Maria Rodriguez, president & CEO of Vanguard Communications, elected to the National Press Club’s Board of Governors

Maria Rodriguez, president & CEO of Vanguard Communications, was elected for a three-year communicator seat on the Board of Governors of the National Press Club (NPC). Rodriguez joins Debra Silimeo of the Silimeo Group and Karen Addis of Addis Communications to represent communicator members of the Club.  Rodriguez ran for election to fill the board seat vacated by Mike Smith of GreenSmith PR at the end of his term.

Rodriguez told Capitol Communicator: “The National Press Club has been an integral part of my life since I began my PR and communications career in the 1980s, a time when hosting a news conference was a key tactic for media engagement. I practically lived at the Club during those formative years, and I am deeply honored to now join its governing board. The Club has always been – and remains – the premier venue for newsmakers. 

“I am excited to work alongside the other members of the National Press Club’s Board Governors to reinforce and elevate the Club’s role as a fierce advocate of first amendment rights and freedom of the press. 

“I believe the National Press Club is a truly unique Washington institution that cultivates collaboration among journalists and communications professionals.

“I’ve enjoyed every opportunity I’ve had to engage with the incredible members and staff of the National Press Club and look forward to contributing even more.”

The National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists, states NPC. It serves its members through activities that bolster their skills, through services that meet the changing needs of the global communications profession, and through social activities that build a vital media community in Washington and across the world. 

The Board of Governors is the governing body of the Club. The business and affairs of the Club are managed by or under the direction of the Board.