicators Team and participate in our monthly meetings, please contact Team Leader Danny Selnick at [email protected].