Soni Dimond, President
Autumn Greetings from your Press Club of Southwest Florida Board of Governors!
I am extremely proud to report that the NPC Board is “back in action” at top speed! We’re growing stronger than ever, after taking a necessary time-out in September, to recuperate, revitalize and return to normalcy following the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma in Southwest Florida.
Our board gathered on October 10 with renewed energy, just a few days after an informative NPC meeting panel presentation, which was led by WINK-TV News Director Tom Doerr and special guests, WINK News Weekend morning anchor/weekday reporter Channing Frampton and WINK News Managing Editor Carolyn Dolcimascolo. Their Oct 5 panel discussion titled “How You Cover a Disaster” was particularly newsworthy, and presented soon after Hurricane Irma’s wrath on our area.
Our NPC speakers always leave us with memorable moments! Our members left that October 5 event with valuable tips and news we can use.
Thanks to these incredible learning opportunities, along with a strong NPC speakers’ lineup and powerful presentations, our membership keeps growing!
Press Club of Southwest Florida is proud to welcome three new members:
Joanne Alexis, Frank Cipolla and Stephen Kaufman.
This brings our member count to a total of 152 NPC members, including three FGCU journalism professors and ten scholarship students. Our membership demographics span all ages and lifestyles, but we share a deep respect for the power of media, freedom of speech, news-making topics and all who value the amazing wonder of words.
The Press Club of Southwest Florida certainly is experiencing an impressive growth cycle, thanks to our commitment to welcome everyone involved in media, at all levels. Our board collectively agrees that NPC should continue to host our “must do” presentations and panel events, and we must involve everyone who shows a desire to learn. Thus, our membership covers the gamut from journalism students to retired media professionals.
We’re proud that our scholarship program has grown to a headcount of 10 scholarship students, three of whom will graduate in 2018. We are dedicated to fueling their passion for the press with our NPC/FGCU activities. Please stand by for more information about our schedule for a special event planned for Thursday, November 16, at FGCU.
There will be much more news and additional announcements as we prepare for the new year ahead. Our nominating committee for 2018 consists of board members Bob Orr and Julie Pedretti, and NPC general member Marilyn Varcoe. They have agreed to establish “a strong slate of candidates for our Board of Governors, aimed at strengthening the Press Club of Southwest Florida and its relationship with the working press.” Please note: Below is the Nominating Committee’s report at the end of this article.
What an exciting agenda we are planning! We must have engaged, strong leaders at the helm of our dynamic organization.
I am tremendously grateful for the privilege to serve our members for nearly one year as NPC President. Yet, regrettably, due to the demands of both my career and personal responsibilities, I have had to make the difficult decision to step down.
It’s such a bittersweet choice to “pass the gavel” and officially transition out of my current two-year presidency. However, I will certainly enjoy welcoming board member Julie Pedretti, who is our talented, capable, impressive nominee for the position of NPC President! Our new president will assume my remaining presidential term, beginning in December. I am absolutely convinced our nominating team has offered excellent choices for all of our available positions!
I invite you to review Nominating Committee Chair Bob Orr’s piece below, listing our candidates for NPC’s leading positions.
We will gather together at another NPC luncheon soon to discuss more details of our club’s future plans. That event is slated for Thursday, November 2. Our next NPC Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 14, 2017. We’ll wrap up the year with our NPC Annual Meeting and Elections, which will take place at a grand holiday luncheon at Tiburon on Thursday, December 14, 2017.
Please stay tuned for coming attractions!
Most sincerely,
Soni
Nominating Committee Report
Submitted by Chairman Bob Orr
The nominating committee presents a strong slate of candidates for our Board of Governors, aimed at strengthening the Press Club of Southwest Florida and its relationship with the working press.
The committee, consisting of Bob Orr, Julie Pedretti, and Dr. Marilyn Varcoe, recommends the following officers:
President: Julie Pedretti
VP/Administration: Carole Greene
VP/Programs: Mark Young
Treasurer: Iris Shur
Secretary: Ann Cardamone
Pedretti, who serves as the NPC Community Liaison, has graciously agreed to assume the remaining year of president Soni Dimond’s two-year term.
While Soni is stepping down as president, she heads our list of candidates for new two-year board terms.
The committee recommends these current board members returning as governors-at-large:
• Soni Dimond
• Phil Beuth
• Jeff Margolis
Although David Silverberg resigned the office of VP/Programs, he has indicated interest in continuing on the board as a governor-at-large, so we slate him for election to that position.
The committee further recommends the election of the following new candidates:
Rachel Pierce — Board Governor-at-Large — Rachel is a Morning Anchor at NBC2, who will provide us an important connection to the Fort Myers media market and should serve as a catalyst in moving our club closer to the working media.
Mark Young — VP/Programs, as noted above — Mark is a veteran broadcaster and news manager, who has agreed to take on the job of procuring and managing the logistics for our luncheon program presenters, as well as for special events.
This committee is grateful for the talents and commitments of our candidates who have agreed to lead the NPC.