Soni Dimond, President
As we begin a new year, I’d like to thank our Press Club of Southwest Florida members for placing your confidence in me, as I follow in the path forged by my mentor and our two-term president, Carole Greene, who now serves as our vice president of administration.
My new role at the helm of NPC is both a unique responsibility combined with a vote of confidence from my peers. Naturally, I am honored, yet I am also humbled. At this point, the thought of serving as NPC president leaves me nearly speechless, and that is, indeed, a rare event (just ask anyone who knows me)!
Please be assured, as your president, I will continue the club’s goals set forth by the board under Carole’s leadership, starting with a promise to improve what we writers are simply hard-wired to do: communicate! At all levels, my predecessor Carole has accomplished that goal. Carole’s interactions with our Board of Governors will move forward seamlessly, at all levels. I will continue the transparency of our board’s communication, and I will encourage all board members to copy me on their plans and projects
We will continue to work diligently with our community to improve our website and our social media presence, including a facelift for our Facebook page. The public will continue to be invited to participate and reserve a seat at our luncheons and panels. We plan to offer even more special events, especially for the FGCU journalism students. Additionally, our membership will continue to receive e-blasts and invitations on a regular basis. My hope is we will increase the numbers of those who will benefit from my personal updates and observations from the board level, in “Your Board in Action,” which I will provide in every Scoop newsletter.
I am extremely proud to share that our Press Club of Southwest Florida is developing a much more robust series of scholarship programs to serve young journalists. We are touched by the high level of generosity of our NPC members, some of whom are shattering NPC records in funding! As NPC president, I am profoundly encouraged by the financial groundwork that has been laid to secure a brighter future for aspiring writers, journalists and leaders in the world of media. I encourage all members to continue assisting our next generation of communicators with your scholarship donations, at every level. This is an investment in the future of journalism and one of our club’s treasured cornerstones.
I am committed to do what I promised Carole as she passed the gavel to me: I will respect, reflect and redirect this club—with respect to why we were founded; a reflection of what the preceding presidents have put into place and built throughout two decades; and a redirection (or to use a GPS term: “recalculation “) of our path amidst a changing media landscape, which has virtually digitized our universe.
How can we help you? Kindly allow me to listen to every new idea about how this club may be a vibrant gathering of media-minded members! We are an awesome team!
Together, we will face new challenges along with new and exciting paths to success!
Cheers to this new year!
Soni