About

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.

The Institute accomplishes this mission by: offering programs to grow the number of people who produce and support journalism that drives civic engagement; protecting journalists from interference so they can fully and fairly represent the communities they serve; and increasing transparency to keep citizens well-informed and their governments and institutions accountable.

The Institute’s 2022-2024 strategic plan was approved in 2021. You can read it here and view a list of the Institute’s guiding principles here.

Board of Directors

President: Gil Klein, past National Press Club president and University of Oklahoma
Treasurer:  Paul Merrion, former Washington Bureau Chief for Crain’s Chicago Business
Secretary: Mizell Stewart III, Emerging Leaders, LLC, and Kent State University

Board Members:

Mike Balsamo, Associated Press

Jamila Bey, WHYY Philadelphia

Danielle Coffey, News Media Alliance

Sam Feist, CNN

Mara Gassmann, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Tom Huang, Dallas Morning News

Jen Judson, Defense News and past National Press Club president

Ed Kelley, University of Oklahoma (retired)

Alison Kodjak, ProPublica and past National Press Club president

Delano Massey, Axios Local

Eileen O’Reilly, Axios and past National Press Club president

Emily Wilkins, CNBC and National Press Club president

Staff

Beth Francesco, Executive Director
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Beth leads the National Press Club Journalism Institute, where she manages the team and daily operations, coordinates with the board on strategy, produces professional development programs and training resources, and handles fundraising and events. Prior, she worked behind the scenes to support revenue strategies, create and lead student-focused initiatives and scholarships, handled special projects, and produced programs focused on diversifying newsrooms and coverage. For 10 years, she directed the nationally recognized Student Publications unit at the University of Texas at Arlington. A longtime freelancer for national magazines and regional publications, she started her career in journalism as a copy editor and designer – and later city editor – for the Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller-Times. 

Beth is a 2022-23 Fellow with the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri-Columbia. A frequent presenter at journalism conventions and workshops, Beth received the Associated Collegiate Press’s Pioneer Award in 2022 and was named Adviser of the Year by the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association in 2017. She’s long held leadership positions with journalism nonprofits, having served as interim executive director with the Texas Community College Journalism Association; board member and vice president of programs for the Society of Professional Journalists’ Fort Worth chapter; and president and board member for TIPA. She authored a book, “100 Front Pages,” to celebrate The Shorthorn’s centennial celebration. Beth has a B.A. from the University of Texas at Arlington and a M.A. from the University of North Texas. 

Bara Vaida, Director of Training

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Bara Vaida is an experienced journalist who reported on business, consumer, wellness, and policy issues before joining the Institute in August 2023. As the director of training, Vaida is developing and expanding the Institute’s professional development portfolio and training strategy; creating unique learning opportunities for journalists; and producing timely resources for journalists, including the Institute’s afternoon newsletter, The Latest

Through her 30 years as both a newsroom and independent journalist, Vaida has navigated the halls of Congress and has gained an in-depth understanding of corporate, economic, and international business issues, health care policy, lobbying, and technology. She has worked for some of Washington’s biggest news organizations, including National Journal, Agence France-Presse, and Bloomberg News and has been a guest on numerous radio and television shows, including, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, Washington Week with Gwen Ifill, and WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi show.

In 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Vaida served as the core topic leader on infectious diseases for the Association of Health Care Journalists. In that role, she coordinated training and resources to assist her peers as they reported in real time the ongoing health crisis. 

Holly Butcher Grant, Operations Manager
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Holly Butcher Grant joined the Institute as Learning Manager in March 2020. Prior to her work with the Institute, she was a Marketing Specialist at law firm Foley Hoag LLP, where she managed content and social media strategy, in addition to building an events and distance learning program to educate existing and potential clients. Before that, she worked at Converge Venture Partners supporting a portfolio of early-stage technology companies and planning events for a network of angel investors. She holds a master’s degree in online journalism from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School, where she served as senior arts editor for Annenberg Digital News. Before graduate school, she worked in the entertainment industry as an agent trainee at William Morris Endeavor and United Talent Agency.

Mitch Harle, Development Manager
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Mitch Harle joined the Institute in July 2023 as its first Development Manager, tasked with overseeing and expanding the Institute’s fundraising and donor relations operation. Prior to his work at NPCJI, Mitch worked in the political world in a variety of roles. Mitch served in two positions at American Bridge 21st Century — first as a Tracker in West Virginia during the 2016 election and most recently as a Broadcast Media Monitor during the 2018 cycle. From 2019 to 2023, Mitch worked for Protect Our Care, a nonprofit dedicated to making high-quality, affordable and equitable healthcare a right for everyone in America. Mitch served as Deputy Press Secretary and Director of Operations from January 2019 to December 2020, and as Development Manager from January 2021 to March 2023. Mitch is originally from Katy, TX and holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Hendrix College in Conway, AR. He currently lives in Washington, D.C., with his husband and their adorable Scottish Terrier, Monty.

About the Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library

The Journalism Institute oversees the  Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library of the National Press Club, which offers research services and database access to members. The library also features journalism books, a Bloomberg terminal and Reuters wires access. For questions about use or research support, please contact [email protected].