At the February 18 Press Club of Southwest Florida Board of Governors meeting on Zoom, a former member was welcomed back to the club and two membership applications were approved.
Gina Edwards, a former board member who is an investigative reporter and founder of Watchdog City, is rejoining the club. Read Gina’s bio here.
Larry Doyle spent 44 years at CBS News and served as bureau chief and senior producer, covering stories in 124 countries. Learn more about Larry’s career here.
Heidi Raphael, chief communications officer with Beasley Media Group, serves as co-chair of the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation board of directors and has been named one of the most influential women in radio. Learn more here.
We reluctantly accepted the resignation of David Silverberg from his role as Vice President of Programs. His creativity around speaker and program ideas will be missed by his colleagues on the Board of Governors. Board members expressed gratitude for his many years of service to the Press Club of Southwest Florida. We look forward to David remaining active as a member.
The board discussed creating a task force to target younger journalists for membership. One suggestion was to create a list of the news media areas of expertise of club members who are interested in serving as mentors to young journalists in SW Florida. This could help entice young journalists to join the club, knowing the club offers opportunities to interact with and learn from veteran journalists. As an incentive to young journalists, annual membership fees are only $30/year for those under 30.
If you have not yet renewed your own Press Club membership for 2021, please renew today and encourage your colleagues to join us. Membership remains at $50/year, and membership applications are available on our website by clicking here.
The new Press Club Roundtable is being driven by Bob Orr, Mark Young, and a group of enthusiastic active and retired journalists. New board member Delia D’Ambra and veteran board member Marqueeta Curtis-Haynes volunteered to work on our social platforms to expand the audience for the Roundtable segments. We also will find new ways to reach out to journalists and print/broadcast reporters and producers to determine how the Press Club can be relevant to them and to encourage their participation.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, our mission continues: We always have, and always will, continue to advocate for quality journalism, defend both the First Amendment and the public’s right to know, and support future journalists through scholarships and mentoring.
While programs will remain virtual for the foreseeable future, watch for and join us for interesting and timely presentations as we celebrate our 25th anniversary.