Defense News' Jen Judson elected as 115th President of the National Press Club

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jen Judson, land warfare reporter for Defense News, was elected as the 115th president of the National Press Club, on Friday, December 10, 2021. She will officially assume the duties of the presidency in January 2022.

At the Press Club in The Reliable Source, Judson delivered her acceptance remarks among fellow members acknowledging the delight of being able to celebrate and gather in person once again:

"I have found the Club to be a haven of both inspiration and camaraderie in good times and bad and my goal as president is to ensure this continues for all members. I also look forward to recruiting new members with a fresh, diverse array of attributes that will contribute to the continued success of the institution, especially as the nature of journalism rapidly evolves."

As a faithful Press Club member for nearly a decade, Judson looks to continue the Club's dedication to the field of journalism by supporting reporters day-to-day and upholding a major pillar of our democracy.

"This coming year, as pandemic problems slowly fade, I hope we can sharpen our focus on matters of press freedom. As we know, the pandemic has only contributed to polarizing the public's view of the press worldwide and has aided in the degradation of global press freedom. I hope to double-down on Club efforts to promote a free press, to help protect press in danger, and to repair public trust. To make headway on these goals will require time, hard work, and a lot of help from our membership.

I pledge to continue the fight for the safe return of journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped while reporting in Syria the same year I became a member at the Club. I hope with all my heart that 2022 will be the year he comes home. "

As the land warfare reporter at Defense News for over six years, Judson has navigated the complicated bureaucracy of the Pentagon and Capitol Hill, but also brings previous experience of tackling head-on the challenges reporting in smaller communities at local newspapers. She won the National Press Club's best analytical reporting award in 2014 and was named the Defense Media Awards' best young defense journalist in 2018. Judson previously served as Club Secretary, on the board and as vice president to the outgoing president Lisa Nicole Matthews.

"The Club has a solid leader in Jen Judson and her leadership team in continued uncertain times. I look forward to continued work with her and our membership," said Matthews. 

Judson holds a master of science degree in print journalism from Boston University and a bachelor of arts degree from Kenyon College.

An inaugural gala is scheduled early in 2022 for the new president of the Club, which was founded in 1908 and includes thousands of members worldwide.

Additional results of Friday's Club election include: Eileen Drage O'Reilly (Axios) as vice president; Michael Balsamo (The Associated Press) as secretary; Emily Wilkins (Bloomberg) as treasurer; and Gillian Rich (Investor's Business Daily) as membership secretary. Elected to a Board of Governors Journalist seat for three-year terms: Herb Jackson, Tara Copp, Alisa Parenti; Board of Governors Journalist seat for one-year terms: Mark Schoeff Jr. and Poonam Sharma; and Board of Governors Communicator seat for a three-year term: Mike Smith.

Contact: Kaitlyn Cotter, [email protected], 202-662-7500

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SOURCE National Press Club