National Press Club Announces Keynote Speakers for Presidential Inauguration Gala Jan. 30

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Press Club has announced that U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota (D) and Amanda Bennett of Bloomberg News will be the featured speakers for the Press Club's 103rd presidential black-tie inaugural gala in Washington, D.C., Saturday, January 30. Incoming NPC president Alan Bjerga, 36, of Bloomberg News begins his one-year term on Jan. 15 at the annual membership meeting, succeeeding USA Today's Donna Leinwand.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080917/NPCLOGO)

In 2006, Sen. Klobuchar became the first woman elected to represent the State of Minnesota in the U. S. Senate, after serving as chief prosecutor of Minnesota's largest county. The Washington Post described Klobuchar as "a rising star," "a leading proponent of efforts to combat climate change," and "the funniest new member of Congress." The Star Tribune praised her work as "a fast-moving legislator with potential to become a party leader."

Ms. Bennett in 2006 was named Executive Editor in charge at Bloomberg News, where she is now in charge of projects and investigations. She made history as the first female Executive Editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer, where she worked for three years. Prior to that, Bennett served as Editor at the Lexington Herald-Leader. She is also a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board.

NPC President-elect Bjerga, who covers agricultural policy for Bloomberg News in Washington, D.C., has identified journalism training and support of free speech worldwide as central to his upcoming term. Bjerga is currently the vice president of the National Press Club and has also served as the Club's treasurer and as a member of its Board of Governors. Bjerga this year received awards from the Overseas Press Club, the New York Press Club, the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, and the North American Agricultural Journalists for his work in Ethiopia on famine and U.S. food aid.

A Minnesota native, he holds a bachelor's degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., and earned a master's from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Previously, Bjerga worked in the Knight Ridder Washington bureau, where he won the NAAJ's top writing award in 2005. Bjerga began his career with the Saint Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press and also reported for the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Argus Leader and Wichita (Kan.) Eagle.

Entertainment for the evening gala will be provided by Honky Tonk Confidential, the band led by Bob Schieffer, host of CBS' "Face the Nation.'' A reception will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m., and remarks.

The public is invited to attend, and reservations are required. Tickets are $75 and may be purchased by calling 202-662-7501 or by e-mailing [email protected]. The Press Club is located on the 13th floor at 529 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.

The National Press Club, founded in 1908, has an estimated 3,500 members in Washington and worldwide. Widely known for its Speakers Luncheon Series televised by C-SPAN and broadcasted on XM Radio, the NPC also is Washington's most frequently used venue for news conferences. The NPC conducts an aggressive program of professional education for journalists, funds journalism scholarships, and operates the nation's only non-academic research library for journalists.

SOURCE National Press Club